Bernard Vaughan

A subsidiary of Energy Future Holdings Corp., the Texas utility that a group of buyout firms bought in 2007 for $45 billion with support from environmental advocacy groups, sued the Environmental Protection Agency this week for imposing anti-pollution rules it says will kill jobs and threaten reliable electricity. The lawsuit by the subsidiary, Luminant, is […]

Firm: Craton Equity Partners Fund: Craton Equity Investors II LP Target: $400M Placement Agent: None A Los Angeles-based firm with deep political connections, Craton Equity Partners, is seeking $400 million for its second fund, according to a source familiar with the firm’s plans. Craton Equity makes growth capital investments in companies in the clean technology […]

Firm: Symphony Technology Group Fund: Symphony Technology Group IV LP Target: $1 billion Placement Agent: None Symphony Technology Group, the Palo Alto-Calif.-based private equity firm that focuses on software and services companies, is in the early stage of plotting its second fund supported by outside investors, two sources familiar with the firm’s plans told Buyouts. […]

Firm: ACON Investments Fund: ACON Equity Partners III LP Target: $600 million Placement Agent: None ACON Investments, a firm whose investors include TPG Capital founder David Bonderman, has started reaching out to potential new investors for its third fund, according to a source briefed on the firm’s plans. The firm, with offices in Washington, D.C., […]

Firm: EDG Partners Fund: EDG Partners II LP Target: $150 million Placement Agent: Touchstone Group LLC EDG Partners, which buys small health care companies, is trying to raise $150 million for its debut fund, a source close to the fundraising told Buyouts. The Arlington, Va., and Atlanta-based firm has so far raised $92 million through […]

Firm: CCMP Capital Advisors LLC Fund: CCMP Capital Investors III LP Target: $3.4 billion Placement Agent: TBD CCMP Capital Advisors LLC, the former affiliate of JPMorgan Chase & Co., expects to start raising its third buyout fund some time next year, two sources familiar with the firm’s plans told Buyouts. Executives have been developing relationships […]

Target: 30 vessels Price: $2 billion Sponsor: First Reserve Corp., WL Ross & Co., China Investment Corp., Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd., Morgan Creek Capital Management, PPM America Capital Partners Seller: Cido Tanker Holding Co. Financial Adviser: Sponsor: Nordea Bank Finland, DnB Nor Bank ASA; Seller: Clarksons Fresh off his firm’s first foray into the shipping […]

David Lowe has left Friedman Fleischer & Lowe LLC, the San Francisco buyout shop with $2.5 billion under management that he helped establish in the late 1990s, according to several sources. Lowe’s plans are unclear. He is around 51, based on a 2007 Associated Press article that said he was 47. Through a spokesman, Friedman […]

Firm: SK Capital Partners Fund: SK Capital Partners III LP Target: $400 million ($500 million hard cap) Placement Agent: UBS SK Capital Partners is in the fundraising market, looking to raise as much as $500 million for its third fund, according to three sources. The target for the fund is $400 million, and the hard […]

Castle Harlan Inc. vowed today to fight any complaints against it regarding what could be the quickest quick flip in private equity history. On July 6 the New York-based buyout firm, co-founded by former Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette Inc. CEO John Castle, bought Norcast Wear Solutions, a supplier of mill liners and other products to […]