Neema Thachet Varghese, NV Consulting Services

On April 27, TMA NOW held its first educational Luncheon of the year at Petterino’s. The luncheon provided participants the opportunity to listen to a panel of esteemed peers discuss the distressed private equity market. The panelists included Douglas Lipke, shareholder with Vedder Price; Suzanne Yoon, managing director with Versa Capital Management; and Michael Teplitsky, managing director with Wynnchurch Capital. The panel was moderated by Penny Fine, senior vice president with FirstMerit Bank Business Credit. 

The panelists discussed topics such as trends in the private equity space, including relevant industries such as retail and energy. The panel also provided insight on legal issues that arise in distressed M&A, including hurdles to get through a smooth Section 363 sale as well discussing alternative financing and competition in the marketplace. Finally, the panel closed the discussion with strategies to win deals gave the audience insight into how to effectuate a successful transaction.

The feedback from the nearly 60 attendees was positive and the information was useful to all. The panel did a great job enlightening the group and keeping everyone engaged.