Rally Capital Services LLC adds prominent restructuring and turnaround expert Craig R. Graff as a Commercial/Industrial Project Manager and Expands platform in St. Louis

CHICAGO, Sept. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Rally Capital Services LLC ("Rally") welcomes prominent restructuring and turnaround expert Craig R. Graff to the firm as its Commercial/Industrial Projects Manager.  Mr. Graff will assist Rally to expand its early-stage restructuring and turnaround practice.

Rally has separately established a presence in St. Louis focused on the business communities in Southern Illinois and St. Louis, Missouri.  This growth expands the Rally platform so as to better serve client needs in these commercial markets and on a National basis. Hayden M. Parks, Jr. a resident of St. Louis, Missouri, will serve as a Senior Financial Consultant. Mr. Parks was formerly with Collateral Evaluation Services, Buckeye Consulting LLC and Heartland Bank where he worked in the area of financial analysis, business consulting, and portfolio management.  He attended Ohio State University and Franklin University and received a BSBA degree in Accounting.

"The addition of Craig Graff and the establishment of a presence in St. Louis office significantly expands  Rally's controlled growth in the Midwest and on a National level by allowing us to better serve the often fluid, complex and diverse needs of its clients," said Howard Samuels, President and Founding Member of Rally. "I have known, worked with and respected Craig for over 30 years.  I believe his skills and experience involving solutions to complex financial and accounting issues are a perfect fit for Rally. We share similar values and a philosophical approach to problem solving as it relates to distressed companies their ownership, lenders and other creditors," Samuels said.

"I am delighted to join Rally Capital. I have known and respected the principals and professionals at Rally for many years," said Craig Graff.  "Rally's reputation, expertise and professionalism in the banking, financial, legal and accounting communities are some of the hallmarks which attracted me to join the firm," said Graff.

Mr. Graff advises distressed companies in developing corporate restructuring and turnaround strategies, allowing the business to return to normalcy and profitability.  He works closely with lenders and key business advisors. He frequently serves in an interim C-level management role, including Chief Restructuring Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Operating Officer.  Mr. Graff's engagements range from assisting small-to middle-market companies and family-owned businesses to the representation of large public companies with annual revenues in excess of $1 billion.

He has broad industry experience including agribusiness, construction, manufacturing, assembly, distribution, and professional service firms.  While not a lawyer, Mr. Graff was selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers In America in the fields of Accounting, Valuation, and Bankruptcy, based on his years of providing value-added turnaround advisory and consulting services.

Several noteworthy matters on which Mr. Graff served in a leadership role include: Jane Adams Hull House Association, Chicago, Illinois, Alterra Healthcare Corporation, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Weld Racing, Kansas City, Missouri, and Payless Cashways Inc., Kansas City, Missouri where he was appointed as the Chapter 11 Trustee.

Most recently, Mr. Graff was a partner with Silverman Consulting.  He previously served as CFO of an agribusiness company and as an accounting professional with Howard Samuels in turnaround matters prior to the founding of Rally.  Mr. Graff was a CPA with Checkers, Simon & Rosner, where he gained corporate internal auditing and public accounting experience. He received a Bachelor of Accountancy degree and a Masters in Business Administration degree from Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois.  He is a registered certified public accountant in the State of Illinois.

About Rally Capital Services LLC

Rally Capital Services LLC (www.rallyllc.com) provides analytical, advisory and operational services to financially distressed businesses, and their lenders. Rally is focused on advising, assessing the operations and conducting analysis and due dilligence of troubled companies and working closely with its advisors to determine the best available remedies. Rally Capital has deep expertise in accounting, finance, law and investment banking and is able to devise and implement effective solutions for companies experiencing financial and operational challenges. In additional to working with financially  distressed operating companies,  Rally currently serves as the court appointed receiver, consultant or REO advisor on over 80 problem real estate projects throughout the country and provides limited scope auditing, financial analysis/due diligence and collateral review for a variety of commercial lenders and investors. The firm was founded in 1995 by Howard Samuels. Today, Rally is National in scope and has 16 professionals, with offices in Chicago and St. Louis.  Under its current leadership of Howard B. Samuels, Steven H. Baer and Daniel T. Lee, Rally provides services tailored to address the complex and unique needs of each client in order to achieve the optimal outcome.  

SOURCE Rally Capital Services LLC