LOS ANGELES, Oct. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Levine Leichtman Capital Partners ("LLCP"), a Los Angeles based private equity firm, today announced that Lee Stern has joined as a Managing Director and dedicated member of the credit strategies investment team.

Mr. Stern joins LLCP from Kohlberg, Kravis & Roberts ("KKR"), where he was a founding member of KKR's private mezzanine fund.  Mr. Stern will be based in our New York Office and brings over 30 years of investment banking, private equity and leveraged finance experience to our team.

"Lee has successfully invested in numerous middle market transactions throughout the past several decades," said Arthur Levine, LLCP's co-founder. "His expertise and leadership will be an asset to our Firm and instrumental in our effort to expand our product offerings in the middle markets.  We are delighted to welcome Lee to our team."

Prior to joining KKR, Mr. Stern was a Managing Director at Blackstone/GSO Capital Partners where he was responsible for the origination, execution and monitoring of private debt transactions including senior and mezzanine investments, and equity co-investments.  Prior to Blackstone/GSO, Mr. Stern was a founding member and the Chief Transaction Officer of TICC Capital Corp, a publicly traded BDC, where he managed a six person investment team. Mr. Stern has previously held Managing Director positions at Nomura Merchant Banking, Kidder, Peabody & Co., Inc. and Drexel Burnham Lambert.  Mr. Stern received a B.A. degree from Middlebury College and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

About Levine Leichtman Capital Partners

Levine Leichtman Capital Partners is a Los Angeles, California-based investment firm that manages approximately $5.0 billion of institutional investment capital through private equity partnerships, distressed debt and leveraged loan funds. LLCP has offices in Los Angeles, New York, London, Dallas and Chicago. LLCP is currently making new investments through Levine Leichtman Capital Partners IV, L.P., Levine Leichtman Capital Partners Deep Value Fund II, L.P., and Levine Leichtman Capital Partners SBIC Fund, L.P. For more information about Levine Leichtman Capital Partners, please visit http://www.llcp.com  

SOURCE Levine Leichtman Capital Partners