Buyouts Deal Of The Year Winners

Making it through 2009 was no easy feat. A number of firms that began the year on solid footing came out the other end staggering from a recession that pulled no punches. Some firms, however, not only made it through the year—they excelled. These outliers generated healthy returns in a sickly market, raised lush funds in an arid environment and climbed league tables when so many others were in freefall. The following list is a celebration of the firms that marched into the headwinds and found success.

The winner in each category is identified by a pair of asterisks.

LARGE MARKET DEAL OF THE YEAR

• Cerberus (Talecris)

• TPG and GS Capital Partners (Alltel)

• Vestar Capital Partners (Birds Eye Foods) **

MIDDLE MARKET DEAL OF THE YEAR & DEAL OF THE YEAR

• Arcapita Inc. (Church’s Chicken)

• Castle Harlan Inc. (United Malt Holdings Inc.)

• DW Healthcare Partners and Rho Capital (Verathon Inc.)

• GTCR Golder Rauner LLC (Ovation Pharmaceuticals) **

• Oak Hill Capital Partners (Butler Schein Animal Health)

• TA Associates (Triumph HealthCare)

SMALL MARKET DEAL OF THE YEAR

• CCMP Capital Advisors (Nowaco)

• Hale Capital Partners (LocationLogic LLC)

• ICV Capital Partners (Sterling Foods Ltd.)

• Nautic Partners (Corporate Lodging Consultants Group Inc.)

• Sun Capital Partners (Timothy’s Coffees of the World)

• Webster Capital (CK Franchising Inc.)

• The Wicks Group of Companies (Penn Foster Education Group Inc.) **

TURNAROUND OF THE YEAR

• The Carlyle Group (SmarTrust)

• Littlejohn & Co. (Wyle Holdings)

• Sun Capital Partners (Tarami KK) **

• Sun Capital Partners (Timothy’s Coffee of the World)

BUYOUT FIRM OF THE YEAR

• Clayton Dubilier & Rice

• Kolhberg Kravis Roberts & Co.

• New Mountain Capital

• The Riverside Company **

BEST NEW FIRM

• Linden LLC **

• Hale Capital Partners

• Hudson Clean Energy Partners

• Webster Capital

LARGE LENDER OF THE YEAR

• Bank of America Merrill Lynch

• Barclays Bank PLC

• Deutsche Bank AG

• JP Morgan **

MIDDLE MARKET LENDER OF THE YEAR

• Ares Capital

• Fifth Street Finance Corp.

• Golub Capital **

• NewStar Financial

MIDDLE MARKET INVESTMENT BANK OF THE YEAR

• Harris Williams & Co.

• Raymond James & Associates **

• Robert W. Baird & Co.

LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR

• Jones Day

• Kirkland & Ellis LLP **

• Latham & Watkins LLP

• Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP