Look Who's Speaking

• Neil Aaronson, Executive Vice President, The Hilco Organization
• Mark Angelson, Chairman, MidOcean Partners
• Paul Aversano, Managing Director and National Practice Leader, Alvarez & Marsal Transaction Advisory Group
• Chris Behrens, Managing Director, CCMP
• Scott Dahnke, Managing Partner, Catterton Partners
• Jim Fogarty, Managing Director, Alvarez & Marsal
• Greg Giammittorio, Co-Chair of Global M&A Group and Private Equity Buyout Group, Morrison & Foerster
• Paul Halpern, Partner, Versa Capital Management
• H. Hiter Harris III, Co-Founder, Harris Williams & Co.
• David Horing, Managing Director, American Securities Capital Partners
• Mark Jrolf, General Partner, Heritage Partners
• Robert Landis, Partner, Riverside Company
• Richard W. Morgner, Managing Director, Co-Head of Mergers and Acquisitions Practice, Miller Buckfire
• Larren Nashelsky, Chair of Bankruptcy and Restructuring Practice Group & Co-Managing Partner, Morrison & Foerster
• Dexter Paine, Founding Partner, Paine & Partners
• Edward Rimland, Senior Managing Director, Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc.
• Andrew Rosen, Partner, HM Capital Partners
• Louis Samson, Principal, Platinum Equity
• Carl Stanton, Managing Partner, Wellspring Capital Management
• Tim Tobin, Managing Director, Retail Finance, GE Commercial Finance

Brutal, but not futile. Given the tight lending market as well as a sputtering economy, finding and completing M&A transactions is becoming more challenging. Due diligence is longer, equity contributions are rising and buyers are understandably less willing to take on risk. But deals are still getting done, many of them in the middle market. Good deals are still out there, while those who are on the sidelines can succeed by effectively managing their portfolios.