Red Flag PE Firms In LA

Title. Currently in NYC and am looking to move to the west coast for personal reasons. Will probably be looking to jump to a different firm, and just wanted to get peoples' consensus on what some red flag PE firms in LA are, if any, since I refuse to believe all funds there are amazing. 

Biggest flag for me is below average comp, followed closely by terrible culture, then sweatshops, and then generally crap work. Anything else goes as well. If anyone knows any firms that fit the above, would really appreciate some insights, as well as some up to date comp figures (analyst, associate, sr associate or vp) bc what's bad for you might not be for me.

61 Comments
 

Bumpity, on that note, any insights on K1? Was told by a recruiter that they were a great place to work, but obviously want to sense check that

 

Already asked by someone above, but what about K1? Anyone got any insights? Have gotten a ton of outreach from their recruiters recently 

 

Yes, probably ACOF. I don't think its necessarily on its death-bed but performance has been very poor and if their latest fund doesn't do well (which its slightly too early to tell but seems mediocre) hard to see much of a path upwards for any juniors + would lead to a pretty bad learning enviornment.

ASOF or their other credit stuff I'm sure are pretty good/fine 

 

I have heard very positive things about this company, specifically related to their returns. Going from $0 in AUM a few years ago to $3.8BN+ (today), must mean something...

 

None of the ones I talked to were very good, but caveat that it's 1) a ~5 person sample size, and 2) I don't find most PE analysts I talk to generally, including the ones at my shop, to be that sharp relative to their banking peers (but that's a broader conversation)

That said, if you're quibbling about $60k versus $85k in one of the country's most expensive metros in the two thousand and twenty-sixth year of our Lord, you've already lost the plot. 

 

Smart guys and own some big names. They've had some pretty high profile acquisitions recently and apparently just closed a $500mm CV judging by their press releases. Looks like performance is pretty good, but I don't know recent marks. Most of the senior team is ex-KKR so they absolutely would work you hard. I'd work there, you don't find that experience in many places....

 

Any updated thoughts on MMs like Shamrock, Butterfly, Lightbay, Kingswood and Marlin?

 

Will say I’ve heard K1 sucks in multiple of your red flag criteria, I’ve never verified it firsthand though…

 

Has anyone heard of Saybrook Fund Advisors? If so, what's the word on them?

Looks like they use a PE strategy for distressed munis. Team looks lean, but folks there seem very smart. 

Not sure what HH they use and what the culture, comp, and upward mobility / exits from there would be like, so would appreciate any insights.

 

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