Capstone Partners LLC and Headwaters MB, LLC announced that they have completed a strategic transaction whereby Capstone has acquired Headwaters to form Capstone Headwaters LLC. This combination unites two leading middle market investment banking firms into a single platform with 150 professionals, covering 16 dedicated industry groups, spanning 20 offices across the US, UK and Brazil. The transaction creates one of the largest independent investment banks in the United States with comprehensive vertical and product coverage for entrepreneurs, family-owned businesses, private equity sponsors and creditors.
The transaction represents the culmination of a long-term collaboration between Capstone and Headwaters, and the respective founders, John Ferrara and Philip Seefried. Both Ferrara (CEO) and Seefried (President) will remain in senior leadership positions, together with Paul Janson (COO), Jack Maier (Head of Investment Banking), Jacob Voorhees (Co-Head of Investment Banking), Brendan Burke (Head of Sponsor Coverage), Daniel McBroom (Head of Corporate Development) and Peter Asiaf (Head of Business Development).
“Phil and I have discussed this transaction for years and we are very excited to see it realized. Our firms share a common DNA and strategic direction, both equally committed to excellence on behalf of our clients and our people,” commented John Ferrara. He added, “This combination is an exciting operational fit, completes the build out of our sector coverage and greatly expands our geographic presence. For both firms, this transaction accelerates the achievement of many of our growth objectives, and our employees and management team fully support this powerful strategic move.”
Seefried observed, “There are two things that make this combination so special. First and foremost, there is a strong cultural resonance among our professionals. It has been amazing to witness the cooperation and communication between the teams as we worked through our extensive integration planning. Secondly, we share the same vision of how our executive teams should think about building a long-term leadership position in middle market investment banking. The exciting part will be what we can now deliver for our clients and key strategic relationships.”