Case Studies

Financial restructuring for a distressed firm and its significant counterparties is the process of “recontracting.” This involves significantly altering, replacing, or terminating key financial contracts for the purpose of rehabilitation. Most of these…

This case explores the use of advanced out-of-court restructuring techniques from the perspective of a company facing looming debt maturities and an overleveraged capital structure. The decade that followed the global financial crisis was characterized by…

In the fall of 2017, Beneficial State Bank, a triple bottom line community development bank serving areas of California, Oregon, and Washington, had completed its fourth successive year of normalized profitability while continuing to fulfill its mission…

This case explores the International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) creative and effective use of the private equity business model as a tool to mobilize financing for economic development around the world. In its bid to provide more capital for private…

This case assesses Actis’ optimal exit route for Umeme, a Ugandan electricity distribution company in their investment portfolio. Actis, a private equity firm that invests exclusively in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, had spent seven years substantially…

The case provides an overview and history of women in venture capital. The case examines the lack of funding that female entrepreneurs have had in the past. The case focuses on 4 women at venture capital firms: Sharon Wienbar (Scale VP), Joyce Chung…

This case describes the formation and operation of Leopard Capital, a “Frontier Market Private Equity Fund” from its establishment in 2007 up through the end of 2012. The case focuses on the fund’s founder, Douglas Clayton, and his history doing business…

Zephyr Management was founded in 1994 with the goal of specializing in emerging markets, both in marketable securities and private equity. Having decided to expand in Asia, it chose India as the best location for a global PE firm with its skill sets and…

It was the spring of 2010 and Cindy Padnos had just been named to Fast Company’s list of “The Most Influential Women in Technology in 2010.” Cindy had worked in the venture capital (VC) space for over a decade, launching her own firm, Illuminate Ventures…

This case describes the history of the International Finance Corporation’s Private Equity Investment Funds Group, which invests the IFC’s capital in private equity funds located in Emerging and Frontier Market countries. The IFC began investing in private…

The Global Environment Fund (GEF) is a private equity fund focused on investments in environmental and energy solutions in both developed and developing markets. The fund is currently examining the strategy of one of its portfolio companies–NEOgás, a…

This case describes the co-founders and leadership team of Asia Alternatives Management (“Asia Alt”), a private equity fund-of-funds focused on Asia, as they consider whether or not to invest in Vietnam. The case recounts the history of Asia Alt and its…

In 2007, Standard Chartered Bank, one of the largest financial institutions in the world, launched an African Private Equity Practice under a preexisting principal finance program. The case follows the head of the group, Peter Baird as he overviews the…