M&A wrap: Motive, Mainsail, Rallyday, Grain, Platinum, Bridge Bancorp, Gryphon, Constellation Brands, Angelo Gordon, Summit

Mergers & Acquisitions is recognizing nine dealmakers as the 2020 Rising Stars of Private Equity:

• David Farsai, Principal, Mainsail Partners, who is the first at the firm to rise from associate to principal

• Andrea McGuirt, Senior Associate, Palladium Equity Partners, who established a strategy for sourcing and executing opportunities in the current deal environment

• Molly Fitzpatrick, Vice President, Rallyday Partners, who led three investments and a divestment for the new PE firm

• Jenny Zhang, Vice President, Investments, Grain Management, who helps portfolio companies in the telecom infrastructure sector find organic growth opportunities

• Ross Stern, Principal, Summit Partners, who played a role in nearly $1.3 billion worth of healthcare company investments

• Arjun Mehta, Vice President, Bregal Sagemount, who has made eight platform investments and seven add-on acquisitions

• Miguel Tejeda, Vice President, Motive Partners (pictured), who stands out for his investment acumen and ability to distill complicated concepts and processes

• Clara Jackson, Principal, TA Associates, who has become a trusted supporter during the pandemic to help portfolio companies remain sustainable

• KJ McConnell, Principal, GTCR, who played a leading role in about 10 of the group’s last dozen deals

