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David Hadley is the founder and president of Hadley Partners and has 20 years of investment banking experience.

From 1986 to 1999, David was an investment banker at BT Alex. Brown and its predecessors.  David’s final position there was as a managing director in the firm’s media & communications investment banking group.  In addition to his extensive media & communications experience, David acted as a senior banker serving food & beverage and industrial concerns. Noteworthy clients included: Goodman Manufacturing (the leading producer of HVAC products in the world); TLC Beatrice International Holdings (Reginald Lewis' leveraged buyout of Beatrice Foods' European operations); Sparkling Spring Water (the world's fifth largest bottled water company, subsequently acquired by Groupe Danone); and Rifkin Cable (a leading cable operator prior to its acquisition by Charter Communications). Services provided included virtually all forms of investment banking and financing transactions.

David participated as one of the five original members of BT Securities' high yield capital markets group from 1990 to 1993, participating in all aspects of BT’s high yield business as it grew from a start-up to a Wall Street leader.

David earned his B.A. summa cum laude in Economics and History at Dartmouth College, and his MSc. with distinction in Economic History from the London School of Economics. David lives in Manhattan Beach, California, with his wife Suzanne and their four children.

David and Megan Jones publish the newsletter In Reel Time, which focuses on the media services industry – the hardware, software, system, application and related companies that support the media/content ecosystem.  For more information or to receive In Reel Time, please [click here]

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Pedro Garcia is a Managing Director and heads our Consumer/Retail effort.  He has over 15 years of investment banking experience.  Prior to joining Hadley Partners in 2002, Pedro held various positions at Chemical Securities (now JP Morgan Chase), BT Alex. Brown (now Deutsche Banc Securities), and Credit Suisse First Boston. 

Pedro has a broad range of strategic advisory and transaction experience that includes corporate sale assignments, private placements of equity, private placements of debt (mezzanine, high yield bonds, syndicated bank loans), and initial public offerings.  He has completed more than 25 transactions with an aggregate value in excess of $5 billion (ranging in size from $25 million to $1.3 billion).  Pedro’s career has covered a broad range of industries including food and consumer products, retailers, printing, aerospace, health care and general industrial/manufacturing.  His international experience includes assignments in Argentina and Brazil.

Pedro received his A.B. degree in International Economics and Trade from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Frontier Natural Products and a member of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund's Northeast Advisory Board. Pedro lives in New York City with his wife and two daughters.

Pedro publishes two newsletters focused on the consumer space: Sustainable Growth, which covers the organic, natural and sustainable products industry; and Apertura, which covers the Hispanic and ethnic consumer marketplace in the U.S.  For more information or to receive either publication, please [click here].

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Paul Huffman is a Managing Director and heads our restaurant industry efforts. He has over 16 years of investment banking experience focused on serving middle market companies. Prior to joining Hadley Partners in 2009, Paul was a managing director with Morgan Joseph & Co. and head of that firm’s Los Angeles office. Prior to Morgan Joseph, Paul held senior positions with ING Barings and SunTrust Equitable Securities Corporation.

Paul has a broad range of strategic advisory and transaction experience that includes over 90 completed corporate sale assignments, management buyouts, fairness opinions, strategic advisory assignments, private placements of equity and debt, and public offerings. Paul has developed recognized expertise in the restaurant industry, having completed over 35 assignments in that sector alone. In addition to the restaurant industry, Paul has covered a broad range of other sectors, including nontraditional finance, home furnishings, retail and business services.

Paul received his B.A. degree in economics from Vanderbilt University and his M.B.A. from the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt. He is a member of the alumni board of the Owen Graduate School of Management. Paul lives in Hermosa Beach, California with his wife and two daughters.

Paul publishes the newsletter Financial Mixology, which focuses on the restaurant industry.  For more information or to receive Financial Mixology, please [click here].

Listen to the PodCast "Hadley Partners' Huffman on restaurant M&A"


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Daniel Shea is a managing director of Hadley Partners and has 19 years of investment banking experience.

Prior to joining Hadley Partners in 2007, Dan was a managing director with middle-market boutique W. Y. Campbell & Company, most recently establishing and heading up the firm’s Los Angeles office. Prior to Campbell, he held a senior position with Ernst & Young Corporate Finance LLC.

