Bob Shettle, former Co-Head of North American Private Finance & Chairman of the North American Mezzanine and Private Finance Investment Committees at Barings LLC, MassMutual’s $325+ billion AUM investment management subsidiary, has joined Star Mountain Capital as a full-time senior member of the investment team.

Pemberton, a European private credit manager backed by one of Europe’s largest insurers, Legal & General Group PLC, has launched the ‘Pemberton Wealth & Asset Management Solutions’, a new initiative aimed at providing the world’s leading wealth and asset managers, and in turn their clients, with access to some of the best private debt opportunities in Europe.

Alterna Capital Solutions (ACS), a specialty and alternative financier to high-growth small businesses, today announced it will support deal origination for a lower middle market private equity fund controlled by its affiliate, Alterna Equity Partners (AEP). The fund focuses on control and non-control investments in founder-owned and family-owned operating companies with $1 million to $10 million in EBITDA. The collaboration between the firms allows AEP to leverage the national client base of ACS, while enabling ACS to offer additional value to its clients.

ThermoCredit LLC, a funding and fintech company, has created a $250,000 line of credit for ASC Partners to fund the growth of their other business interests. Thermo Credit LLC has entered into an agreement with ASC Partners to provide a rapid access credit facility. The $250,000 factoring facility has been created for ASC Partners to continue growth of other business interests.

Ravinia Capital LLC, a boutique investment bank, announced today that veteran investment banker David Hirschfield is joining the firm as Managing Director, effective immediately. David has closed more than 150 transactions during his three and a half decades and counting of experience in sales, restructurings, and debt and equity raises, and is a recognized expert in middle-market M&A.

Lazard Asset Management (LAM) announced today that Joanne Choi has joined the firm as a Managing Director and Chief Marketing Officer, effective immediately. Based in New York, Ms. Choi joins from Goldman Sachs Asset Management, where she was Head of Global Marketing.

Alignment Credit, a leading provider of strategic credit solutions for emerging growth and middle-market companies, acted as the sole lead arranger and administrative agent on up to $20.0 million senior secured credit facilities for MindCare Solutions Group, Inc. (“MindCare”), in order to support MindCare’s acquisition of TriCounty Tele Behavioral Services, LLC (“TriCounty”) and other strategic initiatives.

H.I.G. WhiteHorse, the credit affiliate of H.I.G. Capital (“H.I.G.”), a leading global alternative investment firm with $44 billion of equity capital under management, announced the closing of its latest direct lending strategy, H.I.G. WhiteHorse Direct Lending Fund - 2020 (the “Fund”). The Fund closed with aggregate capital commitments of approximately $1.65 billion,* well exceeding its target.

Skillsoft Corp. (NYSE: SKIL) (“Skillsoft” or the “Company”), a global leader in corporate digital learning, today announced it has successfully completed its previously announced debt refinancing. The Company has closed a new $480 million senior secured term loan B facility. This facility, along with cash on hand, will be used to refinance and repay the Company’s existing term loan facilities, thereby reducing long-term debt by approximately $130 million.

IDS, a leading provider of mission-critical enterprise solutions for secured finance today announced it has signed a strategic partnership agreement with Tamarack Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of digital transformation services and solutions for equipment finance. The partnership will capitalize on the increasing demand for IDScloud and accelerate the migration of equipment finance firms to the leading end-to-end SaaS solution for equipment finance.

Entrepreneur Growth Capital (“EGC” or “Entrepreneur”) is pleased to announce that it has provided a $5,000,000 asset-based line of credit to a New York-based electronics manufacturer and distributor (the “Company”).

King Trade Capital (“KTC”) is pleased to welcome back a client from 12 years ago by providing a $5 million import finance facility with an accordion feature to expand to $10 million. The owner/founder of a very successful food products company reached out to King Trade Capital founder, Edward King, to discuss the happy yet surprising doubling of their sales in 2021.

Gateway Trade Funding, a PO and Trade Financing company, is happy to announce that we recently funded a purchase order facility to an outdoor clothing company. Trew Gear, known for their snow bibs and stylish outdoor clothing, was growing their business and developing a deeper relationship with one of their main customers.

Winston & Strawn represented the placement agents, Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and UBS Investment Bank in connection with Gelesis, Inc. (“Gelesis” or the “Company”), a biotherapeutics company advancing biomimetic superabsorbent hydrogels to treat excess weight and metabolic disorders, and Capstar Special Purpose Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: CPSR) (“Capstar”), a special purpose acquisition company sponsored by affiliates of Capstar Partners, LLC and certain private funds managed by PIMCO, business combination agreement.

As much of the country reopens nearly a year and a half since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S., midsize business leaders’ optimism about their industries and companies hit record highs, according to JPMorgan Chase’s 2021 Business Leaders Outlook Pulse survey released today.

Abacus Finance Group, LLC – a leading provider of cash flow-based, classic senior debt for sponsor-led buyouts of companies with $3 million to $15 million in EBITDA – today announced that it served as Administrative Agent and Lead Arranger for senior secured credit facilities to support the leveraged buyout of Traco Packaging by LongueVue Capital. Traco Packaging, based in Orem, Utah, is a leading U.S. manufacturer and distributor of packaging equipment and shrink film products.

TAB Bank is pleased to announce it has provided a textile company in California with an $8.5 million asset-based credit facility. TAB was introduced to the company through an established broker/consultant relationship because the company’s previous lender was not able to provide additional availability to meet the company’s rapidly increasing sales.

Winston & Strawn represented Fathom Digital Manufacturing Corporation, an industry leader in on-demand digital manufacturing services, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, and Stifel as joint placement agents and capital markets advisors in an announced business combination with Altimar Acquisition Corp. II (NYSE: ATMR)("Altimar"), a special purpose acquisition company sponsored by an affiliate of HPS Investment Partners, LLC. Upon completion of the transaction, the combined company expects to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

PGIM Private Capital provided nearly $6.5 billion of senior debt and junior capital to more than 100 middle-market companies and projects globally in the first half of 2021, marking the second largest first-half origination volume over the past decade, as markets across the globe begin to move beyond the pandemic. PGIM Private Capital is a leading source of private debt for public and private companies and is the private capital arm of PGIM, the $1.5 trillion global investment management business of Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU).

J D Factors announced it provided the following factoring facilities: $100,000 to a transportation company in Saskatchewan; $800,000 to a transportation company in Illinois; $100,000 to a transportation company in Georgia; $200,000 to a transportation company in New York; $150,000 to a transportation company in Illinois.