From left: Rod Essen, Doug Reynolds and Sue Field

FORBES, March 30, 2009

Investment bankers can often take a businesslike approach to getting a deal done, with service-level decisions that over-emphasize their bottom line. Doug Reynolds left his prior firm for the opportunity to “do the right thing.” In 2008, he founded Reynolds Advisory Partners, a firm that specializes in mergers and acquisitions, capital raising and related financial advisory services for middle-market clients nationwide. Reynolds Advisory Partners takes a client-centric approach by putting clients’ needs first.

“We believe that by focusing on the client first and foremost, the money will follow. When you have the client’s interests at heart, you work harder to find the right deal,” Reynolds explains. “You do your diligence, understand client objectives and provide senior-level service at every stage of the deal. And as a result of those extra efforts, the deal is more likely to be successful and you have a happier client. And happy clients are more likely to refer others to you. Everybody wins.”

Major Firm Experience.
Middle-Market Expertise.

Doug Reynolds and the firm’s other Managing Directors, Sue Field and Rod Essen, have a wide range of experience across the full spectrum of investment banking. “We’re a middle-market firm but you won’t find a senior banker here that doesn’t have extensive experience at a major firm. That translates into better, more knowledgeable service,” Reynolds says.

Reynolds, Essen and Field have completed a combined 240 transactions, with more than $64 billion in proceeds under their belts. The firm’s resume includes as many public deals as private, a number of them worth billions of dollars. “Most middle-market firms can’t offer experience of that magnitude,” he says.

Reynolds Advisory Partners also offers additional services on both the front and back ends of its transactions. “We have the experience to provide clients with specialized upfront operational consulting,” Reynolds explains. “Sue Field, former senior Merrill Lynch M&A banker and also an experienced public company CFO, can efficiently evaluate operational or other issues that may hinder the successful completion of a transaction.”

And once the transaction closes, the firm also helps clients transition into the next phase of their life. “We’re completely holistic in approach,” Reynolds says. “It’s not enough for us to just finish the deal. We want to make sure clients are able to enjoy every penny of their after-tax proceeds. Gretchen Lium, a Harvard MBA with significant Wall Street experience, leads the firm’s Wealth Management Introductory Service, matching clients with reputable independent, third-party wealth management firms that best meet their needs.

“It’s part of the same philosophy,” Reynolds continues. “If we allow a client to partner with a buyer, financing source or wealth manager that’s not a good match, they’re not going to be as happy with the outcome. When we go that extra mile and ensure everybody is on the same page, the client is happier and, in the end, the deal is more lucrative for everybody involved.”

Reynolds Advisory Partners’ Services

• Sell-side Advisory
• Buy-side Advisory
• Financing and Capital Raising
• Fairness Opinions
• Special Committee Representation
• IPO Advisory
• Operations Consulting
• Wealth Management Introductory Services

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Reynolds Advisory Partners was announced as winner of the Professional Services Deal of the Year award in front of a sold out crowd at the historic Hudson Theatre at the Millennium Hotel on December 15, 2008. 

Reynolds Advisory Partners was chosen among 36 other winners from a pool of more than 220 finalists. The Middle-Market M&A Awards Gala honors deal-teams, deal-makers, and firms whose activities set the standard for the industry. The 7^th Annual Awards Gala generated a record response since the awards began in 2002.  The M&A Advisor’s Annual Awards Gala honors excellence in deal-making between $10 million and $1 billion deal-value.  An independent body of experts that span the M&A industry determined the ultimate recipients of the awards.  Winners were revealed “Academy-Award style” at the gala.  In addition, John K. Castle, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Castle Harlan, Inc. was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award.  

“Each winner has excelled in their field and is truly deserving of the honor,” said Roger Aguinaldo, CEO and Publisher of The M&A Advisor.  “All winners should be proud of their award, especially in these tough economic times.” 

Doug Reynolds, Founder and Managing Director adds, “We are extremely pleased to win the Middle Market Deal of the Year award for the Acquisition of Coto Global Solutions LLC by Language Line Holdings LLC, a portfolio company of ABRY.  Our senior bankers, who average over 25 years of experience and have collectively completed 240 transactions representing $64 billion of value, are adept at advising clients in challenging situations. By providing senior level banker attention at each step of a transaction, we greatly enhance the probability of a successful close as evidenced by this prestigious award.” 

