CohnReznick, an advisory, assurance and tax firm in the United States, made four senior-level additions to its transactions and turnaround advisory team, strengthening its capabilities to meet key client needs.
Anthony (Tony) Enlow and Ryan McCaslin join the firm as partners in the transactions group. Christopher Livingstone and Arthur Simonson join as managing directors in project finance and consulting.
“As our advisory team continues to add resources and expand competencies, we are committed to helping investors and businesses find new ways to create value at every turn,” Claudine Cohen, managing principal, transactions and turnaround at CohnReznick, said. “Our four new leaders play an important role in positioning us for the future and solidifying our expertise in advising middle-market companies as they leverage the capital markets to achieve growth goals. The knowledge and experience of our new team members will complement the work we are doing in the M&A arena, with public-private partnerships and with companies looking to access infrastructure funding through the IIJA.”
Enlow will lead transaction advisory services in the Dallas market, where he is based, addressing significant growth in client needs in that region. He has more than 25 years of experience in mergers and acquisitions and financial analysis in domestic and international settings. This includes financial modeling and financial due diligence, quality of earnings and working capital, purchase and sale negotiation, debt agreements, post-closing working capital true up, purchase-price adjustment calculations and integration management.
Enlow’s industry experience includes multi-location retail, restaurants, franchising, electric and natural gas, monitored home security companies, manufacturing and distribution, RV dealerships, construction, service organizations and technology.
McCaslin gives the firm greater resources in the Midwest and will work with other Chicago-based transaction advisory partners and team members to grow that market. He has more than 20 years of professional experience providing accounting, consulting, assurance and advisory services to middle market clients. His transactions experience spans numerous industries including manufacturing and distribution, restaurants, retail, business services, software and technology and gaming. McCaslin has led buy-side and sell-side financial due diligence projects for both corporate and private equity clients for mergers and acquisitions deals ranging in size from $5 million to $1 billion.
His experience includes training and mentoring new professionals, developing a replenishing pipeline of transaction work, quality of earnings on the buy and sell side, assisting clients with working capital closing mechanism calculations and review of purchase agreements. McCaslin also has experience working closely with other advisory service lines to cross sell and supervise services including information technology and operational due diligence as well as supply chain consulting.
McCaslin joins CohnReznick after serving as a transactions advisory partner for another major firm. He lives is Michigan and is part of the firm’s Chicago office.
“In 2021, our team supported more than 700 transactions inclusive of financial, tax, information systems, and benefits and, this year, we continue to see a high volume of activity as our clients look to increase value for their businesses through the capital markets,” Margaret Shanley, transaction advisory services practice leader at CohnReznick, said. “Bringing Tony and Ryan to CohnReznick adds greater depth of expertise to support the financial goals and deal-making activities of our investment management clients.”
Livingstone has more than 20 years of infrastructure consulting experience focused on the transportation sector, including state and local government entities overseeing transportation and mobility-focused projects. He has extensive experience in project finance, commercial and financial transaction structuring, asset strategy, mitigation strategy, funding source identification, value for money analysis and financial analysis and modeling.
Livingstone has worked extensively in the social infrastructure, energy and higher education sectors and previously ran his own consultancy firm specializing in project finance, commercial transaction structuring, financial structuring and public-private partnerships. He is based in Los Angeles.
Simonson has more than 20 years of experience in infrastructure and the debt capital markets. As a global credit and infrastructure finance executive, he has significant knowledge of infrastructure transaction origination, investment analysis, asset management and implementing risk management protocols. He has helped build an infrastructure and project finance ratings business, managing a team of professionals that rated and surveilled infrastructure transactions and companies across multiple asset types, geographies, regulatory jurisdictions, financing methods and business structures.
Before joining CohnReznick, Simonson advised governmental entities on transaction structuring, due diligence procedures and infrastructure asset valuations while helping entities develop the local capital markets needed to successfully fund infrastructure projects. Simonson is based in the New York metro area.
“With the nature and complexity of transaction financing continuing to evolve, we are committed to expanding our knowledge and capabilities by bringing senior level talent to our practice,” Marshall Phillips, managing principal and co-leader, project finance and consulting at CohnReznick, said.
“As we continue to broaden and diversify our project finance capabilities, Chris and Art will deliver the keen insight and technical expertise that will drive value for our clients involved in physical infrastructure development, broadband expansion and clean energy focused projects, which continue to gain momentum this year as federal infrastructure funding rolls out,” Anton Cohen, partner and project finance and consulting co-leader at CohnReznick, said.
