Bio

James Cassel, chairman and co-founder of Cassel Salpeter & Co., is an investment banker who uses his unique experience as a dealmaker and attorney to guide clients and help them achieve their goals. Focused on representing middle-market companies, Jim has successfully negotiated, structured, and executed a broad spectrum of transactions including mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures, corporate and transactional financings, and public offerings for clients nationwide and worldwide. Having developed a keen understanding of the issues faced and alternatives available for distressed companies, he has particular experience in developing financial restructuring plans, negotiating with creditors, and guiding debtors through bankruptcy proceedings. Nationally recognized for his investment banking expertise, Jim frequently lectures on timely issues related to middle-market investment banking. Before founding Cassel Salpeter & Co., Jim was co-founder and chairman of Capitalink, an investment banking firm that was acquired by Ladenburg Thalmann & Co., a New York Stock Exchange member firm where Jim continued and served as vice chairman, senior managing director, and head of investment banking. He also was chairman of a significant company that owned hospitals. Jim is also the Liquidating Trustee of 1 GC Collections Creditors Liquidating Trust, the successor to 1 Global Capital, LLC debtors-in -possession. At 1 GC, he was the independent manager and oversaw the collection of over $140,000,000 that was distributed to creditors. He presently serves as a Board Member of the City of Miami Parking Authority and served as an independent director of the board of Equity One (NYSE:EQY). He also served on their Compensation Committee, Audit Committee, and Governance and Nominating Committee. Jim is a former board member and president of the South Florida Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth. He is also a former advisory board member of the University of Miami’s “The Launch Pad” business incubator program for entrepreneurs. He has served on the executive committee of Broad and Cassel, one of Florida’s largest law firms. He has been a member of the American Association of Arbitrators, National Investment Banking Association, and the NASD Board of Arbitrators. He was also a longtime columnist for The Miami Herald writing about emerging trends and strategies and tactics for middle-market business owners. Jim received a bachelor’s degree in 1976 from American University, in Washington, D.C., and a law degree in 1979 from the University of Miami School of Law, in Miami. He is a member of the New York and Florida Bar Associations.