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D.A. Davidson & Co. announced that it served as financial advisor to Urban Armor Gear, LLC (UAG), a brand leader in rugged protective cases for mobile devices, in its sale to Hammond, Kennedy, Whitney & Company, Inc. (HKW). HKW, a private equity firm founded in 1903, is focused on making investments alongside management in small to mid-sized growth-oriented companies.

Founded in 2011 with headquarters in Orange County, Calif., UAG’s brand and products are inspired by a sense of adventure and the great outdoors. The company’s protective cases are engineered to protect a broad spectrum of products such as smart phones, tablets and laptops from the hard knocks of a mobile lifestyle.

“We are grateful to have worked with the creative and disciplined management team at UAG on this exciting transaction,” said Joe Schimmelpfennig, Managing Director at D.A. Davidson. “UAG has positioned itself as a leader in the protective case category with its innovative and durable designs as evidenced by their category-leading growth and margins. We were always committed to finding the right partner for UAG, and it became clear early on that HKW could provide the vision and resources to enable the UAG management team to continue its pace of impressive growth.”

Management owners of UAG will also retain significant equity ownership in the company going forward.

D.A. Davidson’s investment banking division is a leading full-service investment bank that offers comprehensive financial advisory and capital markets expertise. The group has extensive transaction experience serving middle market clients worldwide across five industry verticals: consumer, diversified industrials, financial institutions, real estate and technology.

Together with its European strategic partner, MCF Corporate Finance, D.A. Davidson originates and executes transatlantic M&A transactions under the common brand of D.A. Davidson MCF International.

About D.A. Davidson Companies

D.A. Davidson Companies is an employee-owned financial services firm offering a range of financial services and advice to individuals, corporations, institutions and municipalities nationwide. Founded in 1935 and headquartered in Montana, with corporate offices in Denver, Los Angeles, Portland and Seattle, the company has more than 1,300 employees and offices in 25 states.

Subsidiaries include: D.A. Davidson & Co., the largest full-service investment firm headquartered in the Northwest, providing wealth management, investment banking, equity and fixed income capital markets services and advice; Davidson Investment Advisors, a professional asset management firm; D.A. Davidson Trust Company, a trust and wealth management company; and Davidson Fixed Income Management, a registered investment adviser providing fixed income portfolio and advisory services.