Merger and Acquisition Advisors

He has acted as advisor to client companies with revenues between $1MM - $50MM and he has successfully completed transactions in the manufacturing, distribution, funeral, technology and business services industries. He has completed over 300 M&A transactions and performed more than 200 business valuations.

Prior to joining CFA he founded Carpenter Hawke & Co., LLC, a Boston-based lower middle-market investment banking firm. Earlier in his career he was affiliated with Christie Group, a leading M&A firm in the UK and Europe which also had an affiliate in the US.

His entrepreneurial spirit has allowed Brace to personally own a number of companies in a variety of industries and that business ownership experience has been of great benefit to owners looking to sell their businesses.

He has built a solid foundation of partnerships, dialogues, and conversations, with clients and has a unique view of the markets and the marketplace, and utilizes a highly structured approach to transactions.

Prior to joining Corporate Finance Associates, he operated his own group of companies in the hospitality, retail and manufacturing industries and entered the M&A world with Christie Group a leading M&A firm in the UK and Europe operating both nationally and internationally specializing in the hospitality, leisure, healthcare and retail markets. After settling in the US he co-founded Carpenter Hawke & Co a diverse M&A firm based in Boston, specializing in mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and business valuations for middle market companies in the manufacturing, distribution, service, retail, hospitality and technology sectors.

Before coming to Boston she assisted the Manager of Purchasing in coordinating contracts for the Port Authority of NY & NJ. She currently manages a small candle business where she designs and markets her handmade candles throughout the Northeast.

Prior to CFA, James has been working with companies on implementing and promoting Web 2.0 and emerging technologies in their corporate IT environment. James has over 15 years of experience in the information technology industry as a senior developer, project manager, practice leader, department manager, and IT consultant.

He has successfully developed Internet and client-server database solutions for companies in the banking, insurance, investment management, strategic consulting, manufacturing, real estate, non-profit, and educational industries. He has experience working in the full life-cycle of application development, from analysis and design through development, testing, and deployment.