Jan 31, 2018   SOURCE: BusinessWire

Lovell Minnick and Tortoise Management Complete Buyout of Tortoise

Tortoise Investments and Lovell Minnick Partners today announced the completion of the buyout of Tortoise. As part of the transaction, ongoing management and employees have meaningfully increased their equity ownership of Tortoise, with many investing additional capital alongside Lovell Minnick, who purchased the equity stake held by Mariner Holdings and certain retiring co-founders of Tortoise. Tortoise will maintain its independence and autonomy with its brand, investment processes and day-to-day portfolio management remaining unchanged.

“We are excited to set course with our new partner,” said Tortoise co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Kevin Birzer. “The asset management expertise and global network that Lovell Minnick brings the partnership will help us to enhance and expand our client solutions.”

“We look forward to partnering with Tortoise and providing the team with strategic and capital support to help them build upon their successful platform of essential assets and income investing,” said Bob Belke, Managing Partner at Lovell Minnick.

Lovell Minnick is joined by a premier group of institutional investors who supported the transaction, including HarbourVest Partners, AlpInvest Partners, and several additional limited partners.

BMO Capital Markets acted as exclusive financial adviser to Mariner Holdings and Evercore acted as exclusive financial adviser to Lovell Minnick. Key Strategic Advisors advised management on the transaction. UBS and Credit Suisse provided committed debt financing for the transaction.

Terms of the private transaction, announced on Oct. 18, 2017, were not disclosed.

About Tortoise

Tortoise invests in assets and services that serve essential needs in society and can also serve essential needs in clients’ portfolios, such as diversification and income. Through a variety of investment vehicles, Tortoise provides a wide range of client solutions, focused on their evolving needs. As of Dec. 31, 2017, Tortoise had $20.2 billion in assets under advisement. For more information, please visit www.tortoiseinvest.com.

About Lovell Minnick Partners

Founded in 1999, Lovell Minnick Partners is an independent private equity firm specializing in the financial and business services sectors. Having raised $1.7 billion in committed capital, the firm has provided equity capital for growth investments, management buyouts, ownership transitions, and recapitalizations for over 30 middle-market companies. Currently, Lovell Minnick has investments in a number of industry-leading asset management companies including Matthews International Capital Management, CenterSquare Investment Management, Trea Asset Management and 361 Capital. Previous investments include ALPS, AssetMark, Duff & Phelps and numerous others. For more information, please visit www.lmpartners.com.

Forward-looking statements

This press release contains certain statements that may include "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are "forward-looking statements." Although Tortoise and Lovell Minnick believe the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they do involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties, and these expectations may prove to be incorrect. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including those discussed in the Tortoise registered funds’ reports that are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Other than as required by law, Tortoise and Lovell Minnick do not assume a duty to update any forward-looking statement. There is no assurance that any transaction will be completed.