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Our vision Your future
During this unparalleled period, when individuals and companies must constantly pivot and reinvent themselves in a myriad of ways, it’s crucial to remain ahead of the game.

ROAD SIGNS TO RECOVERY
That’s the strongest growth in nearly two decades after the deepest recession since the Great Depression, according to the latest forecast of the American Bankers Association’s Economic Advisory Committee (EAC).

NEW YEAR, NEW OPTIMISM
Despite the social and fiscal challenges of last year, 2021 is looking bright from a mergers and acquisitions (M&A) perspective. Based on surprisingly robust activity in fourth quarter of 2020,...

A MODERN PATH
Last month, the Center for Audit Quality (CAQ) and the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (the Association) released a new roadmap to provide audit practitioners with a blueprint to support companies in achieving their environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting goals.

CUSIP RE-APPROVED AS U.S. STANDARD FOR SECURITIES IDENTIFICATION
The approval followed an extensive review of the market by X9 as part of the customary five-year maintenance cycle. The action ensures that financial market participants in the U.S. and around the world can continue to place their trust and confidence in the CUSIP system.

FULL CREDIT
Despite persistent challenges from the pandemic-induced recession, the credit card market continues to show resilience. The chief economists of North America’s largest banks see improvement in business and consumer credit market conditions over the next six months, according to the latest quarterly report from the American Bankers Association (ABA).

MOHAMED “MIKE” AHMAR
Mohamed “Mike” Ahmar is a founder, and the executive chairman of the board, of Partners Bank of California, and the president of Ahmar Investment Inc., a real estate development company that develops and leases commercial and multi-family properties.

RAUL A. ANAYA
As president of business banking for Bank of America, Los Angeles-based Raul A. Anaya leads a nationwide division that serves nearly 40,000 U.S. mid-sized companies with annual revenues from $5 million to $50 million. Anaya is part of the bank’s executive management team that helps set the overall strategic direction of Bank of America.

BELVA ANAKWENZE
As the principal of Abacus Financial Management Group, Belva Anakwenze serves as a virtual CFO for several creatives in Los Angeles. Having served as a trusted advisor for many in the entertainment industry for more than 15 years, her clients range from entertainers and their closely held companies to large entertainment tech companies.

BARNEY A. ALLISON
These include the use of public and private debt, private equity and federal credit assistance – particularly the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act and Private Activity Bond programs. He helps clients navigate through all elements of public-private partnerships and other innovative project delivery methods.

ANDREW M. APFELBERG
Andrew Apfelberg, a partner at GreenbergGlusker LLP, is a corporate and finance attorney for middle-market companies throughout the United States.

BITA ARDALAN
Bita Ardalan is managing director and head of Commercial Banking for MUFG Union Bank. The Commercial Banking group is an origination and portfolio management unit serving middle-market companies with revenues of $50 million to $2 billion across a range of industries with credit and non-credit ancillary products.

DEBORAH BENTON
Deborah Benton is the founding partner of Willow Growth Partners, an early-stage consumer fund focused on investing in visionary entrepreneurs building the next generation of iconic brands and the technology that supports them.

FRIDA BANK
Throughout her exceptional 30-year career, Frida Bank stands out for her leadership roles at top Los Angeles area banks. Beginning her career at an entry level position in banking, through a succession of promotions at several prestigious institutions, she rose to her current role.

BRUCE BEHNAM
Behnam helps middle-market banks think through how to shift their business from a traditional model to a digital one in which they can bring new products and services to compete and meet the changing demands of their customers, and all in a cost-effective way.

GAL BEN-NAIM
Gal Ben-Naim is a highly experienced and talented private banking and investment management professional with an unwavering dedication to his clients’ success.

ED BAGDASARIAN
Ed Bagdasarian’s professional career spans more than three decades and his accomplishments include helping build two preeminent middle-market M&A advisory firms, overseeing their sale to two of the largest financial institutions in the world and...

JAN BRZESKI
He has extensive experience with every aspect of real estate investment. He has participated in more than 1,600 real estate transactions, investing over $1.7 billion on behalf of Arixa’s investors and partners.

