The 5th Annual Buyouts West
Premier Networking For West Coast LBO Firms
Nov 18 & 19
Beverly Hills Hotel, Los Angeles
Early Bird Special - Only $995
$1295 after September 19
Day 1, Nov. 18
12:00 Registration Opens
1:00 West Coast Data Round Up
Matt Toole, Director, Deals Intelligence, Thomson Reuters
Global data powerhouse Thomson Reuters—owner of Buyouts Magazine—gives a snapshot of West coast fundraising and deal making trends.
1:15 GP Keynote
Antony Ressler, Co-Founder, Ares Partners
Antony Ressler is a founding member of turnaround specialist Ares Partners and functions as a senior partner in the Private Equity Group. Mr. Ressler is a senior advisor to the Ares Capital Markets Group and also serves on the investment committee on all Ares Private Equity and Private Debt Funds. Prior to founding Ares, Mr. Ressler was a co-founder of Apollo Management, L.P. in 1990 and was a member of the original six-member management team. Mr. Ressler serves on several boards of directors including those of HOB Entertainment, Inc., Kinetics Holdings, LLC, National Bedding Company LLC, Samsonite Corporation and WCA Waste Corp.
2:00 Limited Partner Outlook
Western institutional investors were among the first backers of private equity, and they remain a solid force in the asset class. Here, a group of luminaries from the region speaks to what kind of funds they're looking to commit capital to, either on their own behalf of that of their clients; how the credit crunch has impacted their appetite for buyout funds; and what kind of terms and conditions they're seeking on newly launched funds.
Panelists:
- Kelly Deponte, Partner, Probitas Partners
- Fabrizio Natale, Director, Capital Dynamics
- Michael Flaherman, Managing Director, New Mountain Capital
- Jeff Gehl, Managing Principal, Co-Founder, RCP Advisors
2:45 Coffee break
3:15 West Coast Deal Flow: Tech & Software
Technology and software together are the two largest components of the West Coast LBO market. Where are the deals coming from? How are they being financed? What's the exit climate? Our panel of technology buyout specialists has the answers.
Panelists:
- Paul Barber, General Partner, JMI Equity
- John Cooper, Co-Head of Software and Technology Services, Montgomery & Co.
- David McGovern, Founder, Marlin Equity Partners
- Joshua Tanzer, Managing Director, Revolution Partners
4:15 Dealmaker's Keynote
Tom Gores, Founder, Chairman and CEO, Platinum Equity
Platinum Equity Founder, Chairman and CEO Tom Gores brings a broad background of acquisitions experience, technological expertise and operational knowledge to his fast-growing, yet strategically focused M&A&O (mergers, acquisitions and operations) organization. From the corporate headquarters in Los Angeles, California, Mr. Gores serves as chairman of the board, overseeing strategic development and direction for each of the companies in the Platinum portfolio. Mr. Gores has completed more than eighty transactions since Platinum’s founding in 1995, earning nationwide recognition as an M&A&O strategist in the competitive acquisitions market space.
5:00 Evening Reception
Day 2, Nov. 19
8:00 Breakfast
9:00 Morning Roundtables
Time to interact! In this section of the program, you’ll have the opportunity to move from table to table, discussing hot-button topics with your peers. Each table is led by one or two moderators who are experts in the field.
Potential topics and moderators (to be confirmed closer to the date of the event):
- Quality deal flow--is it attainable? with Nick Chini, Managing Principal, Bainbridge
- How the burgeoning secondaries market impacts your firm
- Cashing in on your portfolio’s real estate
- Partners with VC and growth shops
- Boosting returns at fund liquidation time
- Negotiating partnership terms and conditions
- Creative ways to finance deals
- Don't be a JAMMBOG! Polish your fundraising roadshow, with Christopher Pace, General Partner, WestLB Mellon Asset Management
- Recruiting and compensation to eliminate turnover; with Denise Palmieri, Director of Client Relations, Pinnacle Group
- Advanced strategies to lower your tax bills—and those of your LPs
11:00 Where’s The Debt Now?
Last year was a remarkable one for the debt markets—the proverbial best and worst of times. Stuck holding big loans, Wall Street briefly vacated the premises, shutting down the mega-deals. In the middle market, mezzanine lenders and senior lenders whose business wasn't reliant on syndication suddenly held all the cards. What's happening today? Who are the most active lenders? What kind of leverage multiples, interest rates, and terms and conditions can buyout shops expect to ge on their loans?
Panelists:
- Jim Upchurch, President, Caltius Mezzanine
- Michael Satzberg, Managing Director, Sun Capital Securities Fund
- John Rocchio, Managing Director, Newstone Capital
- Jim Hunt, CEO & CIO, THL Credit Group
- Randy Schwimmer, Senior Managing Director, Churchill Financial
12:00 Networking Lunch
1:00 LP Keynote
David Fann, President, PCG Asset Management
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Mr. Fann has over twenty years of experience in the private equity industry, and currently leads PCG Asset Management, a leading private equity advisor that annually invests over $9 billion in private equity funds, direct investments, and co-investments. Among the firm’s prominent clientele: California Public Employees’ Retirement System, Oregon Investment Council, and the New York City Retirement Systems. Mr. Fann will discuss where PCG Asset Management is placing its bets and what it takes to win a commitment from his powerful advisory firm.
1:35 West Coast Deal Flow: Consumer Products
After technology and software, "consumer products" represents one of the most popular fields in which LBO shops ply their trade. Here, we gather specialists to talk about how to drum up deal flow, and how to avoid getting burnt at a time of rapidly falling consumer spending and confidence.
Panelists:
- John Baumer, Partner, Leonard Green & Partners
- Jim D'Aquila, Managing Director, The Mercanti Group
- James Katzman, Managing Director, Goldman Sachs
- Lee Landrum, Principal, The Carlyle Group
- Michael Mauze, Managing Director, VMG Partners
2:15 Keynote Panel: The Great Debates
We end the content portion of our conference with an outward gaze. What does the dealscape look like over the next 12 to 18 months? What industries will produce the most lucrative transactions and why? How easy will debt come and on what terms? Where are the best places to find new LPs? In short: where do we go from here? Crystal balls required.
Moderator:
Panelists:
- Mark Bradley, Global Head Of Financial Sponsors Coverage Group, Morgan Stanley
- Kelvin Davis, Head of North American Buyouts, TPG Capital
- Dipanjan Deb, Managing Partner, Francisco Partners
- Ajay Shah, Managing Director, Founder, Silver Lake Sumeru
- Arthur E. Levine, President and Founding Principal, Levine Leichtman Capital Partners
3:00 Buyouts Deal Flow Circuit
In this structured networking event, we gather up the West coast GPs, you bring the business cards. Get your chat on with top LBO professionals from throughout the region, who man tables around a room for your networking convenience.
5:30 Conference Ends