GT Securities Research
Advisory Approach
GT Securities operates as a modern broker-dealer platform that sponsors and enables independent investment bankers to execute M&A transactions. Unlike traditional boutique investment banks that employ bankers directly, GT Securities provides the regulatory infrastructure, compliance support, and FINRA registrations (including Series 79 sponsorship) that independent bankers need to conduct securities transactions legally. Their platform model connects three key constituencies: 225+ affiliated investment bankers who bring deal flow and execution expertise, companies and funds seeking capital and exits, and investors and buyers seeking acquisition opportunities. This distributed model allows GT Securities to offer industry-specific expertise through bankers with deep operational experience in their respective sectors, while providing institutional-grade compliance and back-office support.
The firm's thesis is that independent bankers with domain expertise and operator backgrounds can deliver superior outcomes for middle-market sellers compared to generalist bankers at large wirehouses. By eliminating the overhead of physical offices and non-producing management, their affiliated bankers can focus purely on deal execution while GT Securities handles regulatory compliance, licensing, and operations. The platform has facilitated over 2,000 transactions representing $11+ billion in aggregate deal value since its founding in 2001.
Sector Focus
GT Securities maintains broad sector coverage through its network of 225+ affiliated bankers, each with specialized industry expertise. Rather than concentrating on specific verticals, the firm's platform model enables deep sector knowledge across the economy. Notable transactions demonstrate this diversity: technology and intellectual property (BlackBerry's $600M patent portfolio sale), environmental services and recycling (Blue Whale Materials' lithium-ion battery recycling platform), cannabis and agriculture (Van de Wetering Greenhouses' sale to Columbia Care), and manufacturing/industrial services.
The firm's affiliated bankers typically have operational backgrounds as founders, operators, or subject matter experts in their focus industries. This operator-investor model differentiates them from pure-play investment bankers who may lack hands-on experience running businesses in the sectors they advise. The platform serves companies across the lower to core middle market, with transactions typically ranging from $10M to $250M in enterprise value.
Deal Track Record
GT Securities has completed 2,000+ transactions since 2001, representing over $11 billion in aggregate deal volume. The firm closes multiple transactions weekly across its platform of affiliated bankers. Specific representative transactions include:
Notable Deals:
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BlackBerry Patent Sale ($600M) - January 2022: Tech+IP Advisory, a GT Securities-affiliated firm, advised BlackBerry Limited on the sale of over 35,000 patents and related licensing assets to Catapult IP Innovations and Third Eye Capital. This transaction represents the largest PE-backed patent deal in history. GT Securities provided the broker-dealer platform and FINRA registrations for Tech+IP's principals.
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Blue Whale Materials Investment - May 2022: Gary Ladrido of GT Securities advised Blue Whale Materials, a lithium-ion battery recycling platform, on a strategic investment from Ara Partners. The transaction will fund the construction of five LIB recycling plants across the US and Europe to support electrification and decarbonization initiatives.
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Van de Wetering Greenhouses Sale - April 2021: GT Securities, alongside Rubin Capital Corp., served as exclusive financial advisor to Van de Wetering Greenhouses on the sale of its 34-acre cultivation site in Riverhead, New York to Columbia Care, one of the largest multistate cannabis operators in the US. The transaction included a multi-year lease for continued greenhouse operations.
The firm's platform maintains 112+ active mandates at any given time, reflecting the continuous flow of engagement opportunities across its banker network. Transaction types span sell-side and buy-side M&A, divestitures, recapitalizations, and capital raising (both equity and debt, primary and secondary).
Process & Fee Structure
GT Securities does not prescribe a standardized engagement model or fee structure. Instead, each affiliated banker operates with autonomy to structure engagements and fees based on client needs, transaction complexity, and market norms. However, the platform provides institutional support including:
Compliance and Regulatory Infrastructure: FINRA registered broker-dealer (CRD# 116012), SEC registered, licensed in 51 US states and territories. The platform manages all regulatory filings, compliance oversight, and licensing requirements so bankers can focus on client work.
Series 79 Sponsorship: GT Securities sponsors qualified bankers for Series 79 (M&A restricted representative) licensure and maintains their registrations, enabling them to legally participate in M&A transactions without establishing their own broker-dealer.
Back-Office Support: The platform provides deal execution infrastructure including data room management, transaction documentation, and coordination with legal counsel and other advisors.
Fee structures vary by banker and engagement but typically include:
- Monthly retainers (credited against success fees)
- Success fees based on transaction value (often Lehman or modified Lehman formulas for lower middle market sell-side engagements)
- Project fees for buy-side or capital raising mandates
The platform does not publicly disclose standard fee ranges, as each affiliated banker operates independently with flexibility to negotiate terms directly with clients.
