Erin Griffith

In case you've been hibernating since Groundhog day, here’s a rundown of February’s 11 biggest private equity news stories. Get them after the jump...

Here's a look at the last week's worth of scoops, data, and analysis from the peHUB team. Catch up on what you missed before it goes behind our paywall... All First Reads | All Second Opinions Reid Hoffman Explains Putting His Angel Days Behind Him Why VC Bloat is Bad for Everyone Yelp Gets Sued for "Extortion" Q&A on Navigation Capital's Smart Grid Roll-Up One (Tech Analyst) Parent on Google's Buzz and Keeping Her Kids Safe Online SecondMarket Goes Illiquid in Asia Are Bankers' "Bizarre" Choices Spoiling the IPO Market? Fundraising Updates: Snow Phipps, Baird, Northern Trust, Thayer Hidden Creek, Rockland, Maranon Mezz Processing Computer Science DAG Ventures Hits $500m Target Dumb Terminals, Redux Cell Phone Recycler Rings Up Some Cash Intel Announcement: Much Ado About Nothing Blackstone Q4 Earnings: "One Way or Another" PE Pro Turns to Banking Citibank Blocks Bank Account of Gay Social Network Tom Perkins Tells Off Washington (Today, for Some Reason)

Romancing the Stone, On Wall Street. The curling stone, that is. (Dealbook) Media Crit: The Journal is getting more sensationalist every day. (Felix Salmon) Meet the New Pit Bull: A choir boy battles Wall Street. (BusinessWeek) The Secretive Steven Cohen: Bloomberg enters his inner circle with an incredibly long feature on the head of SAC Capital. (BW) Blackstone's Killer Whale: The Seaworld tragedy isn't good for its PE owners, either. (Crain's)

Madison Dearborn has been raising its sixth fund for just about as long as I’ve been at Thomson Reuters. But unlike my career (knock on wood), Madison Dearborn Capital Partners VI LP is approaching its close. According to a source familiar with the situation, the Chicago-based buyout firm is planning a final close in April, […]

As usual, we have a week’s worth of ratings actions on the debt of LBO-backed companies by Moody’s Investors Service Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services. Company: Rafaella Apparel Group Sponsor: Cerberus Capital Management LP Action: S&P lowered its corporate credit rating on Rafaella to 'CC' from 'CCC' and its issue-level rating on the senior secured notes to 'C' from 'CCC-'. Highlight: The company commenced a modified Dutch auction tender offer to purchase up to 51% of its outstanding 11.25% senior secured notes due 2011.

In recent weeks, PE pros have lamented that, since the FDIC imposed its stringent set of rules for bank buyouts, none have happened.  But a total and complete drought is not necessarily the case. Yesterday, TPG’s David Bonderman (in a rare public appearance) slammed the FDIC for causing more banks to fail by not making […]

Breaking Up: Are VCs no longer brothers in arms? Palm Reading: Enthusiasm around the palm phone hasn't exactly translated into sales. (Reuters) That's a step down... Would Jon Corzine, the former CEO of Goldman Sachs and former New Jersey governor, really join CNBC? (HuffPo) Taking on the B-School Boys Club: Interest in business programs is growing at women's colleges. (BusinessWeek) How Tos: The art of the meet-and-greet. Tapping the "hidden job market" through informational interviews in the world of finance (FINS)

Ten Wall Street Blogs to Bookmark Now: Oh, list articles of "top finance bloggers." These have been done, and often, but this one is by the Wall Street Journal, meaning it's important. (And no, peHUB is not on it, which I'll attribute to the fact that we were disqualified, being owned by Reuters.) (WSJ) Ready for Governor Cuomo? The latest NYT hit piece on Governor Patterson may be his final undoing, ushering in the Cuomo era for Democrats... (Politico) And Here's Something Interesting: Why liberals and atheists are more intelligent. (Reason, via Naked Capitalism) Really? Goldman Sachs needs to really just stop talking. Same with its former CEOs. Jon Corzine just said the reason everyone hates the Wall Street "vampire squid" that profited from its government bailout (etc etc etc) is because, "When you're successful, it brings envy." As Tina Fey would say: Pay close attention to the following over-the-top eye roll. (rolls eyes) Oh, brother. (Bloomberg)

Many a finance professional works his way up the investment banking ladder in hopes of one day transitioning into a career in private equity. Larry DeAngelo has done exactly the opposite of that, leaving his post as a Partner at Roark Capital to head up the financial services M&A group at Suntrust Robinson Humphrey. DeAngelo's exit from the Atlanta-based buyout firm was reported here in mid-January. He left the firm based on Roark Capital's decision to move away from financial services investing, which he specializes in. DeAngelo had joined the Atlanta-based firm in 2005 to lead its financial services investments.

Blackstone Group President Tony James channeled a little Blondie in this morning’s media call in Blackstone’s Q4 earnings report. The PE mogul’s positive outlook was underscored by caution on things like fundraising and exits, saying, “One way or another,” Blackstone will find what it’s aiming for. (No mention of “getcha getcha getcha,” unfortunately.) Looking at […]