Brentwood Associates Partner Anthony Choe Wins '40 Under 40' from M&A Advisor Recognition Awards

LOS ANGELES, June 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Brentwood Associates, the leading consumer-focused private equity firm in the West, announces Partner Anthony Choe is one of the 2011 "40 Under 40" Award Winners. The second annual M&A Advisor Recognition Awards aim to recognize and promote emerging business leaders in the international mergers and acquisitions and financing industries. Choe will be honored with fellow winners and finalists at a black-tie gala at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel on July 26, 2011.

"Anthony and I have worked closely together on refining the firm's investment strategy over the last decade," said Bill Barnum, partner and co-founder of Brentwood Associates. "I believe our success in the consumer space results from this focus on finding companies with passionately engaged customer followings, combined with our talented and dedicated team. The '40 Under 40' recognition is well-deserved for Anthony's daily contributions to the success of our portfolio companies and his commendable work with Los Angeles' Posse Foundation."

Choe, a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Harvard College, joined Brentwood in 1996 and achieved the level of principal after only three years with the firm. His expertise spans branded consumer products, active lifestyles, restaurants, direct marketing and ecommerce. He is currently an active member of the Board of Directors of Chamilia, K-Mac Holdings, Pacific Island Restaurants, Spectrum Clubs, The Teaching Company and Zoes Kitchen, as well as the Los Angeles Advisory Board for the Posse Foundation, a non-profit that helps send underprivileged kids to college with the intent of increasing graduation rates.

Winners of the "40 Under 40" Award were chosen by an independent panel of prominent business leaders, including: John K Castle, chairman and CEO, Castle Harlan; Al Koch, vice chairman, Alix Partners; Steven Goldberg, partner and co-chairman of the Transactions Practice Team, Baker Hostetler; Lee Duran, Private Equity Practice Leader, BDO; Gordon McCoun, vice chairman, FD; Robert "Bobby" Blumenfeld, executive director, ACG New York; Bernard Zaia, managing director, Wells Fargo Securities; and J. Scott Victor, partner & managing director, SSG.

Brentwood Associates also was recently ranked as one of the world's top-20 private equity firms in the HEC-Dow Jones Private Equity Fitness Ranking. The second annual, forward-looking ranking considers the flexibility of firms in investing, level of sector focus, strategic differentiation from competitors and historical deal fitness, among other factors.

About Brentwood Associates

Brentwood Associates is a consumer-focused private equity investment firm with over $750 million of capital under management and a 30-year history of investing in leading middle-market growth companies. Brentwood focuses on investments in growing businesses where it is able to leverage its extensive experience in areas such as: branded consumer products; consumer services; direct marketing, including direct mail and e-commerce; education; health and wellness; restaurants; and specialty retail. Since 1984, Brentwood's dedicated private equity team has invested in 38 portfolio companies with an aggregate transaction value of over $5 billion. With significant experience in both investing and brand building, Brentwood is a value-added partner with entrepreneurs and executives building world-class companies. For more information about Brentwood, please visit www.brentwood.com.

Contact: Kaitlen Murphy
Olmstead Williams Communications
310.824.9000
[email protected]
www.olmsteadwilliams.com

SOURCE Brentwood Associates