rick hendrix
Rick Hendrix is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Live Oak Merchant Partners.
Mr. Hendrix has served as Chief Executive Officer for Live Oak’s Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) investments, including Live Oak Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: LOAK) which consummated its merger with Danimer Scientific (NYSE: DNMR) in December 2020; Live Oak Acquisition Corporation II (NYSE: LOKB) which consummated its merger with Navitas Semiconductor (Nasdaq: NVTS) in October 2021; Live Oak Mobility Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: LOKM) and Live Oak Crestview Climate Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: LOCC). Mr. Hendrix is currently a member of the Board of Directors of both Danimer Scientific and Navitas Semiconductor.
Mr. Hendrix also serves as senior advisor to Crestview Partners, a middle-market-focused private equity firm.
Prior to co-founding Live Oak, Mr. Hendrix served as the chairman and CEO of FBR & Co (NYSE: FBRC), a full-service investment banking and brokerage firm, from 2009 until its successful merger in June 2017 with B. Riley Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ: RILY). Following the merger, Mr. Hendrix served as a director of RILY, from June 2017 to October 2017.
Before being named chairman and CEO of FBR, Mr. Hendrix was the company’s president and COO from February 2007 through January 2009. He previously served as Arlington Asset Investment Corp.’s (NYSE: AI) president and chief operating officer from April 2004 to February 2007 and its chief investment officer from April 2003 to April 2004. Prior to these executive leadership roles, Mr. Hendrix concurrently headed the real estate and diversified industrials investment banking groups of FBR Group. Before joining FBR in 1999, Mr. Hendrix served as a managing director of PNC Capital Markets’ investment banking group and headed PNC’s asset-backed securities business.
Over the course of his career, Mr. Hendrix has worked extensively with issuers and investors focused on companies in the financial services, real estate, energy, industrial, and business and consumer services sectors. He has led dozens of initial equity offerings, raising tens of billions of dollars for founder-led and sponsor-backed companies. During his tenure as CEO of FBR, Rick also was instrumental in the founding and initial capitalization of numerous “Newcos” that built successful franchises within the banking, insurance, and real estate sectors. Additionally, Mr. Hendrix has considerable experience advising chief executives, boards of directors, and large shareholders regarding strategy, capital structure, and capital access.
Mr. Hendrix currently serves as the chair of the Board of Trustees of Flint Hill School in Oakton, VA, and also serves as the chairman of Protect My Car, a leading aftermarket auto warranty provider. Mr. Hendrix earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Miami University in 1987.
robert feinstein
Robert Feinstein is a managing partner of Live Oak Merchant Partners.
Prior to his work with Live Oak, Mr. Feinstein was one of the principals of Compass Point, and during his 11 years of tenure, saw the company increase from four employees to 55 and start a research effort covering approximately three hundred names. Compass Point also began an investment banking group that has been an underwriter for initial public offerings, follow on offerings, and 144A transactions, completing over one hundred transactions while working with a vast array of financial service companies.
Prior to joining Compass Point in 2008, Mr. Feinstein was a founding partner at Friedman, Billings, Ramsey & Co., Inc. At FBR, Mr. Feinstein held senior positions in the firm’s Institutional Sales Department, and most recently served as Senior Managing Director of Sales, Private Wealth. Prior to his 20 years at FBR, he was Senior Vice President at Johnston, Lemon & Co. in their sales group. Mr. Feinstein received a B.A. from Duke University in 1983.
Adam fishman
Adam Fishman is a Managing Partner of Live Oak Merchant Partners. He is responsible for LOMP’s principal investments and serves as an advisor for LOMP portfolio companies and corporate clients.
Mr. Fishman has served as Chief Operating Officer for Live Oak’s Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) investments, including Live Oak Acquisition Corporation II (NYSE: LOKB) which consummated its merger with Navitas Semiconductor (Nasdaq: NVTS) in October 2021; Live Oak Mobility Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: LOKM) and Live Oak Crestview Climate Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: LOCC).
Mr. Fishman joined Live Oak from Jefferies LLC, where he was a Managing Director and Head of the Permanent Capital Group. Mr. Fishman was responsible for originating and marketing pre-IPO private placements for companies across all industries. He also originated and executed SPAC transactions, including initial public offerings, assisting management in evaluating targets for merger consideration, and structuring and executing PIPE investments to support mergers.
Prior to joining Jefferies, Mr. Fishman was Executive Vice President and Head of Institutional Brokerage at FBR & Co. (NYSE: FBRC), a full-service investment banking and brokerage firm, from 2009 until its merger in June 2017. Mr. Fishman joined FBR in 2004, steadily expanding his role throughout a 13-year tenure, including managing and directing strategy for the Research, Sales and Trading departments. As a member of the firm’s Executive Committee, Mr. Fishman was a key contributor to FBR’s strategic vision and execution, as well as managing relationships with shareholders and institutional investors. Mr. Fishman also served on FBR’s Commitment Committee, where he was responsible for analyzing, structuring and selling all public and private investment offerings.
Mr. Fishman began his career as an Associate Director of Institutional Equity Sales at CIBC World Markets.
Mr. Fishman received a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, cum laude, from Brandeis University.
gary wunderlich
Gary Wunderlich is Co-Founder of Live Oak Merchant Partners and a former Managing Partner.
Prior to co-founding Live Oak, Mr. Wunderlich was the founder and CEO of Wunderlich Securities, Inc., a full-service investment banking and brokerage firm, from 1996 until its successful merger in July 2017 with B. Riley Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ: RILY). Following the merger, Mr. Wunderlich served as a director of RILY from August 2017 to July 2018 and remained CEO of Wunderlich (rebranded B Riley Wealth) until November of 2018. As CEO of Wunderlich, Mr. Wunderlich was involved in all aspects of company growth from a virtual start-up into a full-service investment bank. Firm-wide revenues grew to over $120 million in 2017, reflecting a CAGR of approximately 30% over 23 years. In addition to wealth management and institutional fixed income, Mr. Wunderlich oversaw an investment banking department that was a manager or co-manager of 151 transactions raising over $21.5 billion in proceeds for issuers in the three years prior to its merger with B Riley. Wunderlich Securities, Inc. was ranked as one of the fastest growing private companies in America by Inc. Magazine in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013.
Mr. Wunderlich currently serves on the boards of America’s Lift Chair, the Society of Entrepreneurs, Memphis River Parks Partnership, Memphis in May International Festival, ArtsMemphis and The Campbell Foundation, as well as on the advisory Board of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA). He is also a member of YPO Southern 7 Gold Chapter. Mr. Wunderlich received a BA in economics from the University of Virginia in 1992 and an MBA in finance from the University of Memphis in 1995.