LCG Advisors Brings on Investor, Launches Private Wealth Management Group Led by Recently Hired Veteran Advisory Team

TAMPA, Fla., Aug. 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Tampa-based LCG Advisors has announced the formation of LCG Private Client Group, LLC, a Registered Investment Advisor. The focus of this new group is to provide private wealth planning and investment management services to business-owners, entrepreneurs, and high-net worth individuals and families whose portfolios include private assets and alternative investments.

The formation of LCG's Private Client Group follows an investment by seasoned investor and financial services pioneer Gregg Smith. Smith was co-founder of Smith Breeden Associates, an investment advisory firm that manages portfolios for pension funds, foundations, insurance companies, private banks, and sovereign funds and grew to become one of the five largest investment managers in the country. Since retiring from Smith Breeden, Gregg has been actively investing in the banking and financial services sectors and was attracted to LCG due to its extensive corporate finance activities. Smith commented, "LCG has an unbelievable opportunity to leverage its core skills in the credit and capital markets and strong industry relationships to benefit individual investors like me. The ability to be a single voice of advice to clients on both their securities portfolios and private investments, such as private businesses and alternative investments, serves a huge need in the market." Smith will lead LCG's advisory board and several proprietary services.

In conjunction with the formation of LCG Private Client Group, the company has hired Rafael Williamson as its Chief Investment Officer. Williamson joins the firm with over 18 years of investment management experience serving the needs of high net worth clients and institutional investors. Mr. Williamson, who was most recently the Senior Investment Strategist for Wells Fargo Private Bank, stated, "I am pleased to join LCG Advisors, a company with a very deep bench, a highly sought after skill set, and a 10-plus year track record of working with executives and business owners. This is a strong fit of both core values and core competencies." Williamson continued, "With PCG complementing LCG's due diligence and corporate advisory services, we can provide the products and services offered by the larger management firms but without the conflicts and constraints."

"The formation of a wealth management platform is a natural progression to our core business." Said Brian M. Smith, Managing Partner and co-founder of LCG Advisors (no relation to Gregg Smith). "We have an established track record of providing objective, independent advice to businesses and many of the world's leading financial institutions and our role has evolved over the years into more of a trusted advisor status. So, expanding that role by providing those same high-caliber services to the individuals and families we work with was only natural."

Other significant hires include Vincent Della Rocca who will serve as Managing Director and Kevin Daniels who will serve as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Compliance Officer. Della Rocca has over 20 years of diverse experience in the financial services industry, including investment and commercial banking, insurance, real estate development and financial technology. He will be responsible for developing relationships with entrepreneurs and executives as part of LCG's trusted advisor approach. Daniels joins LCG with over 20 years of risk management and operations experience in financial services and recently served as Chief Credit Officer for one of the industry's largest asset custodians. These new hires join LCG's roughly 40 professionals, many of whom possess significant expertise within industry verticals including consumer products, media, technology, financial services, insurance, and energy services.

With the launch of its Private Client Group, the firm now has the ability to manage client's liquid assets while continuing to assist with direct corporate needs such as capital raising, mergers and acquisitions, and succession and exit planning. Paul Epstein, Managing Partner and co-founder of LCG Advisors, added "Our staff is engaged on hundreds of transactions each year, and we intend to bring that unique ability to analyze companies and investment opportunities to bear, where we will provide a service unmatched in the industry. In fact, we don't believe that we have a true competitor in this space that can provide all of the services and experience we have under one roof".

About LCG Advisors

Founded in 2003, LCG is a leading transaction advisory firm specializing in loan and investment due diligence, corporate finance and M&A, financial restructuring, risk mitigation and other advisory services. LCG provides these services to a wide variety of clients including commercial banks, asset-based lenders, mezzanine funds, hedge funds, and private equity funds. LCG has earned a reputation for consistently exceeding client expectations with a high level of integrity and professionalism. LCG's team of nearly 40 professionals work in compliment with our clients' management teams to overcome challenges, minimize transaction risk and maximize overall transaction value. Our clients rely on us as the trusted advisor and we take that responsibility very seriously.

In 2013, LCG completed over 800 due diligence assignments to over 100 different clients throughout the United States. For more information about LCG Advisors, please visit http://lcgadvisors.com/ or, for more information on LCG's Private Client Group, please visit http://pcg.lcgadvisors.com, or call at (813) 226-2800.

CONTACT:Vincent Della Rocca(813) 226-2800
[email protected]

SOURCE LCG Advisors