EVA DAVIS
Eva Davis works with some of the most active private equity funds in the country. She provides commercial advice alongside strategic M&A counseling when negotiating on behalf of U.S. and global public and private companies, and private equity funds involving significant transactional matters.

KELLY COFFEY
When Kelly Coffey took the job of CEO of the largest bank based in Los Angeles, City National Bank, two years ago, she became the bank’s fourth chief executive officer and is now one of only four women CEOs among the largest 50 banks in the country.

CURT A. CHRISTIANSSEN
Curt Christianssen has dedicated most of his career working in the banking industry, with a specific focus on community banks.

MALCOLM DAVIES
Malcolm Davies has over 20 years of experience as an award-winning capital advisor and developer, having advised and been involved with nearly $7 billion worth of financings, both in the equity and debt markets.

SHERRY CEFALI
Sherry Cefali is a managing director in the Transaction Opinions practice and the head of Duff & Phelps’ Los Angeles office of approximately 100 people. She has been with Duff & Phelps for 30 years, advising companies and boards, rendering fairness opinions and solvency opinions and determining valuations of companies and securities.

JAMES F. DAVIDSON
James F. Davidson is managing director, president and founder of Avant Advisory Group, a management consulting and financial advisory firm that specializes in operational turnarounds and financial restructurings, mergers and acquisitions, CFO, C-Suite and corporate governance advisory, forensic, fraud and corporate investigations.

JACKY DILFER
Jacky Dilfer is a trusted advisor, helping her clients grow their businesses, create job opportunities, and better serve their communities.

GENE DUNFORD
Gene Dunford has been in the banking industry for 30 years and has worked with both large and small banks. He holds an MBA from the University of Redlands. He also graduated with a B.S. in Business from Utah State University’s John Huntsman School of Business.

CAROLINE DJANG
Caroline Djang is a leading business attorney and authority in bankruptcy law whom debtors, creditors, trustees and an array of other parties rely on to help them navigate pre-bankruptcy issues through post-bankruptcy financial relationships in ways that maximize value and minimize risks.

BRIAN FORD
Brian Ford is a Debt Finance partner in the Los Angeles office of Kirkland and Ellis where he continuously leads complex financing transactions for some of the firm’s most prominent clients, including Oaktree Capital Management and Francisco Partners.

ERIC ELLINGSEN
California Bank&Trust recently announced the promotion of Eric Ellingsen, a banking industry leader and company veteran of over 20 years, from president and COO to CEO, effective January 4, 2021. Ellingsen continues his role as president with new leadership responsibilities as CEO.

GILBERT ESTRADA
Gilbert Estrada bringsmore than 35 years of financial experience to his role as senior vice president and regional manager of the Inland Empire for Citizens Business Bank. Estrada has a background working with middle-market companies in a variety of areas, including treasury management, specialty deposits, operations, and commercial services.

JIM FREEDMAN
He has more than 38 years of investment banking and corporate finance experience, and he is an expert in the financial aspects of corporate strategy.

DANIELLE V. GARCIA
Danielle Garcia is a financial services attorney who focuses on representing lenders in secured finance transactions on an asset-based, recurring revenue, cashflow and leverage basis.

MEREDITH ESAREY
Meredith Esarey is a senior vice president and regional manager for 1st Century Bank and is responsible for leading her team in developing new commercial banking clients. She has more than 15 years of banking expertise, spanning both coasts with experience in commercial, asset-based and cash flow lending solutions to privately held companies.

ROSS GERBER
Gerber and the Gerber Kawasaki team oversee $1.6 billion of investments as of last year and focus on technology, media, and entertainment sectors. Gerber Kawasaki has become a leader in fintech by leveraging technology and social media to work with a large and diverse client base.

RUSSELL GOLDSMITH
During the COVID-19 crisis, Goldsmith leveraged his decades of banking experience to discuss these challenges and the appropriate policy responses with experts, including a former Federal Reserve chairman, a former Council of Economic Advisors Chair and others.

PATRICK HARDER
Over the past several years, PatrickHarder, chair of Nossaman's Infrastructure Practice Group, has served as the leader of the legal team advising on several of the largest, most innovative, impactful and technically complex public-private partnership (P3) projects in the United States and California.

