Jim Freedman '78

Mr. Freedman is Chairman and Managing Director of Intrepid Investment Bankers, LLC (“Intrepid”).  He has more than 30 years of investment banking and corporate finance experience and is an expert on the financial aspects of corporate strategy.  Since founding Barrington Associates (the predecessor firm to Intrepid) in 1982, which was subsequently sold to Wells Fargo in 2006, he has advised over 500 middle-market companies in the area of corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, corporate valuation and strategic decisions.  Mr. Freedman has acted as the principal financial advisor in numerous corporate finance and merger and acquisition transactions ranging in value from $20 million to $1 billion, including the acquisition of the Los Angeles Kings Hockey Team, the sale of Applause, Inc., Encore Video, Roundhouse Products, and OnStaff, and the recapitalization of RSI Home Products, Inc., Halex Products, and L. Powell Company.

Prior to founding Barrington Associates, Mr. Freedman was Vice President at Foothill Group, Inc., where he was in charge of corporate development as well as the commercial lending division for the California region.  Mr. Freedman is active in community affairs and is currently a member of the Board of Advisors of the Anderson UCLA Graduate School of Management Entrepreneurial Studies Center, the Board of Visitors of the UCLA Anderson School, the Board of Directors of the UCLA Jonsson Cancer Center, the Board of Directors of the Yosemite Conservancy, the Board of Directors of the Simon Foundation for Education and Housing and the Board of Directors of the Concern Foundation for Cancer Research.  He is also a past member and the former Chairman of the Young Presidents’ Organization, Los Angeles Chapter and a past International Board Member and a current member of the Chief Executives’ Organization and the World Presidents’ Organization.  He is a General Securities Principal licensed with the NASD and has been a member of the Board of Directors of several private companies.  Mr. Freedman is a frequent lecturer to industry and professional groups, including the American Management Association, The California CPA Society, The Los Angeles County Bar Association, the Los Angeles Venture Association, Vistage, Young Presidents’ Organization, the Anderson School at UCLA, and the Association of Corporate Growth.  He also serves as Co-Chairman of the annual Middle-Market Conference on Mergers and Acquisitions.

Since 1994, Mr. Freedman has been listed in “Who’s Who in Banking and Finance” in the Los Angeles Business Journal’s annual poll of the 100 most influential individuals in the Los Angeles financial services community.  In 1995, he was name “Finance Man of the Year” by the Los Angeles Business Journal.

Mr. Freedman graduated with Dean’s List honors from Cornell University where he earned a B.S. degree in Industrial and Labor Relations.  In addition, he received an M.B.A. degree with a concentration in Finance from the Anderson School at UCLA.