Merit Investment Bank and Company, a leading Boutique Investment Bank focused on serving middle-market technology-forward companies, is pleased to announce that Tracy Albert and David M.V. Barnes have joined the Company as Vice Chairman and Managing Director, respectively in the company’s Los Angeles office.  

Mr. Albert and Mr. Barnes worked together previously at Houlihan Lokey, where Mr. Albert founded Business Forums International (BFI), and Mr. Barnes was the original architect of the Financial Sponsor Coverage Group.  

Mr. Albert is responsible for the senior planning and strategic direction of the company, directing the expansion into several key industry verticals including Intelligent Infrastructure (Robotics, Automation, AI), Renewable Energy, Tech-Enabled Services and Manufacturing, SaaS, and eCommerce/CPG.  

Mr. Barnes will continue to cultivate and execute M&A and financing opportunities via his vast network of relationships with private equity funds, family offices, independent sponsors, and founder-owned businesses.  

“We are thrilled to bring back together these two senior investment banking executives with such great track records of success working together. As industry veterans, both Tracy and David bring a wealth of experience and deep knowledge to Merit Investment Bank with careers spanning more than three decades. Mr. Albert has built a vast network of business contacts and close personal relationships across a broad spectrum of industries, while Mr. Barnes has a proven ability to build and monetize relationships in the private equity and family office universe. David and I first worked together from 1993-96 at Coopers Lybrand Securities (now PWC) and then again at JD Ford & Company from 2014-2016. I am excited to be collaborating with him again,” said Joseph Durnford, Chairman of Merit Investment Bank. 

“I am incredibly excited to join the team here at Merit Investment Bank to leverage my contact base and build upon the great work they have done as an award-winning boutique investment bank,” said Tracy Albert.  

“It is an honor and a pleasure to partner again with Tracy Albert to replicate the success we had at our prior firm and build the west coast presence of Merit Investment Bank into a powerhouse,” said David Barnes. 

Prior to joining Merit Investment Bank, Mr. Albert was the Head of the Western Region for Deloitte Corporate Finance. Mr. Barnes most recently executed an unprecedented Buy & Build strategy in the PV solar industry, creating Lumio, the fourth largest PV solar company in the country.  

Mr. Albert has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California. Mr. Barnes has an MBA from the Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA and a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University. 

About Merit Investment Bank:

Merit Investment Bank is a leading Boutique Investment Bank focused on serving middle-market technology-forward companies. Merit Investment Bank executes sell-side M&A, buy-side M&A, and capital advisory services with specific emphasis on the technology, software, consumer, telecom/ wireless, and manufacturing / Industry 4.0 sectors. In addition, Merit Investment Bank offers other Investment banking services such as debt and equity capital raises, restructuring advisory services, business valuations, and project financing through its subsidiary, Merit Investment Bank Securities, member FINRA / SIPC, a full-service Broker-Dealerlicensed in 50 states