Dan has provided transaction advice to public and private companies as well as private equity firms. He has experience in numerous industries including e-commerce, food, health and wellness, aerospace and defense, energy, transportation, electronics, computer hardware, media, and retail. Noteworthy past clients include: Textron, Catalytica Energy Systems, TRW, AllHeart.com, Frozen Food Express Industries, Sarcom, MascoTech, Thyssen, and Yokohama.

Dan has a B.A. in Economics from the University of Michigan and an M.B.A. in Finance from the Weatherhead School at Case Western Reserve University. He has been a lecturer on topics related to mergers and acquisitions at industry conferences and business schools. Dan lives in Manhattan Beach, California with his wife Tricia and their two children.

Dan publishes the newsletter Stamina, which focuses on the health and wellness industry.   For more information or to receive Stamina, please [click here].

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Cristie Sheffield is a Managing Director of Hadley Partners and has over 15 years of investment banking experience.

From 1991 to 2000, Cristie was an investment banker at Deutsche Banc Alex. Brown (including its predecessor, BT Alex. Brown). When Cristie left that firm, she was a director in the Financial Sponsors Group, with responsibility for structuring and negotiating debt and equity transactions. Much of her experience involved raising capital for leveraged acquisitions by several of the firm's leading private equity clients. During Cristie's tenure at Deutsche Banc Alex. Brown, she worked on more than 30 transactions which raised over $11 billion for her clients.

Cristie joined Hadley Partners in 2000, and has worked on sell-side advisory, capital raising and non-transactional assignments for many of our clients. Cristie's transaction experience has spanned many industries, including business services, publishing, consumer products, food, retail, health care, technology, and manufacturing.

Cristie received her B.A. magna cum laude in Economics & Business from UCLA and her M.B.A. in Finance from the Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA. Cristie lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and three children.

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Visit Megan’s blog

Megan Jones is a Director at Hadley Partners and focuses primarily on our media services practice. She also has significant experience with technology and Internet-based companies.

Prior to joining Hadley Partners in 2009, Megan has advised companies (both mature and earlier stage) since 1988. Her expertise includes mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, divestitures, strategic partnerships and capital raises. She has consulted for private equity and venture capital firms and hedge funds regarding potential investments. Clients have also included both public and private companies.

Megan brings significant investment banking experience to her new position, with previous postings at Lazard Freres’ middle market group, Needham & Company, Ernst and Young LLP and Merrill Lynch. She also co-founded The Sage Group, LLC, a venture-backed investment banking boutique.

Megan earned her B.A. in finance and business administration from Pepperdine University, and her J.D. from Loyola Law School. She is a member of the State Bar of California. Ms. Jones lives in Santa Monica, California with her two children. Hobbies include yoga, travel, writing and reading.

Megan and David Hadley publish the newsletter In Reel Time, which focuses on the media services industry – the hardware, software, system, application and related companies that support the media/content ecosystem.  For more information or to receive In Reel Time, please [click here].

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Tejal Jinwala joined Hadley Partners in 2007 and has nearly 10 years of investment banking experience. Prior to joining Hadley Partners, Tejal held various positions at Deutsche Bank and its predecessors.

During her tenure at Deutsche Bank, Tejal was a Analyst in the Investment Banking Group, an Associate in the High Yield Capital Markets Group and a Vice President / Senior Analyst in the High Yield Research Group.  As part of the High Yield Research Group, Tejal’s coverage included companies in the food, beverage and restaurant sectors.  Some of her coverage included Dole Food Company, National Beef Packing Company, Del Monte Foods Company, Cott Corporation, Birds Eye Foods Inc., Chiquita Brands International Inc., Pinnacle Foods Group Inc., Sbarro Inc., Denny’s Corporation, RealMex Restaurants Inc., Friendly Ice Cream Corporation and Domino’s Inc..  She also spent nearly three years in London working for Deutsche Bank.  While in London she was an associate in the European High Yield Capital Markets Group.  Prior to joining capital markets, Tejal was an associate in the Investment Banking Group with a focus on the European construction and building products industry.  Prior to joining the London office, Tejal was part of the Transportation and Aerospace & Defense Group in the New York office for approximately two and half years.  Throughout her career at Deutsche Bank, Tejal gained transaction experience in high yield bonds, leveraged loans and equity offerings.

Tejal received her Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Finance from Rutgers University School of Business.  Tejal lives in Miller Place, New York with her husband and son.

