LOS ANGELES, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Manhattan West, a modern, independent financial solutions company, has appointed Benjamin Vega to serve as General Counsel to the organization. A highly skilled attorney and negotiator, Vega will represent Manhattan West’s rapidly expanding business interests both domestically and globally.
A native Angeleno, Mr. Vega brings over 20 years of legal and deal-making experience to the organization, spanning the fields of private equity, mergers and acquisitions, finance, banking, gaming, media, professional sports, real estate and construction. He was instrumental in negotiating the acquisitions of the Power 106, KLOS, KLLI and KDAY radio stations in Los Angeles, the SLS Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, the National Bank of California in Los Angeles, the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks and the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes. Mr. Vega earned his BA from Harvard University and a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School.
“Among all of the candidates we considered, Ben stood out for his diverse business experience, his accomplished deal-making background and impressive academic resume,” said Lorenzo Esparza, CEO, Manhattan West. “Since inception, our charge has been to deliver bespoke solutions tailored to meet client needs – and that starts with human capital. We are thoughtfully assembling an elite team of business and financial professionals. Adding a colleague of Ben’s caliber is an important milestone for our company, our team and our clients.”
Mr. Vega will begin work immediately across all of Manhattan West’s key business lines, including the venture capital, real estate and private equity divisions. Previously, he served as General Counsel for the Meruelo Group, a multi-asset family office with holdings in casinos, professional sports franchises, media, construction and food service properties across the country. Prior to Meruelo, Mr. Vega was Senior Counsel at Sony Pictures Entertainment and Associate General Counsel for Ascent Media Group. Mr. Vega began his legal career with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP.
“When Lorenzo offered a view of where Manhattan West was headed as a top-tier financial solutions organization, I knew it was an opportunity I could not ignore,” said Mr. Vega. “The exceptional team on display is proof positive that Lorenzo has assembled a special group. Meeting them in person has only exponentially reinforced my belief. Together, we each play an integral role in delivering solutions specific to our clients’ needs all the while proving that our unique, multi-faceted value proposition to the marketplace will set new benchmarks.”
Launched just over five years ago, Manhattan West has experienced robust asset and revenue growth under the experienced guidance of Mr. Esparza, and will be announcing more strategic objectives, human capital additions, recruited financial advisors, and more in the weeks ahead.
Established in 2016, Manhattan West was launched by a group of financial professionals that departed J.P. Morgan. Immediately, a culture of financial innovation took root and the business has been evolving and advancing consistently for the benefit of our clients, ever since. In addition to offering asset management services to high net worth and ultra-high net worth clients and families, Manhattan West also provides insurance, business management and tax services. Today, clients have access to alternative investments in real estate, venture capital, private equity and private debt instruments. To learn more about us, please visit manhattanwest.com.
