Chris Lawrence
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Hey Chris — similar path (IB → PE). been thinking a lot about proprietary origination in GP-led secondaries lately. would be good to connect.
Hey Chris, looks like we share a similar IB → PE path, though I was in London at CS & Greenhill not doing corporate finance at Arthur Andersen and secondaries at HQ Capital like you. origination was always the same story for me — clear thesis, decent relationships, but no proprietary system of record. the people, tools and ideas were never really connected. every deal virtually sourced from scratch, nothing compounding over time. curious if that's still how most funds operate or if I'm behind the times? — Russ
Hey Chris, looks like we came up through a similar IB → PE path, though I was in London doing growth equity deals at Treis not in Greenwich structuring GP-led secondaries like you. the pattern I keep seeing with most funds is weirdly consistent — strong thesis, solid network, but no proprietary system of record. the people, tools and ideas are never really connected. every deal virtually sourced from scratch, nothing compounds on itself. curious if that resonates or if you've built something different at Labyrinth? — Russ
hey Chris — no worries if the timing's off. most funds I talk to have tried some version of building origination in-house — analyst pulling from Pitchbook, maybe using ChatGPT to help qualify, dumping it into a spreadsheet. each piece kind of works, but there's no system of record tying it together. the people, tools and ideas are all disconnected, so there's tonnes of wasted energy and everything ends up out of sync. been helping a few funds like Mentmore work through that. curious if you've run into the same thing at Labyrinth? — Russ
totally get it if origination infrastructure isn't top of mind right now — most funds have 10 things ahead of it on the priority list. the funds I've seen crack it early just tend to compound deal flow in a way that's hard to replicate later. if it ever moves up the list, I'm easy to find. — Russ
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Prospect Research
## PROSPECT INFORMATION: Name: Chris Lawrence Title: Managing Partner Fund: Labyrinth Capital Partners Background: Chris Lawrence is the Founder and Managing Partner of Labyrinth Capital Partners, a firm based in Greenwich, CT, specializing in GP-led secondary transactions and liquidity solutions within the lower middle market. He has 28 years of experience in financial services and private equity, with a specific focus on "GP-led+" strategies that target high-quality private companies through complex or structured secondary transactions. Background: Prior to founding Labyrinth in December 2019, Chris spent 11 years at HQ Capital as Managing Director and Co-Head of Global Secondaries, where he helped raise and deploy over $1.5 billion. His career includes roles as an operating principal for angel-backed portfolios, a senior executive for a Warburg Pincus portfolio company (Elematics), and a deal leader at GSC Partners. He began his career at Arthur Andersen in Corporate Finance Services. He holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BBA in Accounting from Southern Methodist University. Key Skills: GP-led Secondaries, Private Equity, Venture Capital, Alternative Investments, Liquidity Solutions, Valuation, Due Diligence, and Portfolio Management. Recent Activity and Post Quotes: December 17, 2025: Shared a feature from Venture Capital Journal regarding Labyrinth’s “rifle-shot” approach. Quote: "As liquidity timelines stretch and GPs and other private market stakeholders seek more tailored solutions, the article explores how our strategy centers on asymmetrical opportunities where we can provide liquidity while maintaining disciplined exposure to high-quality private companies." September 19, 2025: Announced attendance at the Global Secondaries Summit in London. Quote: "At Labyrinth Capital Partners, we focus on bringing creativity and alignment to secondary transactions, and I look forward to exchanging perspectives with others driving innovation in the space." May 21, 2025: Published an op-ed in PE Hub discussing market supply. Quote: "At Labyrinth, our differentiated 'GP-Led+' approach to secondary investing allows us to uncover high-quality private market businesses—often hidden beneath layers of complexity." April 23, 2025: Discussed tariff uncertainty in a PitchBook feature. Quote: "At Labyrinth, we often find that this volatility can surface well‑priced opportunities—provided structure, shareholder alignment, and downside protection are in place." October 8, 2024: Announced the closing of Labyrinth's 10th transaction (Freedom 3 Capital tender offer). Quote: "This represents Labyrinth's 10th closed transaction and is a great example of how our team crafts structured private market solutions to provide liquidity for GPs and their LPs." June 24, 2022: Commented on the distinction between secondary types. Quote: "The blending of GP-Led and LP-Led investment strategies under 'secondary' can be confusing and misunderstood. While each strategy is compelling, they are different." Fund details: - Description: Founded in December 2019, Labyrinth Capital Partners is a private equity firm based in Greenwich, Connecticut. The firm provides bespoke capital solutions to a wide array of private market stakeholders including sponsors, private companies, shareholders, and limited partners. The firm's investment strategy is to create a diversified portfolio of private market assets through various acquisition techniques (GP-Led +) with a focus on generating money multiple with downside protection. - Website: https://labyrinthcapitalpartners.com/ - Location: Greenwich, Connecticut, United States - Lead qualification: Research: - Query: =Labyrinth Capital Partners Chris Lawrence recent investments fund thesis - Answer: Labyrinth Capital Partners, led by Chris Lawrence, focuses on GP-led secondaries and aims to provide liquidity solutions for general partners in private equity. The firm's fund thesis emphasizes leveraging institutional tools for portfolio management and liquidity.