Advisor of the Year Recognizes 2016 Award Winners at Second Annual Event

San Diego, CA, November 12, 2016 --(PR.com)-- The San Diego Advisor of the Year organization today announced the winners of its annual awards recognizing individuals who displayed extraordinary service in supporting the sale, acquisition or recapitalization of a company on behalf of their clients. The recipients were named during the annual awards program and ceremony, hosted by title sponsor BNY Mellon Wealth Management and held at the world-renowned La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology on October 27.

Feted were the following:
· Andrew Ruff, TGC Accounting (Sell-side preparation by a CPA firm),
· Bruce Strumlauf, LevitZacks (Financial and tax strategy for a deal over $25 million),
· Channing Hamlet, Objective Capital Partners (Sell-side investment banking over $25 million)
· Cheston Larson, Latham & Watkins (Sell-side legal representation to a public company – Deal size over $25 million)
· David Noosinow, BNY Mellon (Long-term exit planning)
· Hayden Trubitt, Stradling, Yocca Carlson & Rauth (Sell-side legal representation to a private company – Deal size over $25 million)
· John D. Tishler, SheppardMullin (Advice for an internal transition – Deal size under $25 million)
· Michael Brown, Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth (Sell-side legal representation to a private company – Deal size under $25 million)
· Mike Friedman, LevitZacks (Financial and tax strategy for a deal under $25 million)
· Michel Kim, Objective Capital Partners (Internal transition advice),
· Nancy G. Henderson, Henderson Caverly Pum & Charney (Pre-transaction planning),
· Patrick Monroe, Best Best & Krieger (Buy-side legal representation – Deal under $25 million)
· Paul Johnson, Procopio (Sell-side legal representation in sale to a public company – Deal size under $25 million)
· Steve LaSala, SheppardMullin (Buy-side legal representation – Deal size over $25 million)
· Todd Wilson & Joel Weinstein, W Partners (Buy-side investment banking & growth capital design and execution)
· Trever Acers, Objective Capital Partners (Advice for internal transition – Deal size under $25 million)
· Wade Hansen, Cabrillo Advisors (Sell-side investment banking – Deal size under $25 million).

“Advisor of the Year is especially proud to announce the winners of this year’s awards,” says Paul Thiel, managing director of BNY Mellon’s San Diego practice. “This recognition shines a light on the deserving people behind the impressive deals in San Diego’s M&A community.”

The judging panel was led by former Broadcom chairman John Major and Histogen founder and CEO Gail Naughton, and included representatives from UCSD’s Rady School of Management, CSU San Marcos’ School of Business and the La Jolla Institute, as well as several entrepreneurs who have successfully navigated the M&A process.

In addition to the recognition, select winners will be invited to participate as featured speakers at subsequent events, including the Association for Corporate Growth conference, “The Deals Behind the Advisor of the Year,” to be held at Lomas Santa Fe Country Club on Tuesday, November 15.

A major highlight of the 2016 Advisor of the Year event was the lively “GameChangers: Women in the C-Suite” session. Moderated by Emily Rex, CEO of Departure, the panel featured San Diego’s police chief Shelley Zimmerman, the San Diego Chargers’ Jeanne Bonk, Port Brewing Company’s Gina Marsaglia and leadership consultant Cindy Candela sharing their personal experiences working - and succeeding - in traditionally male-dominated industries. Local legendary entrepreneur Ernest Rady delivered an impactful keynote address. Net proceeds from the event will benefit the Institute.

“We’d like to thank everyone who attended and took part in making this year’s Advisor of the Year event a big success,” says Thiel. “We also are grateful to our sponsors and look forward to continuing to bring attention to the great work that is happening daily in San Diego’s business community.”

Sponsors of the 2016 Advisor of the Year program are: BDO; Best Best & Krieger; Cabrillo Advisors; CBIZ; Claiborne Advisors; Deloitte; Departure; Friedman Brannen; Haskell & White; Henberger Group; HetzelMeade Communications; LevitZacks CPA, Lindsay & Brownell; NFP Insurance Brokerage & Consulting; Objective Capital Partners; Our City magazine; Polito Eppich; Procopio; RA Capital Advisors; Stradling; SheppardMullin; Torrey Pines Bank; Vantage Point Advisors and W Partners.

About Advisor of the Year
Advisor of the Year is a not-for-profit unincorporated community association that hosts an annual awards event to recognize and celebrate local advisors who provide extraordinary service and value to owners of middle market companies in the sale, expansion or recapitalization of their companies. The organization also conducts educational workshops and commissions primary research on business and financial trends that affect advisors and their clients. Select winners will be featured in the November ACG program, “The Deals Behind the Advisor of the Year awards.”

About La Jolla Institute
La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology is located at 9420 Athena Circle in La Jolla and is dedicated to understanding the intricacies and power of the immune system to promote human health and prevent a wide range of diseases. Since its founding in 1988 as an independent, nonprofit research organization, the Institute has made numerous advances leading towards its goal: life without disease®.