James Lane | Private Equity Expert Witness | SEDA Experts

Jim began his investing career at Goldman Sachs where he rose from Investment Banking Associate to General Partner in less than ten years. Jim’s initial focus was M&A and Leveraged Finance and he advised extensively on Leveraged Buyouts (LBOs) as well as co-investing as principal for the firm. In this work Jim arranged all types of financing including high yield loans, senior secured, and subordinated debt. He transferred to London in 1989 as a General Partner and managed the European Corporate Finance and Merchant Banking businesses until 1993.

This activity led to the firm’s first Fund which invested in Private Equity and Mezzanine Debt of which Jim was a founding member and Co-Head at a time when it invested over 1.5bn USD of capital. The Principal Investment Area, (PIA), the private equity business of Goldman Sachs, operated across a variety of different industries and geographies. Jim was exposed to a range of private equity opportunities and invested across the capital structure as principal for the firm.

Jim next served as Chairman and founding CEO of SG Capital Partners, a private equity firm affiliated with Société Générale and SG Cowen Securities. He built the firm into one of the most successful and profitable units of SG Americas producing stellar returns to investors. The fund focused on middle market leveraged buyouts with a particular focus on nascent technology areas as well as biotech. More recently Jim has led Devonwood Capital Partners as Managing Partner. Devonwood provides guidance, strategy and capital introduction to a range of fast growing businesses across different sectors.

Jim started the New Canaan Society (NCS), a non profit organization, which operates as the largest men’s Christian fellowship group in the USA. NCS began with a group of 10 men and has grown into a network of thousands of business executives with 40 chapters across the country. NCS is designed to support men in the careers who are interested in the integration of their faith and work, striving to be a faithful presence in every sphere of life – their marriages, families, workplace, and communities.

Jim earned his BA, cum laude, from Wheaton College and his M.B.A., with highest honors, from Columbia University. He has served on numerous corporate boards including the portfolio companies of Goldman Sachs and Societe Generale.