JERI HARMAN
Harman has consistently provided advice on strategy, growth, management and organizational development, acquisitions and financial matters. Moreover, she is an expert in finance, M&A and capital markets issues and is a frequent speaker on these topics at conferences and symposiums across the country.

LLOYD GREIF
Lloyd Greif is at the top of his game in his field, which is M&A deal-making. A veteran investment banker, this November marks Greif’s 40th anniversary in the field and next year will mark the 30th anniversary of the investment bank Greif & Co., for which he serves as founder, president & CEO.

CHANNING HAMLET
Channing Hamlet is a managing director and coowner of Objective Capital Partners, a leading investment banking and valuation firm serving the lower middlemarket, specifically companies with an enterprise value of $20–$75 million.

MICHELE L. HAVENS
Based in Los Angeles, Michele Havens is Northern Trust’s president of the West Region. In this position she is responsible for leading the company’s wealth management business in the Western United States, from Washington to Texas. Havens is responsible for the investment management, trust, estate, private and business banking business.

BRAD HOLTMEIER
Brad Holtmeier is a partner at CriticalPoint Capital (CPC), an operations-focused private equity firm in the middle market. CPC specializes in corporate carve-outs, special situations and privately-owned businesses seeking a transition. Holtmeier joined CPC at its founding in 2012 and has worked on the firm’s 12+ investments since inception.

JEREMY HOLLAND
Jeremy Holland moved to Los Angeles from Bakersfield to attend CSU Northridge, and he has remained in L.A. throughout his career. He spent the first 12 years of his career with smaller more traditionally structured private equity firms, allowing him to be involved in all aspects of the investing process.

CATHERINE JOOYAN
In her capacity, she is responsible for managing a team of bankers delivering SBA lending to small business in her community.

RON KENT
He has served as a national co-practice leader for RSM’s specialty finance practice and currently serves as a regional financial services practice leader. As the firm’s regional leader, Kent is responsible for providing the long-term vision and business strategies of the West region’s financial services practice.

SHADI JAHANGIR
She represents financial institutions, leading private equity sponsors, and corporate borrowers in middle-market debt financings and investment-grade credits.

DANILO KAWASAKI
Danilo Kawasaki, Vice President and COO of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management, oversees the compliance and day-today operations of the firm. He is also a member of the Gerber Kawasaki Board of Directors and the Investment Selection Committee.

DAVID IANNINI
David Iannini has over 30 years of investment banking transaction experience, having held senior positions at Salomon Brothers and Schroders, among others. Iannini has executed over 200 transactions for large capitalization companies as well as medium-size entrepreneurial and private businesses.

CAROLYN HUNT
Carolyn Hunt is regarded as an authority in the film and television finance and distribution arenas. She is one of only a few women leading a film finance practice at a major law firm, offering clients big-picture thinking and more than 25 years of...

JOHN M. KRAMBEER
John Krambeer founded Camden Capital in 2004 and is a partner of the firm and the chairman of Camden Capital’s investment strategy team, where he oversees the investment management process, including manager selection and review.

JASON A. LAWIT
Jason Lawit is the president of the Los Angeles region for Northern Trust. He works to grow the business and regularly participates in new business and relationship opportunities.

KIYOUN KIM
As IDB Bank’s regional manager for California, Kiyoun Kim oversees the bank’s full-service branches in Downtown Los Angeles and Beverly Hills. Kim leads Middle Market Business Banking, Commercial Real Estate, and Private Banking for IDB. She continues to focus on bringing new, innovative products and customized solutions to the local marketplace.

ANDREW KLINE
Kline has advised on M&A transactions across all major sports leagues as well as emerging and international sports leagues. He has also been integral in advising on financing many early-stage sports-based businesses and real estate transactions.

JONATHAN LEE
Jonathan Lee recently began his 15th year at George Smith Partners, having moved to the firm from a home building development firm in 2006. He began his work in capital advisory as part of co-founder Steve Bram’s team before forming his own group in 2012.

SIMONE LAGOMARSINO
Simone Lagomarsino serves as president and chief executive officer of Luther Burbank Corporation and Luther Burbank Savings. She leads the Executive Committee and isamember of Luther Burbank’s board of directors.