Buyer Network
Through its 225+ affiliated bankers and their cumulative deal experience across 2,000+ transactions, GT Securities provides access to an extensive network of strategic buyers, private equity firms, family offices, and institutional investors. The platform's bankers have established relationships with:
Private Equity Firms: Including sector-specific PE firms like Ara Partners (industrial decarbonization focus), as well as generalist middle-market PE firms across industries. The BlackBerry patent transaction involved Third Eye Capital, a Canadian credit fund.
Strategic Buyers: The platform has facilitated sales to large corporates and strategic acquirers, including Columbia Care in the cannabis sector and technology companies in IP transactions.
International Buyers: GT Securities' affiliated bankers have transacted with cross-border buyers, particularly in technology and intellectual property transactions where foreign strategic acquirers are active.
The platform's model enables bankers to collaborate and share buyer contacts across their networks, creating a proprietary database of qualified acquirers that grows with each transaction.
Competitive Positioning
GT Securities differentiates from traditional investment banks through its unique platform model:
1. Broker-Dealer Platform for Independent Bankers: Unlike traditional banks that employ bankers, GT Securities provides the regulatory infrastructure for independent bankers to operate under their FINRA registration. This reduces overhead and allows bankers to focus purely on client work.
2. Industry Specialization through Operator Backgrounds: Affiliated bankers typically have deep operational experience as founders, CEOs, or executives in their focus industries before transitioning to investment banking. This operator-investor perspective enables more credible seller conversations and better buyer positioning.
3. Scalability Without Geographic Constraints: Without physical offices and non-producing management, the platform can scale by adding high-quality bankers without fixed costs. This enables broader sector coverage than geographically constrained boutiques.
4. Institutional Compliance with Boutique Agility: Independent bankers get the autonomy and client focus of a boutique combined with institutional-grade compliance, licensing, and back-office support that would be cost-prohibitive to build independently.
5. Collaborative Network Effect: Bankers on the platform can collaborate on transactions, refer deals to each other based on sector expertise, and share buyer contacts, creating network effects that improve outcomes for all participants.
Not a Fit If
GT Securities' platform model may not be appropriate for:
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Sellers seeking traditional brand-name investment banks: Companies that value bulge bracket or middle-market brand recognition may prefer established firms with public profiles over a platform of independent bankers.
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Very small transactions below $5M TEV: The platform's bankers typically target lower middle market transactions where advisory fees justify the effort; micro-cap businesses may find independent consultants more appropriate.
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Highly regulated industries requiring specialized licensing: While GT Securities provides general broker-dealer services, transactions in highly regulated sectors (e.g., healthcare, fintech) may require bankers with specific regulatory expertise.
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Clients requiring extensive junior banker resources: Companies expecting large teams of analysts and associates for modeling, research, and due diligence support may find the lean independent banker model different from traditional banks.
Team
GT Securities is led by founding managing directors with long tenure in the securities industry:
David Kenneth Lavinsky - Managing Director (CRD# 4455040) Co-founder and owner of GT Securities with 25%+ ownership. Lavinsky founded the firm in 2001 and has overseen its growth from a traditional broker-dealer to a platform serving 225+ affiliated bankers. He also serves as a shareholder of Growthink, Inc., the parent company.
James Steven Turo - Managing Director & Chief Compliance Officer (CRD# 2083402) Co-founder with 25%+ ownership. Turo leads regulatory compliance and risk management for the platform, ensuring all affiliated bankers operate within FINRA and SEC requirements. His background in securities regulation enables the platform to scale while maintaining rigorous compliance standards.
Parent Company: Growthink, Inc. owns 75%+ of GT Securities. Growthink provides strategic planning and business development services, creating synergies with the investment banking platform.
The platform's 225+ affiliated bankers each operate as independent contractors rather than employees, bringing diverse backgrounds as former CEOs, founders, private equity professionals, and corporate development executives. This distributed talent model enables deep sector expertise without the overhead of a traditional employment model.
Geographic Coverage
GT Securities is headquartered in Los Angeles, California (12130 Millennium Drive, Suite 300, Los Angeles, CA 90094) and maintains no physical branch offices. The platform's affiliated bankers are distributed across the United States and internationally, enabling local market expertise without geographic constraints.
The firm is registered to conduct securities business in all 50 US states and territories, providing national coverage for clients. International transactions are facilitated through affiliated bankers with cross-border relationships and the platform's compliance infrastructure for multi-jurisdictional deals.
This virtual, distributed model allows GT Securities to serve clients in any geography while maintaining low overhead costs that can be passed on to clients in the form of more competitive fees or better banker economics to attract top talent.