Mentorship with Mike Guarnieri, Evolution Credit Partners

Michael Guarnieri is a Managing Partner of the Firm. He has more than 31 years of experience in lending to leveraged companies, both private equity sponsor backed and corporate borrowers. Prior to founding the Firm in 2018, Michael joined HMC in early 2017 to work alongside René in building and growing the HMC Private Credit team. While at HMC, Michael and René worked together to establish a private credit platform that leveraged HMC’s brand and private equity sponsor relationships.

Prior to HMC, Michael worked at Nomura Securities International, where, for nearly seven years, he was responsible for the investment decision and capital allocation for all leveraged finance commitments and investments in the U.S. and Europe as well as the special situation commitments and investments in Asia. Market executed transactions over this period were approximately $34 billion. Prior to Nomura, Michael had a 15-year career at Lehman Brothers where he was the Global Head of Credit Research from 1997 through 2007. As part of Michael’s approval and research responsibilities, he was a member of the High Yield Bond and Leveraged Loan Commitment Committee which was responsible for the risk management of Lehman Brothers leveraged finance commitments. From 2007 through 2008, Michael was Group Head and Founder of Lehman Brothers Global Mezzanine Partners I, a $303 million mezzanine fund. Prior to Lehman Brothers, Michael spent 4 years at Kidder Peabody as an II-ranked high yield and distressed analyst covering automotive and general industrial companies. Michael graduated cum laude from Fordham University, College of Business Administration with a BS in Business Administration and concentration in Finance.

Howard J. Beber is a partner in the Corporate Department and co-head of the Private Funds Group, which is recognized by Chambers Global, Chambers USA and US Legal 500. His practice focuses on representing private funds sponsors in all aspects of their business, including fund formation and ongoing operations and internal structuring and compliance. His practice includes buyout, growth equity, venture capital, private credit, secondary and fund-of-funds, ranging from some of the largest and well known sponsors in the industry to newly-formed managers.

He advises clients on a broad range of secondary transactions, including the acquisition and sale of partnership interests, tender offers, preferred equity financings, continuation funds, fund restructurings and other GP-led transactions, and has worked with several management teams on large spin-out transactions. Howard routinely represents some of the most active institutional and fund-of-fund investors when investing in venture capital, growth equity, buyout, private credit and other private investment funds, as well as co-investment transactions.

Howard has been an active member of the Private Investment Funds industry for many years. He is frequently invited to speak at major industry events and has authored numerous articles regarding managing and investing in private investment funds. Howard is a contributing author to “The Business of Venture Capital,” a leading book on the venture capital industry.