CHANG M. LIU
Chang M. Liu is the president and chief executive officer of Cathay Bank and Cathay General Bancorp and serves as a member on the Board of Directors for Cathay. Liu leads the oldest operating bank in the U.S.

J. CHRISTOPHER LEWIS
Chris Lewis co-founded RLH and led the firm throughamulti-decade trajectory of growth and success, developing from a small family office to an institutional private equity group managing assets in excess of $1 billion.

DEREK LYNN
In this role, Lynn has helped fund several million dollars of Paycheck Protection Program loans for his clients across the Southland.

JENN MCCABE
Jenn McCabe has more than 25 years of outsourced accounting and finance experience, with a particular expertise in startups and the advertising and creative production industries. She is passionate about seeing companies utilize accounting technology to maximize their efficiency, productivity, and ultimately, success.

RUDY B. MEDINA
Rudy Medina serves as the Southern California market president for U.S. Bank, the fifth largest commercial bank in the United States. Medina leads themarket in company-wide efforts and activities and directs commercial banking in the greater Southern California area.

JAMES MADDEN
Jim Madden is an entrepreneur, investor, and pioneer of the HR Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector. He was the founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Exult, Inc., the Irvine based, pioneer of HRBPO for Global 500 corporations.

MARC MCMORRIS
Entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist Marc F. McMorris is a co-founder and managing director of Carrick Capital Partners, where he is directly involved in the identification, selection and post-investment growth guidance of the firm’s portfolio companies in software and software-enabled businesses.

SAMUEL MAIZEL
Samuel Maizel is a partner in the Restructuring, Insolvency and Bankruptcy practice at Dentons, the world’s largest law firm. He is an authority on the issues that arise in the restructuring of health care industry entities, including nonprofits. He has spoken at many conferences nationally and internationally and is a published expert.

NOOR MENAI
Noor Menai has more than 30 years of experience in global banking, having successfully led and transformed a variety of consumer and commercial businesses.

STEVEN MILLER
Steve Miller is a partner in Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP’s Finance practice, advising equity sponsors and their portfolio companies as well as strategic buyers and borrowers in connection with the debt component of large cap, middle-market and...

KAREN MILES
Karen Miles is a managing director and head of Houlihan Lokey’s Financial Advisory Services business for Southern California. She co-chairs the firm’s Technical Standards Committee, which determines the appropriate methodologies for dealing with valuation issues.

JOSHUA MOGIN
Partner Raines Feldman LLP.

STEVE MOON
Steve Moon has been with Duff & Phelps Securities for over 20 years. He is a managing director and deputy head of mergers and acquisitions for Americas. He is also co-head of the firm’s Aero space, Defense and Government Mergers & Acquisitions Group..

JOEL MONTMINY
Joel Montminy founded and leadsMontminy & Co., spearheading its client assignments and operations across the globe. He is a high-impact leader who successfully spearheads both Montminy & Co.’s daily operations as well as client assignments across the globe.

EDWARD MOYZES
Ed Moyzes was born in Kiev before the fall of the Soviet Union, eventually immigrating to Denver with his family when he was five. After spending time at big four public accounting firms and a dot com start up, he decided he wanted greater control over his professional future and started his career as a financial advisor.

DAVID M. NEMECEK
David Nemecek is a corporate partner in Kirkland & Ellis’ Los Angeles office. His practice focuses on representing private equity sponsors, portfolio companies, hedge funds, asset managers and alternative capital sources in complex financing...

RENÉ NOURSE
Sensing that a shift was taking place in the financial services industry, her intention was to build a platform that focused on strategic financial planning alongside investment management to better serve clients.

DANIEL MUÑOZ
Daniel Muñoz, who began his financial career in the spring of 2011, has worked in small business banking for Bank of America, Chase Bank and now CDC Small Business Finance.

NISHEN RADIA
Nishen Radia is managing partner and co-founder of FocalPoint Partners, a leading investment bank headquartered in Los Angeles, with branch offices in Chicago, New York, and Shanghai. Radia heads the firm’s mergers and acquisitions practice.

