Oberon Securities Research
Overview
Oberon Securities is a New York-based boutique investment bank specializing in sell-side and buy-side M&A advisory for middle-market companies. Founded in 2001 by senior professionals with extensive Wall Street experience, Oberon has established itself as one of the largest mid-market investment banking firms based in New York City. The firm maintains approximately 70 senior bankers dedicated entirely to serving privately held and closely held publicly traded businesses valued between $10 million and $500 million.
Advisory Approach and Thesis
Oberon's founding thesis centers on democratizing institutional-quality investment banking services for the middle market. The firm was founded with the singular purpose of becoming the "go to" investment bank for middle market business owners seeking M&A and financing solutions. Unlike most middle-market firms whose professionals are geographically scattered, Oberon concentrates its team predominantly in its midtown Manhattan headquarters, fostering deep collaboration, information sharing, and leveraging the full power of the entire Oberon network on client engagements.
Oberon's team members are predominantly drawn from senior positions at bulge-bracket firms such as Goldman Sachs and Bank of America, bringing an average of 15-30 years of Wall Street experience. This background, combined with deep dedication to the middle market, enables Oberon to deliver unmatched service and results. The firm emphasizes simplicity, creativity, speed, and relationship-oriented engagement, often generating long-term, multi-transaction client relationships extending 5-10 years.
Sector Expertise
Oberon maintains deep expertise across 13 major industry sectors with dozens of specialized subsectors:
Aerospace, Defense, Government & Security: Extensive experience with mid-market and growing defense contractors, including 8(a) enterprises. The team advises on strategic and financing transactions for autonomous platforms, C4ISR systems, detection technologies, PMC staffing, and weapons systems integration. Strong understanding of prime contractor relationships and government budgeting cycles.
Business Services: Works across business-to-business service models, outsourced solutions, and asset-light service companies. Expertise spans business process outsourcing, HR staffing, IT services, facilities management, inspection services, and staffing solutions.
Consumer & Retail: Comprehensive advisory on mergers, acquisitions, and capital raising across automotive aftermarket, food and beverage, health and beauty, luxury goods, apparel, e-commerce, restaurants, and recreational products. The team has completed numerous transactions helping consumer companies achieve strategic and financial objectives.
Data, Insights & Analytics: Partners with data-driven organizations recognizing the critical role of data monetization and scalable analytics platforms. Expertise spans market research, business intelligence, digital marketing analytics, predictive analytics, machine learning, social listening, enterprise feedback management, and AI-powered synthetic data solutions.
Energy & Natural Resources: Decades of commercial and technical experience in energy and resources. The team has advised on multiple capital structure financings for both asset and corporate transactions, with expertise spanning energy transportation, infrastructure, metals and mining, oil and gas exploration, oilfield equipment, power, midstream, and renewable energy.
Healthcare: Average of 20+ years investment banking experience in healthcare with 250+ completed M&A, capital raising, and strategic transactions. Expertise includes behavioral health platforms, contract manufacturing, distribution, digital health, home health services, healthcare staffing, laboratory services, managed care, physician groups, post-acute care, revenue cycle management, and telemedicine.
Industrials & Manufacturing: Extensive transaction experience across the industrial economy. Strong expertise in precision machining, contract manufacturing, building products, capital goods, construction, electrical equipment, environmental services, flow control, industrial technology, machinery, and metals. Experience includes cross-border transactions and deep understanding of industrial company strategies.
Real Estate, Lodging & Leisure: Comprehensive real estate investment banking across every major and niche asset class. The team has closed over $30 billion in transactions across industrial, multifamily, retail, office, hospitality, self-storage, senior living, data centers, gaming, and real estate technology.
Specialty Finance: Advisory services to the specialty finance ecosystem including auto finance, commercial banking, consumer lending, equipment leasing, trade finance, FinTech, insurance, litigation finance, merchant cash advance, specialty lending, student lending, and wealth management platforms.
Technology, Media & Telecom: Deep roots in TMT, which was the firm's initial focus. The team has successfully delivered financing and M&A solutions to emerging, private, and public technology companies. Expertise includes cybersecurity, enterprise software, financial technology, IT services, mobile technology, and telecom infrastructure.
Transportation & Logistics: Comprehensive experience across the transportation and logistics value chain. Expertise spans trucking (TL, LTL, drayage), aviation and MRO, air freight, cargo handling, rail equipment, and third-party logistics optimization.
Deal Track Record
Oberon has facilitated 83 completed deals (41 M&A transactions and 42 funding rounds) as of October 2025, with deal volume accelerating significantly. In the 2024-2025 period, the firm closed 30 transactions, up from 16 in the prior year. Recent representative transactions include:
- Vermont Mechanical sale to Grizzly MEP/Garnett Station Partners (2025): Exclusive sell-side advisor on the sale of a HVAC and mechanical contracting company to a growth-equity backed platform.
- Hudson Global and Star Equity Holdings merger (August 2025): Financial advisor to Star Equity Holdings on the acquisition of Hudson Global, a diversified holding company.
- Foresight Technologies acquisition by Sela Software Labs: M&A advisory on the acquisition of an IT services and technology consulting platform.
