Walt Lipski is a nationally known figure in mergers and acquisitions of privately held companies. Walt has recently joined forces with his longtime associate David Ryan, under Upton Financial Group, serving California and Arizona and other states in the region with offices in Santa Rosa, CA and Scottsdale, AZ.

Prior to leading the expansion of Upton Financial into Arizona and founding Upton Financial Group – Arizona, Walt was founder and managing partner of Capital Advice LLC, an investment banking firm in Scottsdale, Arizona for 8 years, and managing partner of Fox & Fin Financial Group for 11 years.

Since 1980, Walt’s business career has focused on effecting corporate growth through a variety of financial solutions including business acquisitions and recapitalizations, capital formation and divestitures. Through Upton Financial Group Walt continues his focus serving entrepreneurs whose companies have $5-75 million in annual revenue.

Having founded his own energy control firm, serving the global hospitality industry, Walt brings an entrepreneur’s perspective to his investment banking transactions. In addition to startup funds, he raised several rounds of additional financing from private and institutional sources to support his company’s growth. Walt sold the company to a NASDAQ-listed corporation, which appointed him to its executive board. He subsequently helped this corporation acquire and integrate several more companies.

A popular and frequent speaker at professional meetings and conventions, Walt speaks on trends in business sales, growth through acquisition, and negotiating the M&A process. He is also a nationally recognized instructor who has authored educational seminars, webinars and workshops for M&A intermediaries and allied industry professionals.

Walt has held leadership positions in professional organizations including the chairmanship of M&A Source, the nation’s leading association of M&A intermediaries specializing in lower middle market M&A transactions. In 2006, he served as co-chair of M&A Source’s Strategic Initiative Task Force on Security Licensing, and was instrumental in the process leading to the SEC’s issuing of a recent landmark “CBI No Action Letter” that helped clarify when an M&A transaction falls under SEC regulation.

Walt graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas El Paso. He has earned a number of professional designations including Mergers and Acquisitions Master Intermediary (M&AMI) and Certified Business Intermediary (CBI). In addition, Walt holds series 24, 7, 79 and 66 securities licenses and is a licensed real estate broker in the State of Arizona.