Mike oversees merger, acquisition, valuation and corporate finance projects. He is responsible for corporate development and project management.

Active in advising both buyers and sellers of privately held businesses since 1986, he has represented companies in many diverse industries. Mike has a particular expertise in representing companies where a large publicly traded company is the buyer.

Mike has prepared financial opinions addressing the value of common and preferred stock, various debt securities, the fairness of certain transactions, and value of a wide variety of intellectual property including software, trademarks, patents and relationship assets.

He has prepared opinions for a variety of purposes including corporate dissolutions, estate and gift tax matters, employee stock ownership plans, acquisitions and divestitures, and purchase price allocation.

Mike began his professional career at Arthur Young & Company, (Ernst & Young) in the audit practice. He has held a number of senior financial and operational management positions in both public and private enterprises. His experience encompasses a wide variety of industries including manufacturing, logistics, casino gaming and hotel operations, the oil and gas industry, MCO resources, FNC (ASE:MCR), retail, construction and consumer products.

He received his undergraduate degree from California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, and became a certified public accountant (CPA) in 1981. He is accredited in business valuation by the AICPA (ABV). Mr. Ellington is a Certified Director (CD) by UCLA/The Anderson School of Management.

He holds Series 7, 63, 24 and 27 Securities Licenses.

He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He is also an active member of the Association for Corporate Growth, Alliance of Merger and Acquisition Advisors, The Los Angeles Venture Association and a member of the Board of Directors of Ernst & Young Alumni Association, Los Angeles Office.

Mike resides as a member of the Board of Directors for the following firms, In-Three Inc., and Bay Cites Container Corporation. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for the philanthropic Make-A-Wish Foundation, Los Angeles, California chapter.

Chris brings to SEG and its clients over 15 years of financial advisory and investment banking experience. He has extensive expertise in structuring and negotiating transactions across a wide variety of industries, and has prepared financial opinions addressing the value of common and preferred stock, various debt securities, intangible assets of all types, the fairness of certain transactions, and the value of a wide variety of non-traditional types of assets.

Prior to joining SEG, Chris was the director of financial opinions for Pacific Corporate Group, a private equity advisory firm, and spent over five years with Marshall and Stevens, Inc., a national valuation firm. He has also held positions as a commercial loan analyst for a major southern California S & L, and various positions in the insurance, advertising, and retail industries.

He is past president of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Young Entrepreneurs Organization, and has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Long Beach in the Finance Department. He has spoken before various groups of attorneys, accountants, and business owners.

Chris earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from California State University, Northridge, and his MBA with a Finance concentration from the University of Southern California. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation, and is an Accredited Senior Member of the American Society of Appraisers (ASA).

Lloyd Gilbert joined Strategic Equity Group in 2005.  He provides corporate finance and investment banking services to middle market companies preparing for a sale, acquisition or equity or debt financing.  He has experience in a number of different industries including technology, consumer goods, entertainment, business services, healthcare and basic materials.  Clients, both public and private, typically have revenue up to $100 million.  Strategic Equity Group has offices in Los Angeles and Orange County and its affiliate, Edgewater Capital, is a member firm of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

Prior to joining Strategic Equity Group, Lloyd was a Vice President at Koffler & Company, an investment bank located in Los Angeles providing merger and acquisition advice to middle market companies.  He also spent two years assisting technology companies as the Director of a business incubator based at UCLA, and eight years originating, underwriting and syndicating bank debt at Citicorp.

Lloyd earned his Master of Business Administration degree with a concentration in Finance from the UCLA Anderson School of Management and his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Johns Hopkins University. Lloyd has graduated from UCLA's Director Training and Certification Program and holds NASD Series 7, 28 and 63 Securities Licenses.