PAUL RAHIMIAN
As CEO and founder of Parkview Financial, Paul Rahimian manages a national debt fund that provides construction financing to ground-up real estate development projects. Through the private fund, the firm provides short-term bridge and construction loans secured by first trust deeds to developers throughout the United States.

JIM PITRAT
Since becoming MP, he has overseen over ten mergers, which have more than doubled the size of the firm and increased revenues to $70 million. In addition to the financial success of the firm, he has also created initiatives within the firm that have added to the diversity and thus, success of an evolving and growing organization.

ANANT PATEL
Anant has over 25 years of public accounting experience and leads GHJ’s Advisory and Transaction Advisory Services practices and isamember of GHJ’s Executive Committee. He advises in mergers and acquisitions and provides financial due diligence consulting.

KEVIN M. O’MALLEY
Kevin O’Malley concentrates his practice on financial services and secured lending across several industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, and technology.

DANIEL PASSAGE
Co-chair of Winston & Strawn’s Structured Finance Practice, Daniel Passage has more than 25 years of experience structuring programs for the origination, financing, and securitization of novel or esoteric financial assets.

BONNIE RUBIN
Bonnie Rubin is currently an executive vice president with 1st Century Bank, a division of MidFirst Bank. She has been in the banking industry for over 30 years and with 1st Century Bank for 15 years.

AMANDA SCHUTZBANK
Having been an operator herself, she’s passionate about what comes after the check. Prior to Willow, Schutzbank was an investor at Amplify.LA and Primary Venture Partners where she focused on the e-commerce sector.

TREVOR M. SALIBA
Trevor Saliba is NMS Consulting’s managing partner and global head of private equity, M&A and strategy of NMS Consulting, based in the firm’s Beverly Hills headquarters, where he serves a global client base.

MARK SAMPSON
Mark Sampson co-founded Pacific Growth Investors and its predecessor fund, Vintage Capital Partners, to accelerate value creation at lower middle market companies as their control financial sponsor.

GREG SEIBLY
Seibly started at Union Bank right at the onset of the pandemic in the United States. As Union Bank has navigated through the pandemic, Seibly has spearheaded the effort to ensure that safety, transparent communication and empathy were added to every...

JOHN SCHWEISBERGER
John Schweisberger serves as Armanino’s partnerin-charge of the Business Outsourcing Services practice, focused on providing essential outsourced accounting, finance,...

LISA SIMONETTI
Routinely listed among the best lawyers in America for banking and finance litigation, Lisa Simonetti joined Greenberg Traurig in 2019 and has quickly become a key member of the firm’s Financial Services Litigation and Regulatory Compliance practices, carving out an important niche defending complex class actions and enforcement proceedings.

MAYTAL SHAINBERG
Maytal Shainberg began her career focused on venture capital-backed digital advertising start-ups, where she developed strong competencies around the publishing, user-experience and video categories. In 2015, she joined fintech start-up FastPay, where she developed the company’s sales strategy and led a 15-person team focused on enterprise clients.

DAN SHUMOVICH
Dan Shumovich is a principal of business risk consulting at RSM US LLP. In his current role, he is responsible for the delivery of business risk consulting services to financial institutions and specialty finance companies, including risk...

AARON SOLGANICK
Aaron Solganick has built a strong boutique investment bank focused exclusively on software and technology companies over the past 11 years. He has successfully managed and completed several M&A transactions (of more than $8 billion) and is considered an expert among his peers.

LAVON SHORT
LaVon Short has more than 40 years of financial services experience. She began her career with Crocker National Bank and later joined Wells Fargo Bank as a personal banking officer. She was a branch manager for 15 years for five branches before moving to Citizens Business Bank.

DAN SHEA
Dan Shea is a managing director of Objective Capital Partners, a leading investment banking and valuation firm serving the lower middle market, specifically companies with an enterprise value of $20–$75 million. Shea leads the business development and transaction advisory efforts for engagements across all practice groups.

ALEX SOLTANI
Alex Soltani founded Skyview Capital in 2005 and is chairman of the firm’s executive and investment committees. He is a serial entrepreneur and started his first business when still a student at UCLA. Soltani brings extensive operational experience to his work in private equity.

