Legacy team
Your partners
We have a shared history of working across the ABL spectrum from the largest national and international financial institutions to regional lenders and entrepreneurial startups.
We don't focus on us or what we're like—we just know how to help businesses turn their assets and ideas into powerful, attractive opportunities for liquidity, to make the most of the resources they've built up, and to accomplish their goals.
Meet the Legacy team
Clark D. Griffith
Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer
- 23 years ABL experience
- GE Capital, Hana Business Capital (founder), Encina Business Credit (now Eclipse Business Capital), White Oak ABL
- San Diego State and Columbia University
Paul E. Martin
Co-founder & Chief Investment Officer
- 26 years ABL experience
- Core/NewStar Business Credit (co-founder), Rise Line Business Credit (co-founder), HSBC, Shawmut Bank ABL, Bank of Boston ABL
- Babson College BSBA and MBA
Clark D. Griffith
Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer
Clark started his ABL career in 2000 when he joined GE Capital out of Columbia University, where he’d earned an MA in international finance and banking. He progressed from GE’s Global Risk Management Group to the firm’s Capital Markets Group, then to a portfolio and underwriting role at GE Commercial Finance and an ABL sales originations position. Fast forward to 2013, and Clark, who studied Japanese language as an undergrad and graduate student, had become head of structured finance at GE Capital Japan and an officer of General Electric Japan.
With GE’s later disposition of most of its financial service businesses worldwide, Clark supported the wind-down of GE Japan’s Structured Finance unit, then returned to the US as founder and president of Hana Business Capital, the ABL division of top-10 US factoring lender Hana Financial. Clark later joined Encina Business Credit (now Eclipse Business Capital) as head of west coast originations and then White Oak Global Advisors, where he executed special-situation asset-based loans for White Oak ABL. Clark has deep expertise in asset-based lending, leveraged finance, mergers & acquisitions, and real estate.
The creation of Legacy Corporate Lending is the culmination of Clark’s career-long path as an innovator and leader in asset-based lending—where Legacy’s deeply experienced team is applying all they’ve learned about what makes transactions successful for both lenders and borrowers.
In those rare moments when Clark is not working to fund and support Legacy clients, he and his family work their spread in east Texas, where they are developing a herd of high-end Wagyu cattle.
Paul E. Martin
Co-founder & Chief Investment Officer
Paul is one of the most experienced asset-based lenders in the country not only in his record of crafting thousands of loans for businesses of all sizes—but also in innovating lending platforms that are tailored for the needs of borrowers. He was co-founder and senior managing director of credit for Rise Line Business Credit, a lower-middle-market ABL firm based in New York City, and co-founder and chief credit officer of Core Business Credit, a middle-market ABL platform based in Dallas that later became NewStar Business Credit and subsequently was acquired by Sterling Bancorp.
Paul was also chief credit officer at HSBC Bank USA and, earlier, head of credit, portfolio and operations for Shawmut Bank of Boston’s ABL unit and division head of asset-based lending at Old Stone Bank in Providence, RI. He began his lending career as a field examiner at Bank of Boston after earning his MBA at Babson College in Massachusetts.
Paul has been an active member of the Turnaround Management Association, Secured Finance Network (formerly the Commercial Finance Association), and the Association for Corporate Growth. Paul’s expertise has made him a sought-after expert witness in cases relating to credit and the ABL industry.
