Investment Bank Hires Corporate Finance Executive

DALLAS (Aug, 11, 2009) - Barrier Advisors, a nationally recognized financial advisory and restructuring firm, today announced that David Prieto has been named vice president in the company's special situations investment banking group. Based in the Dallas office, Mr. Prieto will be responsible for leading the execution of mergers and acquisitions (M&A), recapitalizations, and corporate restructurings for clients throughout the United States.

An experienced investment banking professional, Mr. Prieto has more than nine years investment banking expertise, and has spent the past five years working specifically with middle-market clients. He has led numerous M&A, capital formation and financial advisory transactions across a variety of industries, and adds a comprehensive transaction skill set to the special situations investment bank.

"Adding David Prieto to the Barrier team demonstrates the level of commitment we have in attracting talented investment bankers to serve our expanding client base," said Kent Laber, president of Barrier Advisors. "Our strategic goals center on providing Wall Street expertise to middle-market clients. David understands this vision, and we appreciate having a person with his skill and industry knowledge working in our special situations group."

Prior to joining Barrier Advisors, Mr. Prieto was a director in the industrials group for Headwaters MB, a national middle-market investment bank. He also worked for Bear Stearns' investment banking division in Dallas, and held an analyst position in Ernst & Young LLP's Center for Strategic Transactions.

During the course of his career, Mr. Prieto has specialized in working closely with client management teams to complete complex assignments, such as X-Rite's $180 million acquisition of Pantone Inc., which also required raising $415 million in debt capital and rendering a fairness opinion.

"With a decade of investment banking and M&A focus, David adds an important layer of experience to Barrier's dedicated staff of Wall Street-trained professionals," added Jeff Jones, managing director.

"Barrier Advisors has developed a solid reputation as one of the leading middle-market investment banks in the Southwest," noted Prieto. "It is the perfect forum for me to work closely with clients and leverage my diverse investment banking experience to achieve the best possible outcome in difficult situations."

Mr. Prieto graduated with an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas and graduated magna cum laude with a BBA with honors in finance.

download (pdf 68k)