PAUL W. SWEENEY, JR.
Paul Sweeney is a member of the K&L Gates LLP Los Angeles office’s commercial litigation group, where he focuses his practice on handling complex business disputes, both individual and class action lawsuits, involving unfair business practices,...

JAMES VERZINO
When a childhood friend introduced him to Northwestern Mutual, James Verzino discovered a place where he could truly lead and inspire people. Nearly a decade later, he has developed and influenced dozens of new financial advisors, while maintaining a successful practice.

DANIEL K. WALKER
When Farmers & Merchants Bank of Long Beach’s reins were passed to Walker in 2002, he was ready. And when the Great Recession crippled the banking industry and the global economy, he did not flinch or falter.

DUANE STULLICH
Duane Stullich is managing partner and co-founder of FocalPoint Partners, a leading international boutique investment bank headquartered in Los Angeles.

MARSHALL C. STODDARD
For more than four decades, beginning as an inhouse counsel with Aetna Business Credit (now a part of Bank of America), Marshall Stoddard has distinguished himself as one of the foremost advisers to the secured finance industry.

TROY ZANDER
Beyond serving as the partner-in-charge of Barnes & Thornburg's San Diego office, Troy Zander counsels banks and non-regulated lenders, which lend funds to technology and life science companies, and the venture capital and private equity firms that support them.

MATT YOUNG
Matt Young is a passionate dealmaker and in 2020, has shown tenacity and determination to keep going and push through the most challenging of circumstances. He is the founder and CEO of the investment banking firm CriticalPoint Partners (CPP), headquartered in Manhattan Beach.

JEFFREY WHITE
A founding partner, Jeffrey White has been actively involved with all M&A efforts at Skyview Capital since its inception. Skyview is a privately held investment firm headquartered in Los Angeles, operating a portfolio of acquired companies worldwide..

JARED WOLFF
Jared Wolff is President and Chief Executive Officer of Banc of California, Inc., one of the state’s leading full-service business banks, with approximately $8 billion in assets.

MATTHEW WRYSINSKI
He also has one of the largest transactional practices, representing private equity funds and their portfolio companies, as well as commercial banks, finance companies, and other commercial lenders in various types of secured and unsecured financings.

BORYANA V. ZAMANOFF
Boryana Zamanoff works with high-net worth multigenerational families and entrepreneurs as well as their private foundations and family offices and provides advice related to trust administration, wealth transfer, business succession, philanthropic planning, family governance and next generation education.

REBUILDING MOMENTUM
The outlook for bank construction lending was strong prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and bankers remain optimistic despite challenges resulting from the health and economic crisis, according to a report released by the American Bankers Association.

University of California, Irvine (UCI)
UC Irvine’s Paul Merage School of Business MBA programs offer a personalized educational experience to help students develop the tools and leadership skills to think creatively and strategically about the challenges and opportunities created by digital technologies.

Loyola Marymount University
We do things differently at Loyola Marymount University. Our graduate business programs transform students into agile professionals and executives who positively impact organizations and society.

Pepperdine University
By making a positive impact on students, they will be equipped to go out into the world and do the same – turning small ripples into significant waves. The Pepperdine Graziadio Business School proudly offers a diverse range of full-time, part-time, executive, and C-level graduate degree programs.

California Lutheran University
The Executive MBA is an accelerated hybrid program with compressed weekend and online courses. It is designed for managers and leaders of corporate and nonprofit organizations who strive to excel and transform their teams.

California State University, Northridge
The part-time evening MBA program at CSUN's David Nazarian College of Business and Economics offers working professionals the opportunity to invest in their future and secure their careers. This MBA program is not simply education offered "to" students, but an educational experience "with" students.

Claremont Graduate University
At the Drucker School of Management, we embrace Peter Drucker's philosophy that the practice of management requires a people-oriented approach. Our students enjoy small class sizes, approachable faculty, and supportive career counselors to help them grow professionally and meet their goals.

USC Marshall School of Business
USC Marshall is a global business school in the heart of L.A. Consistently ranked among the nation’s premier schools, Marshall offers impressive international and experiential opportunities, cutting-edge research and industry engagement, and is supported by the powerful Trojan network.