Our Team

OUR TEAM

Some of The Best People in the 1031 Exchange Industry Here to Serve You.

The sponsors with which we work manage billions of dollars in real estate and investment property transactions. We’re real estate investment leaders who have extensive knowledge regarding tax strategies that seek to deliver superior risk-adjusted returns. Now we’re here to support you with expertise and personalized service, every step of the way.

Breakwater Capital has successfully performed hundreds of 1031 exchanges for our clients.

Team

View Josh’s credentials with BrokerCheck

PRESIDENT & CEO

Josh Chapin

Josh has an extensive background in financial planning, specializing in unique investments and tax planning concepts most investors are unaware of, or do not have traditional access to.

Since founding Breakwater Capital, Josh has developed a diverse and valuable expertise working with both high-net worth individuals and successful small business owners. He has performed over 200 seminars on 1031 Exchanges, Alternative Investing and various other high-level investment concepts. Fundamental to the success of Breakwater Capital, Josh employs a common-sense approach to complex strategies while always putting clients’ interest first.

His ultimate goal is to deliver thoughtful advice with a highly personalized experience. Josh combines his passion for building long-term relationships with the sophisticated strategies of Breakwater Capital to allow his clients to navigate the uncertainty of today’s investment & tax climate.

Josh currently resides in Newport Beach, CA. Outside of work, he is an avid golfer, enjoys new experiences through travel and is involved in numerous charitable & industry organizations.

Licenses: Series 7, Series 6, Series 63, Series 65, SIE, Life & Health

 
 

Our

Specialists

Exchange Coordination

Debbie Bannister

Certified Exchange Specialist

Debbie Bannister, Debbie has always understood the value of “treating people the way you would like to be treated.” For 18 years she lived in Northern California, where for many years she was the manager in the accounting department of U.C. Davis. She and her husband moved back to Southern California in the late 1990s, where Debbie found work in the escrow industry. Debbie is one of the country’s foremost educators on 1031 Exchanges to real estate agents, attorneys, tax specialists, financial planners, and related professionals. Debbie is a Certified Exchange Specialist; as a CES designee, she possesses a high level of knowledge and experience and continually demonstrates the desire to stay current with anything affecting 1031 Exchange code, Deferred Exchange Treasury Regulations, or related tax law developments. Debbie lives in Orange County where she enjoys hiking, going to the beach and spending time with family and friends.

Naomi Booker-Abawag

Operations Manager

Naomi grew up in San Diego and was working toward a teaching degree when she took an administrator position. The work was so engaging that she stayed with the company and today, she is responsible for banking, an important task involving separate exchange accounts for each client.  Naomi is very dedicated to her craft and clients, “We all help each other to help the clients. Everyone genuinely cares about them. Whether we’re holding $50,000 or $5 million for them, they’re all equal in our eyes.” She enjoys cooking, music, learning, and spending time with her husband and their son.

Taylor Pennington

Exchange Administrator

Born and raised in Southern California, she has worked in various areas of the real estate industry since 2003. She is a people-person and loves that Breakwater gives her the opportunity to interact with clients, and enjoys helping them understand the 1031 process. Her main goal is working through any challenges that come up and making it an overall enjoyable experience for the client. In her free time, she enjoys music, the outdoors, photography, and spending quality time with her 3 children and dog.

Monique Wilson Kaiser

Senior Exchange Administrator

Monique grew up in Southern California and began working in the title escrow industry in 1989, switching to 1031 Exchanges in 1996. She now deals mostly with commercial transactions, assisting clients in finding ways to use exchanges to their best advantage. A self-described “people person”, Monique especially enjoys helping people prepare the way for a successful and happy retirement and developing friendships with her colleagues and clients. In her spare time, she loves spending time with their grandkids and golfing with her husband.

Holistic Business Planning

Adam Bar

CLF, Strategic Planning

Adam is a Serial Entrepreneur, Investor, and Bestselling Author. After winning the title of Mr. Israel, he immigrated to the US and started a career in the financial industry after a devastating injury that left him unable to speak for months. He was recruited by one of the largest financial institutions in America and led a successful team with a Fortune 50 company for nearly a decade.

Adam is the author of the Amazon Bestselling book ‘Unleash your Financial Powerhouse’ and host of the Podcast Uplifters which Is focused on an integrated approach to gaining power over money and transform business and financial knowledge and the relationship with money management and investments.

