| Washington,
DC (October 1, 2004)-- FOCUS Enterprises, Inc., a national
investment banking firm providing merger, acquisition and
corporate finance services to emerging growth, middle market
and small companies, is establishing a Chicago office and
adding a Midwest Region Managing Partner, William S. Lear,
bringing the number of FOCUS Partners to 13 and the total
professional staff to 16.
“With a Chicago office, the firm
can significantly expand the Midwest presence of FOCUS by
adding new clients, new partners and ultimately serving our
clients nationwide better,” says FOCUS Chairman Marshall
Graham. “Adding a seasoned, talented professional like
Bill Lear to our team helps ensure the success, unique capabilities
and national scope of the firm.” The Chicago office
of FOCUS is located at 330 North Wabash Avenue, Suite 3100,
Chicago, IL 60611. Mr. Lear can be reached at 312.373.1446,
312.375.3709 or at William.lear@focusbankers.com.
About William S. Lear
William S. Lear, joining FOCUS as a Managing
Partner, Midwest Region, is responsible for the firm’s
business in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota,
Iowa and Missouri. Mr. Lear has more than thirty years experience
in corporate finance, specializing in advising companies about
how to better articulate their business strategy to the financial
markets, identify sources of capital and structure and price
private placement securities.
Prior to joining FOCUS, for the last three
years at Bridge Investment Corporation, Mr. Lear worked extensively
with small- to medium-sized companies, helping them “find
a voice” in a crowded and confusing financial market
place. Successful mandates include advising on a $5 million
rights offering for a bio-tech company and representing the
15 percent owner/employee of a service company in a multi-million
dollar purchase of the founder’s 85 percent interest.
Previously, Mr. Lear was executive vice
president and chief financial officer of BioSafe Medical Technologies,
raising almost $20 million in capital which enabled the Company
to become the world’s only laboratory able to produce
a platform of highly accurate diagnostics using micro blood
samples self-collected at home or work. Mr. Lear also spent
twenty years with the First National Bank of Chicago and,
prior to that, five years in investment banking with Hornblower
& Weeks: Hemphill, Noyes.
Mr. Lear has an undergraduate degree from
Yale, an MBA from Harvard Business School and served two years
as an Officer in the Navy. He recently completed twelve years
as a National Trustee with the Leukemia-Lymphoma Society and
two years as Co-President of the Harvard Business School Club
of Chicago. He is on the Boards of the Better Government Association
and the Friends of Prentice, the woman’s hospital at
Northwestern Memorial.
About FOCUS Enterprises, Inc.
FOCUS Enterprises, Inc., founded in 1982
in Washington, DC, provides a range of investment banking
services tailored to the needs of middle market and small
businesses. Today the firm is national in scope, serving clients
from offices in major cities across the United States. FOCUS
specializes in transactions for entities with $5-100 million
in revenues, serving entrepreneurs, corporate owners and various
types of investors. Currently, FOCUS has over 25 investment
banking engagements in its four offices in Atlanta, Chicago,
San Francisco and Washington, DC. To learn more about the
specialized services of FOCUS, visit www.focusbankers.com.
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