Buy-side M&A advisory firm grows Los Angeles headcount to 17 and expands Medellín research team from five to eight.
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESS Newswire / October 14, 2026 / 48North Partners, a Los Angeles-based buy-side M&A advisory firm serving founder-led and privately held businesses, today announced the addition of five new team members across its Los Angeles headquarters and its Medellín, Colombia research team, all of whom joined the firm on September 14.
In Los Angeles, the firm welcomed Sophia Sklar as Associate and Athena Zhuang as Analyst, bringing the office to 17 full-time team members alongside two new fall interns. Sklar, a graduate of Claremont McKenna College in financial economics and French, joins with experience across capital management, private debt, and credit. Zhuang holds dual degrees from the University of Michigan’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business and College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, and completed an investment banking internship at TD Securities in New York.
In Medellín, 48North added three Research Analysts, Daniel Pacheco, Daniel Rozo, and Luciano Pérez, expanding the team from five to eight following a recent move into a larger office. Pacheco studied economics at Institución Universitaria de Envigado and Universidad Santo Tomás and most recently led outbound sales at proptech company Cosign. Rozo earned a finance degree from Universidad EAFIT with a concentration in risk management and corporate finance, spending the past year as a risk analyst at Seguros SURA. Pérez, also an EAFIT graduate, worked as a data analyst at Genius Sports and interned on Bancolombia’s personal credit risk team. Veronica Escobar continues to lead the Medellín team as Director of Research.
The expansion comes as a generation of founders approaches some of the most consequential decisions of their careers, in what is widely described as the largest transfer of private business ownership in American history. 48North has built its practice around that moment, and its leadership regularly publishes on independent sponsors and search funds in founder-led M&A and what owners should know before selling.
“Every person joining us this month shares the quality that defines 48North: a real respect for the people who build businesses,” said Chapin Newhard, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of 48North Partners. “Growing in both Los Angeles and Medellín lets us give founders the depth and attention they deserve at every stage of a process.”
“Our Medellín team is the engine behind the research our clients rely on,” said Henry Feinberg, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of 48North Partners. “The investment we’re making in data engineering, automation, and custom agentic workflows lets us build deeper, more comprehensive market maps in less time without compromising the 48North standard of quality. Daniel Pacheco, Daniel Rozo, and Luciano Pérez add real firepower to that engine.”
“Sophia Sklar and Athena Zhuang bring our team in Los Angeles to 17 sourcing professionals and we’re confident that they will not only bring an infectious positive attitude, but enable us to reach an even broader audience of owners and investors alike.”
With the new additions, 48North enters the fall with 17 full-time team members in Los Angeles and eight in Medellín, positioning the firm to serve a growing pipeline of founder-led sellers heading into 2027.
About 48North Partners
48North Partners is a Los Angeles-based M&A advisory firm serving founders and privately held business owners. 48North’s approach is built on the belief that every transaction is unique and that the best outcomes come from a deep understanding of each client and owner’s goals. Learn more at 48northpartners.com or follow the firm on LinkedIn.
Chapin Newhard and Henry Feinberg co-founded 48North Partners after beginning their respective careers in finance. Chapin has written on transition readiness as an operating discipline for privately held companies and contributes regular commentary on M&A and exit planning for national business publications.
Media Contact:
Taylor Roberts, Vice President of Operations at 48North Partners
taylor@48northpartners.com
SOURCE: 48North Partners
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