Houlihan Lokey, the global investment bank, has agreed to acquire Waller Helms Advisors, an independent advisory firm that provides investment banking services to clients in the insurance and wealth management sectors. The transaction was signed on Aug. 6, 2024. The deal is expected to be completed before Dec. 31, 2024, following regulatory approvals.
Waller Helms’ nearly 50 financial professionals, including 13 managing directors, will join Houlihan Lokey’s financial services group. James Anderson, CEO of Waller Helms, will join as a managing director and global co-head of the financial services group alongside Jeffrey Levine, global head of financial services. In addition, John Waller and David Helms, co-founders of Waller Helms, will also join as managing directors to further support and enhance the firm’s coverage efforts for its clients across the financial services sector. The acquisition adds financial professionals in Chicago, New York, Miami and the greater Atlanta area.
“The addition of this talented group of bankers is highly complementary to our financial services platform, adding meaningfully to our current coverage capabilities across numerous subsectors within insurance and wealth management,” Levine said. “On a combined basis, the group is now the number one advisor to clients in the insurance and wealth management sectors. We are delighted that the Waller Helms team is joining Houlihan Lokey, and I look forward to partnering with James to lead the new team, now comprising nearly 100 financial professionals.”
“As we discussed a possible combination, it became clear that Houlihan Lokey shares our dedication to deep sector expertise and more importantly, a fierce dedication to client success,” Anderson said. “It is this cultural compatibility and client-first ethos that makes this combination so compelling, and we’re excited to work with our new colleagues at Houlihan Lokey and continue delivering superior outcomes to clients.”
“The addition of the Waller Helms team is exemplary of our desire to provide our clients with the greatest depth of sector expertise in the midcap space, alongside our market-leading private capital expertise, extensive relationships among financial sponsors, and other services,” Larry DeAngelo, global co-head of corporate finance, said.
“Over the past ten years, we have built a talented and passionate team and have had the honor to assist incredible, best-in-class clients on industry-leading transactions,” Waller said. “Houlihan Lokey is the ideal home for our team and clients to thrive for years to come.”
“The strength of Houlihan Lokey’s global platform and our shared philosophies on collaboration and attracting and developing the best talent in the industry has us truly excited about our collective opportunity,” Helms said.
“We have known the Waller Helms team for many years, and their long track record of success in financial services advisory is truly impressive,” Jay Novak, global co-head of corporate finance. “We look forward to introducing our new partners to our global client base as we continue to grow and enhance our service offering in corporate finance.”