Reynolds Advisory Partners LLC is an investment bank boutique specializing in mergers and acquisitions, capital raising, and financial advisory services focused on middle market clients nationwide.  For more information, please visit www.reynoldsap.com 

Coto Global Solutions is a family of language services companies that provides multilingual support for every media touch point including on-demand telephone-based customer service and sales, web communications and software applications for global audiences, document translation for customer materials and multinational based employees, or onsite interpretation for in-person meetings. 

Since 1988, The M&A Advisor has been connecting professionals in the mergers and acquisitions, distressed investing and related financial industries through its leading conferences and awards galas, M&A Alerts newsletter and online community. 

SOURCE:  Reynolds Advisory Partners (720) 542-7850

Sue Field, the former Head of Merrill Lynch & Co.’s Retail Mergers and Acquisition Practice, has joined Reynolds Advisory Partners LLC, an investment bank specializing in mergers and acquisitions, capital raising and financial advisory services focused on middle market clients nationwide.    As a Managing Director, Sue leverages her extensive career as both an investment banker and a senior executive in the retailing industry to help companies navigate in these challenging times. During her 13 year tenure with Merrill Lynch in New York, Sue became the third female Managing Director out of 125 worldwide and completed over 85 M&A transactions and financings worth over $40 billion during her career.   Sue was hired away from Merrill to join Sears, Roebuck & Co. as SVP of Strategy, Planning & Business Development.  Sue left retail to lead the initial public offering of a technology services firm that was subsequently sold to an international advertising company.  She most recently served as the Chief Financial Officer of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in Denver.  Ms. Field received an A.B. from Harvard with distinction and an MBA from the Darden School at the University of Virginia. She earned a CPA in Colorado in 2003 and has served as a senior consultant with two major management consulting firms since relocating to Colorado.

 “We are excited to have Sue on board”, said Doug Reynolds, Founder and Managing Director of Reynolds Advisory Partners.  “Our hallmark is to provide senior banker attention at each step of a transaction.  Our clients benefit tremendously from Sue’s extensive experience and insights”.  Adds Ms. Field, “we believe that consolidation will accelerate in retail and that retailers with a compelling platform will ultimately emerge even stronger.  By combining the perspective of a CFO, banker and consultant, I believe we can uniquely guide market leaders and smaller retailers as they confront and adapt to these difficult economic conditions”.

Ms. Field has successfully completed transactions in the supermarket, drug store, department store, discount store, mass merchant, apparel, auto parts, furniture and other specialty retailing sectors.  Among the deals she completed are the sale of then bankrupt Macy’s to Federated Department Stores, the sale of Stop & Shop to Ahold NV, the sale of Eckerd to JC Penney, the sale of Sears Western Auto to Advance Automotive, the sale of Sears Homelife Furniture to CVC, and the sale of Woolworth Canada to Wal-Mart.  In addition to mergers and acquisitions, Ms. Field has also raised expansion capital for a variety of retailers.

Based in Denver, Reynolds Advisory Partners senior bankers have extensive experience in sell-side, buy-side, financing and IPO advisory assignments including Fairness Opinions and Special Committee representations and offers Operations Consulting and Wealth Management Introductory services.

About Reynolds Advisory Partners

Reynolds Advisory Partners LLC is an investment bank boutique specializing in mergers and acquisitions, capital raising, and financial advisory services focused on middle market clients nationwide.  For more information, visit www.reynoldsap.com

SOURCE:  Reynolds Advisory Partners (720) 542-7850

DENVER, January 14, 2009 (PR NEWSWIRE)

Three Wall Street veterans announce the formation of Reynolds Advisory Partners, an investment bank boutique specializing in mergers and acquisitions, capital raising and financial advisory serving middle market clients nationwide.   Founded by Douglas Reynolds, the senior bankers at Reynolds Advisory Partners average over 25 years of experience and have collectively completed 240 transactions representing $64 billion of value.

“Given the recent upheaval on Wall Street,” said Doug Reynolds, Managing Director, “we find the boutique investment bank model an increasingly compelling service platform.   According to Zuckerman and Barker of The Wall Street Journal, “the market is sending a clear signal that the beneficiaries of the shakeout will be boutique investment banks focusing on high-margin advice…”

Mr. Reynolds continues, “At Reynolds Advisory Partners, clients come first.  Our hallmark is to provide senior-level banker attention and expertise at each step of a transaction. Our senior bankers fully commit themselves to each client and to the successful completion of each transaction.  We serve one constituent only, the needs of our each and every client.”

