People

CenterOak Makes First Hires Since Launch

Less than a year old, private equity firm CenterOak Partners LLC has begun building a team with some new talent, as well as some familiar faces.

The Dallas-based firm, which is under the helm of managing partner Randall Fojtasek, recently tapped Jeff Moredock to join its ranks. Moredock previously served as an associate with Brazos Private Equity, the shop Fojtasek co-founded in 1999. Brazos began to wind down in the Spring of 2014, just as CenterOak was beginning to take off. New to the PE world are Megan Kneipp and Casey Gribble. Kneipp joins CenterOak as a vice president, while Gribble comes on board as an associate.

Prior to CenterOak, Kneipp and Gribble were both previously at Credit Suisse as an associate and an analyst, respectively.

Until the hiring of Moredock, Kneipp and Gribble, CenterOak has gotten off its feet thanks to the banding together of former Brazos execs. Partners Lucas Cutler, William Henry and Jason Sutherland each followed Fojtasek over to CenterOak, along with general counsel Michael Salim. Associates Austin Walsh and Carter Fine also came from Brazos, as well as fund manager Gayla Hightower and senior accountant Katherine Smith.

CenterOak plans to invest up to $70 million in companies in the industrial growth, consumer goods and business services sectors. Its first fund is still being raised and, according to reports, expected to be in the range of $300 million to $400 million.

Ballard Spahr LLP- Partner Craig Circosta is set to oversee the Philadelphia law firm's private equity practice. Circosta has been with Ballard Spahr since 2001. Before that, he was an associate at Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP.

BDA Partners- Howard Lee has joined the investment bank as head of BDA Seoul, overseeing BDA's growth in South Korea. Before joining BDA, Lee led the M&A division at Korean investment bank Samsung Securities for four years. Past clients include the Carlyle Group LP (Nasdaq: CG), CVC Capital Partners Ltd., Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE: GS), Korea Telecom, Standard Chartered (LON: STAN) and Visteon Corp. (NYSE: VC). Between 2004 and 2011, he advised on M&A deals for Macquarie Securities, also in Seoul.

Blackhill Partners LLC- The Dallas investment bank has promoted Lance Gurley to director and...