James L. Watts

Founder & CEO

Pacific Summit Capital LLC | Alexandria, Virginia
jwatts@pacificsummit.com | 949-433-2599

Jim began his career in Washington, DC as a Legislative Assistant for the U.S. Congress assigned to energy regulation. During that tenure he was the gate keeper for a natural gas deregulation bill worth $5 billion a year to the industry. He later became a registered lobbyist and lawyer representing the venture capital industry with a specialty in tax and securities. During his tenure in Washington Jim was a principal author of the Small Business Investment Incentive Act of 1980, amending the U.S. securities laws, where he worked with the SEC at both the staff and Commissioner levels as well as Members of Congress and with both Republican and Democratic Presidential Administrations.

As an investment banker Jim has built an advisory practice focusing on effective communication via written Valuations and Fairness Opinions. He has also been hired by major law firms to provide litigation support and expert witness testimony in high profile cases, both civil and criminal.

During his investment banking career, Jim’s transactional experiences have spanned the spectrum from raising funds for middle market companies to negotiating M&A transactions with Fortune 500 corporations. One buyout from a Fortune 50 company established the platform for Jim’s client to build a billion dollar net worth. Later the sale of a Newport Beach, CA technology company to a large corporation for restricted stock that attained a market value of more than $2 billion by the time the stock became freely trading. In another series of transactions, Jim managed the IPO of a Mexican food manufacturer and later joined their Board of Directors. Over the subsequent three years he managed several debt and lease financings and then ultimately negotiated the sale of the Company to Gruma Corporation, owner of the Mission Foods brand, for a 98% premium to the public market price at the time the sale was announced.

In 1995, Jim founded Pacific Summit Capital and subsequently purchased a Broker/Dealer which he operated until 2010 under the name Pacific Summit Securities. Jim continues his investment banking practice under Pacific Summit Capital.

Pacific Summit Securities earned the reputation as a leader in the PIPE (private investment in public entities) investment space. In 2004 PSS was ranked 77th out of 1129 placement agents nationwide for the number of PIPE deals completed and 123rd tor dollars raised. Subsequently the practice expanded into the oil and gas industry with transactional work with E&P companies in Texas and Colorado.

Jim’s strengths involve excellent communication skills with both the written and spoken word. He is comfortable in the Fortune 500 board room as well as in the entrepreneurial environment and relishes working with accomplished executives, entrepreneurs and their advisors. He is a tenacious competitor, a self-starter and a loyal team member.

Jim lives in Alexandria, Virginia from where he manages his national practice. Born and raised in Minot, North Dakota he remains in close contact there both personally with family and professionally with the oil and gas industry.

  • 20 plus years in senior investment banking positions
  • Washington, DC attorney
  • Former Legislative Assistant to the U.S. Congress
  • District of Columbia Bar
  • U.S. Supreme Court Bar
  • American Bar Association
  • Alexandria Bar Association

  • Securities Licenses

    • Series 7, Registered Representative
    • Series 24, General Principal
    • Series 27, Financial Operations Principal
    • Series 63, Multi-State
    • Series 79, Investment Banking
  • BA Economics, University of Wisconsin
  • MA International Economics, American University, Washington, DC
  • JD Washington College of Law
  • Current or past member of 10 Corporate Boards of Directors and of the National Association of Corporate Directors
  • Testified in Federal Bankruptcy Court in Denver, Colorado in the $159 million liquidation of the Schwinn Bicycle Company (cost of money expert)
  • Prepared Valuation of medical device IP and patents for Orange County, CA Bankruptcy Trustee
  • Represented Orange County Bankruptcy Trustee in the successful sale of IP for $5 million
  • Prepared Valuation of venture capital investment fund portfolio for presentation to Orange County Bankruptcy Trustee
  • Document preparation and testimony in a San Diego real estate foreclosure representing lender in a Chapter 11 case

For further information and / or a personal consultation contact Jim at 949-433-2599 or at jwatts@pacificsummit.com.