With twenty one years of experience, Doug Reynolds is a career investment banker.  During his seventeen year tenure at A.G. Edwards, Mr. Reynolds advised middle market clients in A.G. Edwards’ M&A group where he was ultimately responsible for supervising the M&A and financial advisory activities of the firm’s twenty five Managing Directors.  To date, Mr. Reynolds has completed over 80 public and private company M&A transactions worth over $10 billion.  Additionally, Mr. Reynolds received the Elijah Watt Sells bronze medal for placing third among 70,000 applicants on the May 1983 CPA Exam.  Mr. Reynolds received his B.S. in Accounting and Business Administration with honors from Miami University and his M.B.A. from the University of Chicago.

A former colleague of Mr. Reynolds at A.G. Edwards, Rod Essen, Managing Director, brings twenty five years of investment banking experience to Reynolds Advisory Partners.  Most recently, Mr. Essen headed A.G. Edward’s Los Angeles investment banking office.  During his eleven year tenure at Edwards, Mr. Essen was a senior member of the Emerging Growth Group where he served investment banking clients in technology, industrial, and consumer products sectors.  To date, Mr. Essen has completed over 100 public and private financings and M&A transactions worth over $7.5 billion.  Mr. Essen received his B.A. in Economics and Business Administration from Principia College and his M.B.A. from the University of Southern California.

With a unique breadth of Wall Street and industry experience, Sue Field, Managing Director, leverages her extensive career to provide personalized, thoughtful, and targeted advice to a broad array of clients. During her 13 year tenure with Merrill Lynch in New York, she became the third female Managing Director out of 125 worldwide and headed Merrill’s Retail M&A Group.  To date, Ms. Field has completed over 85 M&A transactions and financing worth over $40 billion.  Additionally, Ms. Field has been CFO of pre- and post IPO companies, SVP of a Fortune 50 multi-segment company, and currently serves as Managing Partner for Sneffels Consulting LLC.   Ms. Field received an A.B. from Harvard in 1981 with distinction and an M.B.A. from the Darden School at the University of Virginia in 1985. She earned a CPA in Colorado in 2003.

Based in Denver, Reynolds Advisory Partners serves middle market clients nationwide.  Our senior bankers have extensive experience in the following industries:

The investment banking team includes Zach Stassen, Associate, with five years of previous investment banking experience at Piper Jaffray and an M.B.A. from Northwestern University, as well as Eric Naranjo, Analyst, a graduate from the University of Denver.  A FINRA member as of August 15, 2008, Reynolds Advisory Partners’ firm capital exceeds the regulatory requirements.

About Reynolds Advisory Partners

Reynolds Advisory Partners LLC is an investment bank boutique specializing in mergers and acquisitions, capital raising, and financial advisory serving middle market clients nationwide.  For more information, please visit www.reynoldsap.com

Representative client transactions involving our bankers can be seen below. To learn more about how Reynolds Advisory Partners’ experience serving wholesale distribution companies can help you meet your needs, please contact us.

Key Contact - Sue Field

Representative client transactions involving our bankers can be seen below. To learn more about how Reynolds Advisory Partners’ experience in the Retail industry can help you meet your needs, please contact us.

Key Contact - Sue Field

Representative client transactions involving our bankers can be seen below. To learn more about how Reynolds Advisory Partners’ experience in the Media and Printing industry can help you meet your needs, please contact us.

Key Contact - Doug Reynolds

Representative client transactions involving our bankers can be seen below. To learn more about how Reynolds Advisory Partners’ experience in the Industrial industry can help you meet your needs, please contact us.

Key Contact - Rod Essen

Representative client transactions involving our bankers can be seen below. To learn more about how Reynolds Advisory Partners’ experience in the Healthcare industry can help you meet all your needs, please contact us.

Key Contact - Doug Reynolds

Representative client transactions involving our bankers can be seen below. To learn more about how Reynolds Advisory Partners’ experience in the Food and Beverage industry can help you meet your needs, please contact us.

Key Contacts - Doug Reynolds (Food Products) and Sue Field (Grocery and Distribution)