Carlos Acedo
Vice President of Finance
- 8 years ABL experience
- White Oak Commercial Finance, Wells Fargo, Raymond James, Citigroup
- University of Tampa BS and MS
Mckenzie Cagle
Collateral Analyst
- CheckpointID (MRI Software)
- Sam M. Walton College of Business, University of Arkansas
Margaret Ceconi
EVP Portfolio & Underwriting
- 30 years ABL experience
- Eclipse Business Capital, GE Capital, Heller Financial, Stout
- University of Southern Mississippi
Donna C. Dawson
Senior Director of Operations
- 28 years ABL experience
- LiveOak Bank, Citibank ABL, Square 1 Bank/Pacific Western Bank
- Amberton University
Anthony DiChiara
MANAGING DIRECTOR, ORIGINATIONS
- 29 years ABL experience
- Gibraltar Business Capital, Wachovia Capital Finance, Merrill Lynch Capital, Heller Financial, Fleet Capital
- University of Notre Dame
Ian Ditthavong
Credit Analyst
- 2 years ABL experience
- Six Kind, Basique
- Pepperdine University
Neal Mulford
EVP PORTOLIO & UNDERWRITING
- 30+ years ABL experience
- White Oak Commercial Finance, AloStar Capital Finance, Regions Business Capital, CIT Corporate Finance
- Berry College
Dave Smith
Managing Director
- 20 years ABL experience
- Citi, Chubb
- St. Lawrence University
Sean Spring
EVP Portfolio & Underwriting
- 30+ years ABL experience
- UMB Capital Finance, Banc of California, Union Bank of California, Ares Management, First Capital, Wells Fargo Foothill, Bay View Financial
- San Diego State and Pepperdine Graziadio Business
Margaret Ceconi
EVP Portfolio & Underwriting
Margaret is a seasoned asset-based lender with more than three decades of experience across portfolio management, restructuring, underwriting, and credit/risk analysis. Her expertise extends to originating, structuring, and optimizing the financial performance of portfolios with complex credit facilities ranging from $5 million to $500 million.
Beginning her career as a field examiner at Heller Financial, Margaret later served as SVP and regional manager of GE Capital’s Capital Funding group. As a workout lender and turnaround consultant, she excels in managing problem loans, providing debtor-in-possession (DIP) facilities, and facilitating company liquidations, both within and outside of the bankruptcy process. Her industry expertise spans diverse sectors including oilfield services, manufacturing, distribution, retail, mining, aerospace, and industrial contractors/construction companies.
Margaret serves on the NOW (Network of Women) Committee of the Turnaround Management Association. She has been actively engaged with the Secured Finance Network (formerly the Commercial Finance Association), holding positions including president and treasurer. She is also involved with the Association for Corporate Growth, where she chaired the ACG Women’s Forum for three years. She is the founder of the Women’s Finance Exchange (a financial services networking organization) in Houston and Dallas.
Margaret holds a BSBA in accounting from the University of Southern Mississippi.
Donna C. Dawson
Senior Director of Operations
Donna’s experience in asset-based finance spans nearly three decades across management, operations, and collateral monitoring. Most recently, she served as senior portfolio analyst at Live Oak Bank, and before that, Donna held collateral and operations roles at Citibank ABL, Square 1 Bank, Newstar Business Credit, CIT, Capital TempFunds, Guaranty Bank, and Fidelity Funding.
At Legacy, Donna ensures that all new and existing transactions are maintained in compliance with our operations management guidelines and credit policies for the benefit of both Legacy and our clients.
Donna’s experience, rigorous standards, dedication to mentoring others in the field, and client-centric approach have earned her a stellar reputation in the commercial finance industry—and recognition by ABF Journal as one of the “Top Women in Specialty Finance” in 2024.
Donna holds a BS in human relations and business from Amberton University.
Anthony DiChiara
MANAGING DIRECTOR, ORIGINATIONS
Anthony’s roots in commercial lending go deep. After graduating from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in accounting, Anthony started his career as an auditor with Ernst & Young—where his largest audit client turned out to be Transamerica Commercial Finance. He was later approached by one of the leading ABL lenders in the market at the time, Fleet Capital Corporation, which was looking to add to its field examination team.
At Fleet Capital, Anthony quickly progressed into an underwriting role and then managed a portfolio of both ABL and cash flow accounts. He then moved on to Heller Financial to help build out a new ABL portfolio management effort. After Heller’s acquisition by GE Capital, Anthony was recruited to help grow the then newly-formed Merrill Lynch Capital.
