Leveraged Finance Community Raises $3.1 Million for Innovative & Lifesaving Melanoma Research

NEW YORK, June 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The leveraged finance and private equity communities came together on June 14, 2023, for the 12^th annual Leveraged Finance Fights Melanoma (LFFM) benefit and cocktail party at the Museum of Modern Art. The benefit was attended by over 1,000 people representing approximately 100 firms and raised a record $3.1 million dollars to support innovative and promising melanoma research.

"I believe our industry understands the significant impact our support of cutting edge research, leading to groundbreaking advancements in immunotherapies that has changed the way cancer is treated," said Jeff Rowbottom, co-founder of the event. "Events like LFFM give everyone impacted by cancer – patients, survivors, and loved ones alike – hope that researchers will have the resources they need to continue to accelerate lifesaving research."

All proceeds from LFFM support the Melanoma Research Alliance, the largest and highest rated non-profit funder of melanoma research worldwide. MRA funded researchers have been behind every major advancement in melanoma research since 2007. Treatments first pioneered in melanoma are now being used to treat patients with over 30 other cancer types.

LFFM was founded in 2011 by Brendan Dillon (Veritas Capital) and Jeff Rowbottom (General Atlantic Credit), both who have had melanoma. Since then, it has raised more than $23 million to support lifesaving melanoma research.

The event was co-chaired by Clare Bailhé (MidCap Financial), Brendan Dillon (Veritas Capital), Kerry Dolan (Brinley Partners), Lee Grinberg (Elliott Management), Matt Manin (Apollo), Erwin Mock (Thoma Bravo), George Mueller (KKR), Geoff Oltmans (Silver Lake), Kevin Pluff (HPS Investment Partners), Jeff Rowbottom (General Atlantic Credit), Ian Schuman (Latham & Watkins), Cade Thompson (KKR), Trevor Watt (Hellman & Friedman), and Eric Wedel (Kirkland & Ellis).

Title Sponsors of this year's LFFM include Veritas Capital, HPS Investment Partners, General Atlantic, Kirkland & Ellis, Latham & Watkins, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, and Apollo/MidCap.

Presenting Sponsors include Fitch Ratings, Goldman Sachs, and White & Case. A full listing of LFFM sponsors is included below.

"With the help of the leveraged finance and private equity communities, we are making unprecedented progress in ending suffering and death due to melanoma," says MRA Chief Executive Officer Marc Hurlbert, PhD. "We still have a long way to go, but with the support of LFFM and our other donors we are making significant progress that gives patients and families more time and more hope."

LFFM 2023 Sponsors

TITLE SPONSORS
Veritas Capital
Kirkland & Ellis
HPS Investment Partners
General Atlantic
Latham & Watkins
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
Apollo | MidCap

PRESENTING SPONSORS
Fitch Ratings
Goldman Sachs
White & Case

PLATINUM SPONSORS
Allen & Overy
BMO Capital Markets
Davis Polk & Wardwell
Milbank LLP
Paul Singer Foundation
Shearman & Sterling
UBS Financial

GOLD SPONSORS
Bank of America
Barclays
Blackstone Credit
Blue Owl Capital
Brinley Partners
CVC Capital Partners
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher
Golub Capital
Hellman & Friedman
King & Spalding
KKR
Nancy and Howard Marks
Morgan Stanley
Network Financial Printing
New Mountain Finance Corporation
Oaktree Capital Management
Proskauer Rose
Ropes & Gray
Santander
Sidley Austin
Silver Lake
T.Rowe Price
TD Securities
The Carlyle Group
Thoma Bravo
Vista Equity Partners
Weil, Gotshal & Manges
Wells Fargo
GTCR
Jefferies
Lee Grinberg and Jennifer Corwin

PREFERRED SPONSORS
American Industrial Partners
Antares Capital
Ares Management
BC Partners
Benefit Street Partners
BNP Paribas
Brookfield Asset Management
Cahill Gordon & Reindel
Centerbridge Partners
Citi
Clarion Capital Partners
Clayton, Dubilier & Rice
Cravath, Swaine & Moore
Debevoise & Plimpton
Deutsche Bank
Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson
HIG Capital
HSBC Bank
Macquarie Group
Madison Dearborn Partners
Mizuho
MJX Asset Management
Oak Hill Advisors
Oak Hill Capital Management
Paul Hastings
Perella Weinberg Partners
Silver Rock Financial
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
Stephanie Teicher
Stone Canyon Industries
Stone Point
Sullivan & Cromwell
SVB Securities
Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
Willkie Farr & Gallagher

ADVOCATE SPONSORS
Angelo Gordon & Co.
Apax Partners
Capital One Bank
Crescent Capital Group
GoldenTree Asset Management
Goodwin Proctor
Guggenheim Partners
Natixis
OFS Capital Management
Shenkman Capital Management Inc.
Siris Capital Group
SpotMyUV
Stelios Saffos
Stonepeak Partners
SMBC
Warburg Pincus

Additional support was provided by L'Oréal Dermatological Beauty, SpotMyUV and Phaidon.

About Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA)
The Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA) stands as the largest non-profit funder of melanoma research. Founded in 2007 by Debra and Leon Black, MRA's mission is to end suffering and death due to melanoma by advancing the world's most promising science and research. MRA provides critical funding for melanoma cancer research that propels advances in prevention, diagnosis, treatment, metastasis, and survivorship. MRA-funded researchers have been behind every major melanoma research breakthrough. Since MRA's inception, more than 15 new therapeutic approaches for melanoma have earned FDA approval. MRA is recognized as one of the most fiscally efficient non-profits in the country. Because the Black Family generously underwrites 100% of MRA's administrative and operating costs, every dollar donated is invested directly into MRA's scientific and research program. For more information, please visit: www.CureMelanoma.org.

Media Contacts:
KWT Global
mra@kwtglobal.com 

Cody R. Barnett, MRA Senior Director of Communications
cbarnett@curemelanoma.org

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SOURCE Melanoma Research Alliance