Brazil Transactions Insights – Summer 2023
Sep 04, 2023
by Bob Bartell, CFA, Josh Benn, Alexandre Pierantoni

Bob Bartell, CFA, is Managing Director and President of Kroll Corporate Finance and CEO of Kroll Securities, LLC. He’s also a FINRA registered broker/dealer. Bob joined the firm in 1997 and specializes in a broad array of corporate finance advisory engagements, including fairness opinions, solvency opinions, M&A advisory, financial restructurings, ESOP formations, shareholder disputes, financial due diligence, strategic advisory and debt advisory.
Watch the video to discover how Kroll’s M&A Advisory and Investigations teams helped a family company sell their business through constructing a robust financial projection model to attract lenders and investors.
Bob has extensive experience in cross-border M&A transactions. He expanded the firm’s European Corporate Finance practice while working at the firm’s London office, during 2008-2010, through a combination of acquisitions and strategic hires. Bob was instrumental in opening the firm’s Corporate Finance branches in Brazil, China and India. He has advised on a number of going-private transactions involving UK, Chinese, French, Canadian and Brazilian companies listed on public stock exchanges. Before joining Kroll, Bob worked in the commercial banking department at BMO Harris.
Bob holds an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a B.S. in agricultural economics from The University of Illinois-Champaign. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Charterholder and holds the FINRA Series 7, 79, 24 and 63 licenses. Bob is currently a member of The Economic Club of Chicago, The Executives Club of Chicago and The Chicago Commonwealth Club. He has also completed the eLearning executive leadership program (LEAD) at Stanford University’s GSB.
From 2015 through 2020, Bob volunteered as a member of the board of directors of Camp Kesem, a nationwide community, driven by passionate college student leaders, that supports children through and beyond their parent’s cancer. Bob also serves on the committee of the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois for the Middle Market Open charity event and the committee for the Lurie Children’s Hospital charity event.
A few of Bob's financial advisory client engagements include:
Duff & Phelps Opinions is a global leader in Fairness Opinions and Special Committee Advisory, ranking #1 for total number of global fairness opinions for full year 2022 and the past 10 years, according to Refinitiv cumulative data from 2013-2022.
M&A advisory, restructuring and insolvency, debt advisory, strategic alternatives, transaction diligence and independent financial opinions.
Dedicated coverage and access to M&A deal-flow for financial sponsors.
Duff & Phelps Opinions is a global leader in Fairness Opinions and Special Committee Advisory, ranking #1 for total number of U.S. and global fairness opinions over the past 10 years, according to Refinitiv cumulative data from 2013-2022.
Advisory on capital structure, interest rate, and the other economic terms of debt securities.
#1 ranked provider of fairness opinions for boards of directors and special committees.
Duff & Phelps Opinions practice helps boards of directors and special committees formed by boards fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities when considering many corporate transactions. In 2018, Duff & Phelps acquired Kroll and unified under the Kroll brand in 2020.
Kroll's Corporate Finance ESOP/ERISA practice is a leading corporate finance and valuation advisor to companies and ERISA fiduciaries.
Kroll’s Transaction Advisory Services platform offers corporate and financial investors with deep accounting and technical expertise, commercial knowledge, industry insight and seamless analytical services throughout the deal continuum.
Kroll professionals have advised hundreds of companies, investors and other stakeholders at all stages of distressed transactions and special situations.