John Reed

Advanced Insurance Planning

John helps implement and maintain advanced wealth/business protection and transfer strategies for our most valued clients. He has consulted with over 190 Premium Finance cases resulting in +$1.9B of coverage and +$350M of financed premiums. He currently serves on the Finance Committee for the city of Newport Beach, CA and is a graduate of University of Cincinnati where he studied for his BS/MS in Aerospace Engineering and MBA. He is an avid reader, competitive sailor, and international traveler.

Mayer Nazarian

JD, MBT, Advanced Tax Strategies

Mayer is a tax attorney uniquely trained with top regional and national tax firms. He combines a unique combination of accounting and legal expertise to assist our business owner clients in developing optimal tax strategies at all stages of their company’s lifecycle, from formation and operation to sale or dissolution.

David Blaine

Cost Segregation & Valuation

Davis Blaine, Chairman of both Mentor Securities LLC and The Mentor Group Inc., is expert in the accounting, tax, and financial aspects of acquisitions, recapitalizations, valuations and appraisal. He has frequently lectured and written on technical valuation issues. Mr. Blaine has counseled many clients on buying, selling, or raising capital. In addition, he has prepared companies for public and private investment, strategic partnership, and joint ventures.

Adam Gauthier

JD, Trust & Estate Planning

Mr. Gauthier worked for several years in the retirement investment industry before going to law school to become an estate planning attorney. Mr. Gauthier started his own solo-practice in estate planning in 2009. He focuses on assisting clients with a variety of unique circumstances, including traditional revocable living trusts, non-citizen estate plans (QDOTs), foreign assets, business interests, revocation and/or amending existing estate plans, forming LLCs for real property interests, spousal property agreements, uncontested probate and trust administration, and special needs trusts for clients throughout California.

Shana Leon

Employee Benefits

Shana works with small to large group segments and assists with marketing, underwriting, rates and renewals. She uses her vast knowledge to deliver exceptional services throughout the consultation process including benefit analysis, enrollments and annual renewals. She is responsible for designing appropriate plans, educating employees and providing critical follow up service.She holds a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and Criminology, a Master’s in Public Administration and a Master’s in Criminal Justice from Boston University.

CREATIVE & MARKETING​

Mike Cloutier

Marketing Director

For over 10 years, Mike Cloutier has been instrumental in helping to connect consumers with the solutions offered by Joshua Chapin and his team at Break Water Capital. His role is to proactively identify financial happenings that might impact the lifestyle of our local families and communicate that messaging to educate them of their options on getting their financial situation reviewed by our top experts.

ON THE EDGE OF® Studio

Branding Agency

On The Edge Of® is an award-winning branding studio based out of Los Angeles and New York City. They partner with entrepreneurs to launch industry-defining startups and elevate existing brands by blending smart strategy with dynamic visual design. OTEO® clientele spand a wide range of industries, including: Business & Finance; Real Estate; Fashion & Beauty; and Healthcare/Medicine.
On The Edge Of® has earned a reputation for treating clients as partners; maintaining long-term relationships and continuing to keep brands relevant in an ever-changing commercial landscape. Reach them at OTEO.co or at (323) 412-7000.

Due Diligence & Compliance (Emerson Equity)

Dominic Baldini

Founder, CEO, COO

Mr. Baldini founded Emerson Equity in 2003 and brings more than 20 years of expertise to the firm. His unique combination of experience as an attorney, chief compliance officer, financial and operations principal, and investment advisor enables the firm to better service their clients and manage the vital operational functions of the business in-house. Mr. Baldini holds FINRA series 4, 7, 24, 27, 53, 55, 63, 65 and 79 Licenses.

Kathleen Morrissey

chief operating officer

As Emerson Equity’s chief operating officer, Kathleen Morrissey oversees the management of products on the firm’s platform. She also provides trade and sales support. Kathleen’s credentials include 20 years of senior level experience at Bank of America Investment Services, Citicorp Investment Services, Dean Witter, Pershing/Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette and the N.A.S.D. She obtained a Bachelor of Science from Saint Mary’s College of California and holds FINRA series 7, 24, and 63 licenses.

Matt Larson

Chief Business Officer

As Chief Business Officer, Matt Larson focuses on developing new opportunities within Emerson Equity, while managing internal compliance and due diligence processes. Before joining Emerson Equity, Matt worked as an attorney focused on intellectual property and corporate matters and served as an equity analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. Matt received his BS in Physics and Psychology from Furman University, his JD from the University of Southern California, is a CFA charter holder and holds FINRA series 7, 24 and 66 licenses.