As the private credit world emerged and bank regulation increased, Anthony saw an opportunity to apply his creativity to serve borrowers in the non-bank ABL space and joined Gibraltar Business Capital as their first ABL salesperson, playing a significant role in their growth. Seeing a similar opportunity with a new platform, in 2023 Anthony joined the Legacy team.
Ian has been with Legacy Corporate Lending since its inception. As an early-career finance professional, he has learned ABL from the ground up, assisting with many aspects from assessing asset risks to client relations. Ian’s entrepreneurial spirit sets him apart and helps energize both his internal and client-facing pursuits at Legacy. Previous experience includes an internship in the medical concierge field and work at a fashion consultancy.
Ian holds a BS in economics from Pepperdine University.
Neal Mulford
EVP PORTOLIO & UNDERWRITING
Neal’s experience includes 30+ years with both bank and non-bank ABL operations including CIT Corporate Finance, Regions Business Capital, AloStar Capital Finance, and White Oak Commercial Finance. Beyond ABL, Neal’s experience includes cash flow lending (at Heller Financial), mezzanine financing (Chatham Capital), public accounting (McGladrey and predecessor) and private industry (LaRoche Industries).
With such experience across many aspects of commercial lending (including not only underwriting but also business development, portfolio management and field exams), Neal deeply understands the needs of middle-market businesses as they evaluate, acquire and deploy financing. At Legacy, Neal oversees structuring, underwriting, and closing transactions with a perspective that is always client-centric.
Neal holds a BS in accounting from Berry College.
Sean Spring
EVP Portfolio & Underwriting
Sean has more than 30 years of asset-based lending experience. He has underwritten, closed, and managed hundreds of transactions in support of refinancing, growth, recapitalizations, acquisitions, turnarounds, and debtor-in possession credit facilities.
Before joining Legacy Corporate Lending, Sean held positions at UMB Capital Finance, Banc of California (where he was head of their asset-based lending product), Union Bank of California, Ares Management, First Capital (as regional portfolio manager), Wells Fargo Foothill, and Bay View Financial, where he founded and managed the syndicated loan group.
Sean has been a board member of SFNet (Secured Finance Network) Southern California. He holds a BA in economics from San Diego State University and an MBA from Pepperdine University.
Carlos Acedo
Vice President of Finance
Carlos’ experience includes 15 years in asset-based lending, derivatives, and fixed income capital markets. Before joining Legacy Corporate Lending, Carlos served as VP of Financial Planning and Analysis at White Oak Commercial Finance, where he also underwrote, closed, and managed transactions supporting the growth, recapitalizations, refinancing, acquisitions, and turnarounds of a variety of businesses. He previously held positions at Wells Fargo, Raymond James, and Citigroup. He is a member of the Carolinas chapter of SFNet (Secured Finance Network).
Carlos holds a BS in economics and finance and two master’s degrees, in finance and in accounting, from The University of Tampa.
Mckenzie Cagle
Collateral Analyst
Mckenzie ensures that all new and existing transactions are maintained in compliance with Legacy’s operations management guidelines and credit policies. Before joining Legacy, she was a team lead in the MRI Real Estate Software CheckpointID Product Division. She began her career at CheckpointID as an intern in accounting, reporting, and account setup.
Mckenzie holds a BSBA from Sam M. Walton College of Business, University of Arkansas.
Dave has more than two decades of asset-based lending and restructuring experience, primarily focusing on large-cap and upper-middle-market clients. Dave started his career at Citi on the credit side, working with real estate, lodging, and home builder clients during the great financial crisis. He later moved to the Asset Based & Transitional Finance group within Citi’s Debt Capital Markets division, where he was head of portfolio management for the $9 billion ABL book, and then moved to the origination side where he was the ABL lead for the retail, autos and technology, media, and telecommunications sectors.
With his diverse background, Dave has a proven record of providing creative solutions to clients in difficult situations including rescue and restructuring financings. Dave joined in Legacy in 2024 to focus on helping clients navigate exactly these kinds of challenging situations.
Dave holds a BA degree from St. Lawrence University.