About Black Pearl Merchant Banking

Black Pearl Merchant Banking was established by Barry Freeman. Barry has spent his entire professional career working with middle market business owners across the country successfully authoring over 50 merger, acquisition, joint venturing and capital raising assignments representing over $5 billion in enterprise value. He started his career with Arthur Andersen in Minneapolis, Minnesota. While at Andersen, he earned his CPA designation conducting audits of middle market manufacturing, consumer product, and healthcare companies. While at Andersen, he was given an opportunity to join the Special Services Team that conducts transactional services including M&A due diligence, valuation, and investment banking services.

In 1996, Barry was recruited to join the boutique investment banking firm Goldsmith Agio Helms in Minneapolis. Over his 14 year tenure at Goldsmith, Barry was involved in several of the firm’s most notable and substantial transactions and was a key player in growing the firm’s position in the marketplace. He was selected as part of a team to launch the firm’s Chicago Office in 2000, and was instrumental in growing its local presence and transaction volume, eventually became head of the 12 person office. He co-chaired the firms food and agribusiness practice from 2002-2005. He was the youngest Managing Director and Partner elected in the firm’s history. In 2007, Goldsmith Agio Helms merged with Lazard Frères & Company, and was renamed Lazard Middle Market. Between 2007 and 2009, Barry led the healthcare services industry practice for Lazard Middle Market.

Barry is involved in a variety of industry and civic organizations. He is a past Board Member of the Chicago Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG). He is presently a founding board member at Earn Academy, a residential, tuition-free college preparatory high school seeking to serve urban young men in Chicago, and he is on the board of the Glen Ellyn Library Foundation.

Barry holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, with concentrations in accounting, finance and entrepreneurial management, and a Masters in Business Administration with High Honors from Chicago Booth. He is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive) in Minnesota.