ACG South Florida and Holland & Knight Present: 2026 Private Equity Update

John joined RSM in 2005, he provides advisory services to private equity firms and their portfolio companies including due diligence investigations, pre- and post-transaction planning, tax consulting, and tax compliance. He has extensive tax experience with publicly held and privately held corporations in the business services, health care, industrial and consumer product industries.

Aaron serves as the chair of Holland & Knight's national Private Equity practice. Mr. Slavens is a corporate attorney who represents both public and private companies, including private equity funds, strategic investors and founders. His practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, including public and private acquisitions, dispositions, co-investments, joint ventures and other general corporate matters.

In addition, Mr. Slavens represents both insureds and underwriters in connection with transactional risk products, including the issuance of representations and warranties insurance policies.

Hidden Harbor Capital Partners is a private equity firm which helps create business success stories by building teams focused on execution. Hidden Harbor has assets under management of more than $2 billion. 

Andrew is a member of the Investment Committee and is responsible for all key aspects of the investment process including sourcing, transaction execution and portfolio company oversight.  In addition, Andrew leads the investment team, including oversight of hiring, training, and developing the members on the investment team.

Alex Rattner, Esq., is a Managing Director of Mary Street Capital, with over a decade of experience in investment banking, legal, and business advisory roles. As a trusted advisor, Alex has worked with business owners and entrepreneurs across various industries and sectors to lead sell-side investment banking engagements, mergers and acquisitions, debt financing and dividend recapitalizations, capital raises, and strategic advisory initiatives. 

Before joining Mary Street, Alex served as a Director at Cross Keys Capital, where he led middle market sell-side mergers and acquisition engagements and supported business owners through complex business transactions totaling over $625 million in transaction value. He also held roles in both legal and financial services, providing strategic guidance on litigation, operations, and strategic advisory services. His diverse background across law and investment banking enables him to bring a well-rounded perspective to solving business challenges, maximizing value and enhancing outcomes for his clients. 

Alex is an honoree of the 2019 Finest Awards and is highly regarded for his business acumen and strategic thinking. He is also actively engaged in the local professional community and has advised early-stage ventures. He is also on the Board of Directors of Florida Foster Care Review, a non-profit that supports the foster care system in Miami-Dade. 

He earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Miami School of Law, where he graduated with honors, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Florida’s Warrington College of Business. 

Casey is responsible for sourcing, evaluating and structuring new investment opportunities within AEP. Casey served as the Director of Capital Strategies at Capitala Investment Advisors and joined the firm in 2013, opening its Fort Lauderdale office. Casey was responsible for cultivating relationships with current and prospective investors across a variety of Capitala-sponsored investment products and strategies. In addition, Casey focused on origination and sourcing for Capitala nationally. Previously, Casey worked for Hamilton Lane Advisors, where he co-led the investment activities of the Florida Growth Fund, and was a member of Hamilton Lane’s Fund Investment Team. Prior to Hamilton Lane, Casey worked with Wilshire Associates, a general investment consulting firm for institutional clients worldwide. Casey is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in Finance.