Houlihan Lokey opened an office in Sydney, Australia, hiring an experienced local management team to lead the firm’s expansion in the country.

The firm’s Sydney office will be jointly led by Nicholas Rowe, Oscar Ludwigson and David Tozer, all of whom have worked together over several years while at ABN AMRO, RBS, and CIMB Securities and have significant expertise in M&A, capital markets, and financial restructuring.

Operations will initially focus on advising clients on corporate finance and restructuring matters, although the firm will eventually offer clients its full suite of products and services across its four main businesses, comprising corporate finance, financial restructuring, financial advisory services and strategic consulting.

With the opening of the Sydney office, Houlihan Lokey and its affiliates now operate 21 offices globally, with a substantial presence in the United States, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

“Following the success of recent Australian mandates in our Corporate Finance and Financial Restructuring businesses, we came to the conclusion that there is a growing need for experienced, independent advisors, the resources of a global platform, and access to unique alternative capital pools,” said Scott Adelson, co-president of Houlihan Lokey. “The management team we have assembled in Australia has decades of experience in both traditional corporate finance advisory as well as restructuring and other special situations, and we are confident that their breadth of experience, combined with the firm’s comprehensive service offering, will be tremendously beneficial to our clients in Australia. We’re delighted that Nick, Oscar, David, and their colleagues have chosen to spearhead our expansion in this critical and exciting market.”

“The financial services industry is more global than ever, particularly with respect to the abundance of new financing solutions now available to clients,” said Rowe. “Houlihan Lokey combines independent advice, a global footprint, deep industry knowledge and, perhaps most important, critical expertise in accessing these forms of alternative capital—a combination that is nearly unmatched among its peers. We’re excited to become a part of the organization and lead the firm’s growth in Australia.”

“The cultural fit with Houlihan Lokey has been immediate. Considered, creative, and client-focused advice, underpinned by a firm-wide commitment to professionalism and integrity, make Houlihan Lokey a perfect firm for us,” said Mr. Ludwigson. “There have been some seismic shifts in the investment banking landscape since the global financial crisis, and we believe we can best serve our clients as part of an institution that is focused solely on providing independent advice. Houlihan Lokey provides an attractive alternative in corporate finance, capital markets, and restructuring, and we could not be happier to join this firm and bring new perspectives and insights to its Australian clients,” he continued.