These outstanding up-and-coming investment professionals have been excelling during a period of profound change in the U.S. and in the world. The publication of this list comes at a pivotal moment in time. The country is beginning to open up after three months of quarantine from the coronavirus, while a second wave picks up steam in the Sun Belt from South Carolina to California and including Texas. Dealmaking under quarantine while working from home has proved challenging, to say the least. Social justice issues have taken on fresh urgency. There is heightened awareness of systemic racial injustice and police brutality against Blacks after the deaths of George Floyd and many others. Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled recently that, “An employer who fires an individual merely for being gay or transgender defies the law.” On immigration policy, the Court recently put the brakes on dismantling the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA. Meanwhile, the President is asking the Court to overturn the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Click here for full coverage of Mergers & Acquisitions' 2020 Rising Stars of Private Equity. Ten private equity firms have pledged to each create and post five board seats to make them available to minority and women candidates, participating in an initiative to increase diversity on company boards of directors. Aurora Capital Partners, Clearlake Capital, Genstar Capital, Grain Management, Hellman & Friedman, Hg, Insight Partners, K1 Investment Management, TA Associates and Vista Equity Partners have committed to the board initiative announced by Diligent Corp., provider of company governance software and a portfolio company of Clearlake and Insight. Read our full coverage: Clearlake, Insight, Vista and other private equity firms create 50 new board roles for diverse candidates. DEAL NEWS Platinum Equity has acquired Deluxe Entertainment Services Inc.’s distribution business. “The entertainment industry, like many others, has been seriously disrupted by the coronavirus crisis,” says Platinum CEO Tom Gores. “It will take both experience and tenacity to make it through to the other side, but we are confident that good companies with strong fundamentals and capable leadership will not only survive this crisis, but thrive.” Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Alston & Bird LLP advised Platinum. Moelis and Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP advised Deluxe. Separately, Platinum has purchased L&R Distributors. The latter is a wholesale distributor of consumer products such as cosmetics, hair care products, stationary, office supplies and toys. O'Melveny & Myers and Gillis & Associates advised Platinum on the L&R deal. Gryphon Investors has acquired a majority stake in 3Cloud, a provider of advisory and technical services for the Microsoft Azure cloud platform. William Blair, Drake Star and Epstein Becker Green advised 3Cloud. Kirkland & Ellis advised Gryphon. Bridge Bancorp in is merging with Dime Community Bancshares in an all-stock deal valued at $489 million. Though Bridge is the legal acquirer, Dime’s shareholders will own 52% of the company, which will operate as Dime. The headquarters will be moved in Hauppauge, N.Y., with a corporate office in New York. The combined company will have 66 branches, $11 billion in assets and $8 billion in deposits. The board will be evenly split, with six directors from each company. Read the full story: Dime, Bridge Bancorp combining in $489 million merger. Lovell Minnick-backed Inside Real Estate has acquired real estate technology company DashCMA. The target helps agents and brokers price listings. Constellation Brands Inc. (NYSE: STZ) has bought direct-to-consumer wine brand Empathy Wines, which was co-founded by Gary Vaynerchuk. “Key to our strategy is being consumer obsessed – building a direct relationship with our consumers, meeting them where they are shopping and engaging today, and pushing beyond to meet their evolving preferences well into the future," says Constellation CEO Bill Newlands. Cole Schotz represented the target. Evolution Managers Capital, a platform for private equity executives to launch their own firms, is backing Greens Farms Capital LLC. The latter is being led by former Riverside Co. partner Michael Kessler. Greens Farms will invest up to $20 million in businesses across the business services, technology, media and marketing services and manufacturing sectors. FUNDRAISING Angelo, Gordon & Co. has raised $1.5 billion to invest in distressed real estate across Europe. "Significant levels of dislocation and distress in the real estate sector in the U.K. and Western Europe persist, with political uncertainty, weak banks, and sluggish economies contributing to the emergence of new pockets of stress," says Anuj Mittal, co-portfolio manager of European real estate. "Additionally, we believe Covid-19 will likely lead to a new set of distress." Summit Partners has rasied $2.2 billion across two funds, $1.2 billion in a European fund, which will invest up to $78 million in European-based companies. The firm also raised $1 billion in a North American venture capital fund, which will invest up to $60 million in growth stage companies. DEAL TRENDS About 48 percent of dealmakers say the lengthy due diligence process will benefit most from digital transformation, cutting the total time from 6 months to 30 days, according to a report from Datasite. Sixty-five percent of respondents believe new technologies should enable greater analytical capability in the due diligence process in five years’ time, and data privacy will be the biggest barrier to change, a concern for 40 percent of those polled. Even inside battle-scarred KKR & Co., entering the political fray was enough to stoke unease. As several of the private equity titan’s portfolio companies got loans from an emergency U.S. program aimed at helping small businesses survive the coronavirus pandemic, executives at the firm’s New York headquarters issued a blunt message: Return the money to taxpayers. Read the full story by Bloomberg News: Private equity on edge with U.S. plan to name relief recipients. PEOPLE MOVES Daniel Myers was hired by the Caryle Group (Nasdaq: CG) as an operating executive in the global consumer, media and retail group. He was previously the head of integrated supply chain of Mondelēz International. Judson Larson has joined Chicago Pacific Founders-backed Pinnacle Dermatology as chief financial officer. He was previously the CFO of Omni Ophthalmic Management Consultants. Dawn Owens has been named CEO at healthcare merchant bank TripleTree Holdings. Owens was previously the CEO of OptumHealth. Brendan Smyth has joined restructuring and investment firm Gordon Brothers as head of the Australian valuation team. Al Orr has been named CEO at law firm Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren S.C. He previously led the firm's private equity group. Michael Seiden was hired by law firm Greenberg Traurig as a shareholder where he is focusing on complex real estate transactions. Bhairvee Shavdia has been promoted to principal at private equity firm HCAP Partners. John Williams has been named chair at the Economic Club of New York. Lee S. Ainslie, Ajay Banga and Stephanie Cohen have also joined the board. CORONAVIRUS IMPACT Under normal circumstances, M&A demands a robust set of tools and services to be successful. In today’s environment in which the stakes have been raised by the coronavirus crisis, professional help from service providers is more important than ever. Private equity firms and their portfolio companies want to know what actions they can or should take, and what their peers are considering, to make the best decisions possible in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Through talking with many different affected parties, service providers have streams of data and information that can help investors make informed decisions and minimize negative economic impacts on their investments. Mergers & Acquisitions examines offerings from EHE Health, Norgay Partners, Cepres, Valuation Research Corp. and Axial. “The stakes are high today,” says Greg Mansur, chief client officer at EHE Health, which provides a playbook on getting companies back to work safely. “We want to be part of the solution for our clients. We want to help them through this and help America get back to work.” Read our full coverage: 5 service providers guide dealmakers through the next phase of the pandemic. As transactions previously