West Lane Partners Names Charles E. Corpening Chief Investment Officer and Managing Partner

May 07, 2025 at 11:30 AM EDT

--News Direct--

West Lane Partners announced the appointment of Charles E. Corpening, a private equity executive with more than three decades of experience in middle market private equity and special situations, as Chief Investment Officer and Managing Partner.

Mr. Corpening joins Deryck A. Palmer, founder and managing partner of West Lane Partners, and the firm’s stellar investment team. In his role as Chief Investment Officer, he will oversee the firm’s investment strategy, identify new opportunities, and guide portfolio construction and performance for control and non-control middle market investments, in collaboration with like-minded investors or strategic partners. He will focus on attractive businesses that are underperforming or in need of restructuring, rehabilitation and/or refinancing to realize their full economic potential.

“Charles is a heavy hitter in the middle market who has enjoyed enviable success acquiring and investing in undervalued companies,” noted Mr. Palmer. “His leadership of our outstanding investment team will buttress our approach of blending value investment with a meticulous focus on risk management during both the underwriting process and our ownership.”

“Joining forces with Deryck, one of the nation’s preeminent restructuring advisors and attorneys, creates a unique approach to address seemingly intractable middle market special situations,” Mr. Corpening said. “This exciting combination of capital and counsel will deliver true value to our partners through our deep restructuring and financial prowess. In these unpredictable times, we provide a trusted, experienced, and skillful hand to lead middle market businesses out of spiraling complexity and guide them safely home.”

Drawing on his private equity background, Mr. Corpening brings deep experience partnering with management teams to drive value creation and accelerate growth through a range of strategic initiatives, including reinvestment in capital expenditures, new product development, targeted add-on acquisitions, and joint ventures. He has a particular strength in identifying and executing strategies that unlock potential in businesses facing financial, operational or structural challenges, with a focus on the industrial, financial, healthcare, and technology sectors.

“The combination of Charles’ experience and West Lane’s unique approach to middle market special situations is incredibly powerful,” said Mr. Palmer. “His track record in private equity - providing capital, delivering value, and partnering with strong management teams - is a perfect match for our mission. We’re excited for Charles to help expand our investment team and continue attracting world-class talent to West Lane Partners.”

About Charles E. Corpening

Before joining West Lane Partners, Mr. Corpening was Senior Managing Director and Head of Investments Team for Ariel Alternatives and Project Black. Prior to that, he founded Joshua Partners, a firm dedicated to middle market private equity opportunities. Earlier in his career, Mr. Corpening was a longtime partner with Citigroup Venture Capital (CVC), with $10 billion in assets under management, and was a senior partner in the Industrials effort for Court Square Capital Partners, with $8 billion in assets under management. Mr. Corpening’s experience also includes roles as a private equity executive with The Rockefeller Group and Roundtree Capital. He began his career in investment banking at PaineWebber, working in the M&A and Merchant Banking groups. Mr. Corpening has served with distinction on numerous public and private company boards. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

About West Lane Partners

West Lane Partners is a private equity firm whose senior leadership has over 150 years of collective restructuring and private equity experience working with underperforming, stressed and distressed companies across a range of industries in both large cap and middle market companies. In addition to providing capital, the firm combines decades of restructuring, private equity, legal and financial expertise to collaborate with management in developing and executing bespoke solutions that deliver mutually beneficial outcomes.