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Mitchell P. Browne is an Associate at Hadley Partners and has four years of investment banking experience.  Prior to joining Hadley Partners in August 2009, Mitchell held various positions at Wells Fargo Securities and its predecessor Barrington Associates.  During his tenure at Wells Fargo Securities and Barrington, Mitchell’s experience included sell-side advisory and capital raise assignments across the retail, food, business services, manufacturing and consumer product sectors.

Mitchell received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Claremont McKenna College.  He lives in Santa Monica, California with his wife and daughter.

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Meghan earned her Bachelor of Arts from Claremont McKenna College, receiving honors in both Economics and Psychology. Additionally, she was a Robert Day Scholar of Economics and Finance. Meghan lives in Los Angeles.

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Ron Badie is a senior advisor to Hadley Partners, providing us with the benefit of his 35 years of world-class investment banking and financing experience.

Ron retired from Deutsche Bank in 2002, after 35 years of service with the firm and its predecessor, Bankers Trust Company. At the time of his retirement, he was vice chairman of Deutsche Bank Securities, the firm’s investment banking subsidiary. Over the years Ron held a variety of management positions, but he was most closely identified with the firm’s relationships with private equity investors and the leveraged buyout business. He was a recognized leader in financing leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations and corporate acquisitions.

Ron is a member of the board of directors of the following companies: Amphenol Corporation; Merisel, Inc.; Nautilus Inc.; and Obagi Medical Products Inc. Ron received his B.S. from Bucknell University and his M.B.A. from the Stern School at New York University.

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Richard Goff is the founder of R. M. Goff & Company LLC, a boutique merchant banking firm that has worked with senior executives to sponsor acquisitions and has provided strategic and financial advice to middle market companies since 1993. He has over 25 years of experience in private equity investment, investment banking and developing businesses. He has been an investor in or advisor to Morton's of Chicago (NYSE), McCormick & Schmick's, Great Clips, New World Coffee (purchaser of Einstein Noah Bagels), Telemedia (cable tv and radio), Communications Capital Towers (communication towers), Bachow & Elkin (Cable TV) and Intermedia Communications (CLEC; NASDAQ: Sold to MCI).

Dick currently serves on the board of managers and is the CFO for Third Planet Windpower, LLC (a wind energy developer, owner, operator). From 2001 to 2006 Dick was a managing director of a private equity firm in Chicago focused on making acquisitions in the lower middle market. From 1994 to 1999 he was a co-founder of a firm dedicated to making acquisitions of and developing multi unit services businesses. From 1982 to 1993 he was a general partner and co founding partner of a private equity firm focused on investments in healthcare and communications from start ups to acquisitions.

Dick earned his B.A., magna cum laude, in business administration from Alma College and is a CPA. He lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan with Suzette, his wife of 29 years. They have three adult children in college.

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Martin Gans is a private investor with offices in San Francisco.  During his 40 years in the professional and commercial world he has invested in (often as a co-founder) and worked with a number of varied businesses in agriculture, branded food products, technology and real estate.

Currently, Marty is non-executive chairman of LSL Biotechnologies, Inc., a privately-held producer of fresh market tomato seeds which he co-founded in 1981.  He also was an early stage investor in Odwalla, Inc. serving on its board of directors and as chairman of its audit committee (1992-2000).

Marty began his career with Touche Ross & Co. (today’s Deloitte & Touche) on its audit staff becoming a partner in 1974.  His range of client responsibilities included Fortune 500 companies as well as start-ups which eventually came public.  In 1978, he joined Sun World International, a major farming, packing and marketing company, which he served as executive vice president and chief financial officer through 1985.

Marty earned his M.B.A. from Northwestern’s Graduate School of Management and has a B.B.A. from The University of Miami.  He is also a C.P.A.  He lives in Kentfield, California with his wife Gwen; they have four grown children.

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Karen Halliday heads our Debt Capital Markets function and is responsible for maintaining relationships with a wide variety of private debt investors. She has over 20 years of investment banking and debt capital markets experience. Prior to joining Hadley Partners in 2009, Karen held various positions at BT. Alex Brown, Deutsche Bank, GE Capital (where she was Co-Head of Leveraged Finance and Head of Large Market Loan Syndications), as well as at hedge fund Silver Point Capital.

Karen’s track record during the last decade includes more than 30 financings aggregating in excess of $15 billion; the vast majority of these transactions have involved leveraged balance sheets and complex credit stories.

Karen received her B.A. degree in Economics from Queen’s University in Canada.

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