delayed due to the pandemic begin to pick up, acquirors and investors in the middle market should evaluate the target’s performance during the unprecedented disruption presented by the pandemic, and adjust expectations for the immediate and medium term. Supplemental due diligence is not only prudent -- it is likely to be required as a condition to the placement of any representations and warranties insurance. Essential considerations include whether the target has been able to innovate and whether the valuation agreed to in a letter of intent should be revisited. Buyers should also review any termination provisions to determine whether any breakup fee would be payable. See our full coverage: 11 factors for dealmakers to consider before buying a company during the pandemic. Many companies are unprepared to face the tremendous economic challenges brought on by the pandemic. For buyers, navigating this new world of distressed M&A may be the hardest obstacle to overcome in transactions with insolvent organizations. Read the full article: Coronavirus puts spotlight on distressed M&A. Digital technologies like artificial intelligence and advanced analytics can help organizations to accelerate their pace and expand their insights quickly—advantages that are especially crucial in times of rapid change. See the full story: How analytics can rebalance M&A in the wake of the coronavirus. Arizent, the parent company of Mergers & Acquisitions, released a new survey May 15 to understand how executives across industries were dealing with the impacts of the Covid-19 crisis after operating in a “new normal” environment for two months. As the coronavirus pandemic continues to extend its grip on the globe — infecting more than 1.41 million Americans (over 4.44 million globally) by the middle of May — executives must navigate their organizations through uncharted territory, with the possibility that the virus may not disappear any time soon. This is forcing C-suites to make big, lasting decisions with few guideposts to aid them. The April survey found that there was a surprisingly smooth, albeit hurried transition to remote, with most companies, including private equity firms and investment banks, feeling that they performed on par or above their own expectations. However, technology gaps did arise, as some companies found that customers either didn’t have the equipment to access their accounts digitally or needed training from staff working remotely. In the middle market, dealmakers report that “opportunities have thinned somewhat but have not disappeared," as one private equity investor put it. "Investor base still has liquidity to invest." Said one investment banker focused on real estate: "Pending deals were either put on hold, cancelled or delayed. Asset prices for listings are being re-evaluated or renegotiated with the sellers and buyers expecting discounts." For more, see: Exclusive survey: How private equity firms, investment banks and other companies are surviving the pandemic. What do you do when you’re a dealmaker under quarantine, and face-to-face meetings are out of the question? For Work from Home (WFH) strategies, Mergers & Acquisitions turns to eight prominent dealmakers from private equity firms, investment banks, lenders and law firms. “I miss the excitement of a great conference; wearing my nice clothes, early morning breakfasts, the one-on-ones, drinks with my women ‘tribe,’ and dinner at a steakhouse, even though I am a vegan,” says Amy Weisman, managing director, business development, Sterling Investment Partners. In some respects, it is easier to build relationships now, explains Nanette Heide, partner, co-chair, private equity group, Duane Morris. “Meeting folks over a video conference from their home is immediately humanizing.” M&A pros also point out that human factors play a role. "Emotional Quotient (EQ) is more important than ever during trying times,” says Jeremy Holland, managing partner, origination, The Riverside Co. “It’s critical to remember that the dealmaker on other side of the (now figurative) deal table is a person, too. They have good and bad days and presumably know many people in high-risk categories, potentially even themselves. Being extra thoughtful about each interaction is important." Read our full coverage: Dealmaking under quarantine: 8 private equity and M&A pros share strategies while social distancing. FEATURED CONTENT Portfolia Rising America Fund "invests directly in early and growth-stage companies in the U.S. led by people of color and/or LGBTQ founders, or products and services that cater to these markets," says investment partner Lorine Pendleton in a Q&A with Mergers & Acquisitions. "These are founders, ecosystems, products and services historically overlooked by traditional venture capitalists but positioned for significant growth and profitability." The firm is led by five women of color. In addition to Pendleton, the firm's leaders are: Noramay Cadena, co-founder and managing partner of MiLA Capital; Daphne Dufresne, a managing partner of GenNx 360 Capital Partners; Juliana Garaizar, an angel investor; and Karen Kerr, executive managing director at GE Ventures. "We believe that strength lies in differences and seek out entrepreneurs and startups who are using shifting demographics and their own diversity of experience and thought to create innovation that offers outsized opportunities for returns and impact." The fund had its first close earlier in 2020 and has made two investments to date: The first investment is in MoCaFi, a fintech startup founded by Wole Coaxum, a former JPMorgan Chase commercial banking executive and entrepreneur, who is African American. "MoCaFi offers a mobile-first banking platform that brings digital banking products to underbanked or unbanked communities (an 88 million U.S. market), allowing them to build credit and financial mobility," Pendleton explains. The second investment is in a women’s tele-medicine network. For more, read the full interview: Led by 5 women of color, Portfolia Rising America Fund backs mobile banking and women's telemedicine startups. "As stewards of capital we have an outsized role in determining which businesses to support," says Mina Pacheco Nazemi of Barings Alternative Investments. "As asset allocators, we need to hold ourselves accountable. I can do more. Will you join me?" Dealmakers begin to weigh in, as Gerge Floyd's death sparked two weeks of Black Lives Matter protests against police brutality and racial injustice. Read the story: "Justice doesn’t just happen. It requires action, dedication and accountability," says one private equity investor. In the challenging times we face now, it’s more important than ever to come together as a community and recognize the people and companies that excel and lead. We invite you to join us in honoring the 2019 winners of Mergers & Acquisitions’ M&A Mid-Market Awards. In contrast with the volatile coronavirus-driven conditions unfolding in 2020, the dealmaking environment of 2019 was remarkably stable. Among the PE firms benefitting from the auspicious fundraising climate was Vista Private Equity, which raised a $16 billion fund – the largest technology-focused PE fund ever raised. Mergers & Acquisitions is honoring Vista founder and CEO Robert F. Smith with our 2019 Dealmaker of the Year award. In addition to leading his firm’s unprecedented fundraising, Smith excelled in philanthropy. When he spoke at the commencement of Morehouse College, he announced he would pay off all the student loans of the HBCU’s 2019 graduates, providing a helping hand in the student debt crisis facing many U.S. families. The financial services sector saw a lot of consolidation in 2019. Piper Jaffray wins our 2019 Deal of the Year for buying Sandler O’Neill to form Piper Sandler, which instantly became a leading investment bank in the financial services sector. And Stifel wins our 2019 Investment Bank of the Year for growing dramatically and making several acquisitions. Read our full awards coverage: Meet the winners of Mergers & Acquisitions’ M&A Mid-Market Awards. To celebrate deals, dealmakers and dealmaking firms, Mergers & Acquisitions produces three special reports every year: the M&A Mid-Market Awards; the Rising Stars of Private Equity; and the Most Influenital Women in Mid-Market M&A. For an overview of what we're looking for in each project, including timelines, see Special reports overview: M&A Mid-Market Awards, Rising Stars, Most Influential Women. Editor's Note: M&A wrap is a bi-weekly column, published on Mondays and Thursdays