JC Flowers

One of the better known FIG PE shops. In fact no other name comes to mind as strictly a player in that field. Flowers used to be a big wig at Goldman. Recent transactions is Refco, which they tried to takeover after it collapsed. Biggest deal was buyout of a bank in Japan.

I'd have to think that they are highly selective since I suspect they are a small shop.

I think they also just acquired Fox-Pitt, Kelton from SwissRe (spelling)

Hard to land a job there. The only person I know there got it b/c his MD called Flowers directly.

I don't typically heap much praise on bankers and run of the mill PE execs but Chris Flowers is a bona-fide, mther-fcking big brain, I had the distinct pleasure of being a lowly M&A analyst in on a deal meeting with this uber-financier - and he is wicked smart. The only person I've met who is more impressive is Eric Mindich. I gotta believe that Flowers only hires only true top tier, because your run of the mill, sharp, ivy league pedigree type is a true intellectual lightweight by comparison.

Flowers also has the reputation for being very difficult to work with and quite a prick. Mindich is already a legend in his own right and I've got nothing but good things to say about Eton Park, even if they have gotten clobbered a few times.

The name sounds vaguely familiar.. I think they were in on the Shinsei deal (huge, huge deal in Japan). If so, yeah very impressive firm.