- Servotronics transaction (May 2025): Part of acquisition activity involving precision components and engineering services.
The firm's deal sourcing on Axial shows 145 transactions in market activity, demonstrating robust pipeline management and market presence. The geographic footprint extends across the United States and internationally, with the team maintaining relationships with strategic buyers and private equity investors globally.
Process and Engagement Model
Oberon's sell-side M&A advisory process emphasizes institutional quality and exhaustive buyer outreach. The firm provides comprehensive engagement support including:
- Senior banker attention from professionals with 15-30 years Wall Street experience
- Collaborative team approach ensuring full leverage of the Oberon network
- Confidentiality and exclusivity-based processes
- Quality of earnings support and due diligence management
- Management presentation coaching and data room preparation
- Buyer targeting and negotiation support
- Post-close integration support
For buy-side advisory, Oberon assists growth-oriented companies seeking acquisitions through target identification, valuation guidance, deal structure optimization, and financing coordination.
The firm also provides equity and debt capital raising services, leveraging relationships with institutional capital providers globally. The strategic advisory practice includes fairness opinions, restructuring support, and valuation services through affiliated entity Palladian Valuations.
Fee Structure
As a FINRA-regulated investment bank (CRD #132598), Oberon operates under institutional fee structures typical of middle-market M&A boutiques. While specific fee schedules are not publicly disclosed, the firm serves clients in the $10M-$500M TEV range and maintains traditional engagement models including retainers and success fees. The fee structure reflects Oberon's positioning as an institutional alternative to both large-cap bulge-bracket firms and smaller regional boutiques.
Team Composition
Oberon's management committee includes Adam Breslawsky, Elad Epstein, Nicole Schmidt, and Yoav Rekem, who lead the firm's strategic direction and maintain active client relationships. Senior investment bankers include Kelechi Wami (Managing Director), Andrew Silver (Managing Director, construction specialization), George Christian Hansen (28 years experience), Stephen Richard Levitan (27 years experience), Corey David Luskin (20 years experience), Robert Andrew Dressler (14 years experience), and Denis Cranstoun (8 years experience). The team represents a mix of experienced Wall Street veterans and professionals who have dedicated significant careers to middle-market advisory, fostering deep sector expertise and long-term client relationships.
Buyer Network and Relationships
Oberon maintains established relationships with a broad network of financial and strategic buyers including private equity firms, family offices, strategic acquirers, and international buyers. The firm's 30 completed transactions in 2024-2025 reflect diverse buyer universes across all transaction types. The team leverages these relationships to create robust buyer competition, which is central to achieving optimal outcomes for seller clients.
Competitive Positioning
Oberon differentiates through:
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Wall Street Heritage with Middle-Market Focus: Team from bulge-bracket firms (Goldman Sachs, Bank of America) but entirely dedicated to $10M-$500M companies—avoiding the conflicts of interest and deprioritization that large firms often impose on smaller deals.
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Deep Collaboration Model: Unlike geographically scattered competitors, Oberon operates from a unified Manhattan headquarters, ensuring maximum information sharing, relationship access, and institutional cohesion.
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Deep Sector Expertise: Thirteen focused industry practices with senior professionals who combine investment banking experience with operational backgrounds, sector research, and long-term relationship networks in their specialized sectors.
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Institutional Process Quality: Brings institutional-quality seller processes (comprehensive buyer outreach, management coaching, data room, legal coordination) to middle-market deals that often receive transactional treatment from larger firms.
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Long-Term Relationship Orientation: Strong track record of multi-transaction, 5-10 year client relationships, positioning Oberon as an ongoing advisory partner rather than a one-time transaction vendor.
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Speed and Simplicity: Emphasis on efficient execution, clear communication, and creative problem-solving without the bureaucratic overhead of large institutions.
Not a Fit If
Oberon is not the right fit for:
- Deals below $10 million transaction value (outside their core sweet spot)
- Pure asset sales or non-going-concern transactions
- Companies with significant pending litigation or regulatory challenges
- Clients seeking limited-process, single-buyer negotiations
- Highly specialized verticals outside their 13 core industry practices
- Public company M&A requiring massive equity research distribution
Geographic Coverage and Infrastructure
Oberon Securities is headquartered in New York City at 445 Park Avenue, Suite 4B. The firm maintains a concentrated, collaborative presence in Manhattan, ensuring senior banker availability and fostering the collaborative culture that differentiates Oberon. The geographic focus on NYC-based operations combined with national and international client relationships creates a hub-and-spoke model where senior expertise is concentrated while client coverage extends nationwide and globally.
Growth and Trajectory
Founded in 2001 with deep Wall Street roots, Oberon has grown to 70+ senior professionals and has become one of the largest NYC-based mid-market investment banking firms. The acceleration in deal volume (30 transactions in 2024-25 vs. 16 in the prior year) demonstrates strong momentum and expanding market presence. The firm's sustained growth, low turnover among senior professionals (many with 10+ year tenure), and consistent client relationship depth suggest a well-established, stable platform positioned for continued expansion in the middle-market M&A and financing markets.