Mergers & Acquisitions

Our Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) franchise is based on the foundation of providing differentiated, value-added advice and services to our clients on complex strategic decisions and transactions.

Our merger and acquisition professionals combine our extensive countrywide network with local industry insights to help you identify the right transaction for your organization, linking transaction strategy with business strategy.

We can assist you by assessing the strategic fit of a business by analyzing all aspects of a transaction, assessing the projected synergies, project managing the process, assisting in negotiations, financial modeling and assisting in assessing transaction implications. We can also help you move from private to public ownership and fulfill your fiduciary duties to shareholders, boards, partners and other stakeholders who need independent financial analysis.

We work with you throughout the transaction lifecycle, helping you to achieve your strategic objectives across acquisitions, disposals, management buy-outs, buy-ins, fundraisings, Initial Public Offerings, takeovers, mergers and strategic reviews.

BUY SIDE & SELLSIDE TRANSACTIONS:

There’s no substitute for an advisor who has the combination of in-depth knowledge of your industry and M&A tactics and strategies. If you’re anticipating selling your company or buying a business, our industry-focused professionals can provide invaluable insights.

We have experience helping potential buyers and sellers

  • develop and formulate M&A strategies.
  • identify, screen and initiate discussions with potential acquisition targets.
  • structure and negotiate transactions.
  • arrange acquisition financing

FAIRNESS OPINIONS

We help business owners, boards of directors, special committees and companies fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities—providing them with comprehensive analyses and independent, unbiased opinions about the financial fairness of pending transactions, including advice with respect to Rule 3 of the UK Takeover Code. Our intellectual rigor and wide-ranging financial expertise position us as a trusted advisor and advocate for clients worldwide.

We’ve been valuing companies and their underlying securities for decades, in some of the most complex situations, and in virtually every type of change-of-control transaction, including:

  • Affiliate and insider transactions
  • Related-party transactions
  • Spin-offs
  • Synergistic mergers
  • Transactions involving competing for offers
  • Down-round financings

LEVERAGED TRANSACTIONS

Our team’s interdisciplinary approach allows us to move quickly when evaluating the most effective way to address complex, highly leveraged situations. We employ our M&A expertise and knowledge of capital markets to navigate these situations, and we often assist in raising the capital necessary to complete these transactions.

GENERAL ADVISORY

We provide companies with an array of general financial advisory services, including a review of strategic alternatives and other short- and long-term programs to help enhance shareholder value. During our evaluation, we may review a company’s:

  • Portfolio of businesses
  • Capital structure
  • Dividend policy
  • Strategic alternatives
  • Other related issues

Often we play the role of a sounding board for the company, the management team, the board of directors or the independent committee as they fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities within public or private enterprise.

TAKEOVER DEFENCE

Often, retaining an advisor well in advance of a takeover offer is the best defence. We advise public companies that face takeover offers or activist shareholders who have expressed certain intentions toward the company. Our takeover defence specialists carefully analyse a company’s defensive profile.

Backed by our leading M&A and valuation practices, Houlihan Lokey is an excellent partner for companies confronting takeover defense issues, especially in this era of enhanced shareholder scrutiny and focus on corporate governance.