Houlihan Lokey Announces Two Transactions That Significantly Expand European Capabilities

Key Terms

capital structure financial

Capital structure is the way a company finances its operations and growth by using different sources of money, such as borrowed funds (loans or bonds) and owner’s equity (investments from owners or shareholders). It’s like a recipe for baking a cake, where the balance of ingredients affects the final product's strength and taste; similarly, the mix of debt and equity influences a company's stability and risk. For investors, understanding a company's capital structure helps gauge how risky it might be to invest or lend money.

structured finance financial

Structured finance is a way of turning a group of financial assets — like loans, mortgages, or receivables — into new investment products by pooling them together and slicing that pool into pieces with different levels of risk and return. For investors, it matters because these products can offer higher yields or tailored risk exposure than plain stocks or bonds, but they can also hide complexity and sensitivity to the underlying assets’ performance, so understanding what you own is key.

liability management financial

Liability management is a company’s plan for handling its debts and obligations—such as refinancing, repaying, or reshaping payment terms—to reduce cost and risk. Like reorganizing household bills or refinancing a mortgage to lower monthly payments, it matters to investors because it affects a firm’s cash flow, creditworthiness and the likelihood of meeting obligations, which in turn can influence stock and bond values.

Controlling Interest in Audere Partners Establishes Houlihan Lokey as a Leading Advisor in France

Mellum Capital Transaction Expands Capital Solutions Into Real Estate Capital Advisory

LOS ANGELES & LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI), the global investment bank, today announced two strategic transactions that further strengthen its European platform and expand its capabilities across its global Corporate Finance business.

The firm has signed an agreement to secure a controlling interest in Audere Partners, a prominent French corporate finance firm currently operating under the Natixis Partners brand. This transaction significantly enhances Houlihan Lokey’s presence in France and positions the firm as one of the country’s premier mid-cap-focused advisory platforms.

Additionally, Houlihan Lokey has acquired the real estate capital advisory business of Mellum Capital, with operations in Munich and London. This follows the firm’s recent expansion into infrastructure debt advisory in the region, further expanding the range of clients the firm can support across the capital structure.

“Over the past decade, our growth in Europe has been driven by a clear focus on delivering exceptional outcomes for clients through a truly differentiated offering,” said Scott Adelson, Chief Executive Officer of Houlihan Lokey. “Our ability to combine global reach and deep sector expertise with unparalleled access to alternative capital has enabled us to support clients with solutions few others can match. The breadth of expertise that the Audere Partners and Mellum Capital teams bring, together with the strong cultural alignment we share, further enhances that offering. We are incredibly excited to expand our presence in Europe as we continue helping clients achieve their most important objectives.”

“These transactions are important milestones in the ongoing development of our European business, which has become one of the largest and most successful in the region,” said Phil Adams, President of Houlihan Lokey, Europe. “France is a key market, and in Audere Partners, we have found a team with outstanding expertise, an excellent market reputation, and a strong cultural fit. The addition of the Mellum Capital team further expands the breadth of our capital solutions offering and enhances our ability to deliver high-quality, tailored advice across the real estate sector. These investments reflect both the momentum behind our EMEA business, which now numbers approximately 550 financial professionals, and our commitment to continuing its growth.”

Audere Partners is renowned for its market-leading expertise in French mid-cap advisory, mainly serving financial sponsors, entrepreneurs, and family-owned businesses. Its senior leadership will all join Houlihan Lokey, including Patrick Maurel, who built and led the founding team of Audere Partners; Boris Picchiottino; François Rivalland; Nicolas Segretain; Bruno Stern; and Ludovic Tron. They will be accompanied by the other seasoned professionals who contributed to Audere Partners’ success.

Following this transaction, which will add more than 50 new finance professionals to Houlihan Lokey, the firm’s French team will number around 80 in total.

The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2026. Upon closing, Audere Partners will be integrated into Houlihan Lokey and operate under the Houlihan Lokey brand.

Founded in 2021 as a spin-out from Brookfield Financial, Mellum Capital advises financial institutions, investors, and corporates on equity investments, debt placements, structured finance, liability management, and strategic advisory in the real estate sector. Founding Partners Heinrich Hauss and Markus Reule have joined Houlihan Lokey as Managing Directors in the Capital Solutions Group to lead the firm’s Real Estate Capital Advisory offering in Europe.

The Mellum Capital business has been fully integrated into the firm under the Houlihan Lokey brand, with a total of 11 professionals having joined the firm. The activities of Mellum Real Estate GmbH, the real estate brokerage subsidiary, are not part of the acquisition and remain under original ownership.

About Houlihan Lokey

Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI) is a leading global investment bank recognized for delivering independent strategic and financial advice to corporations, financial sponsors, and governments. With uniquely deep industry expertise, broad international reach, and a partnership approach rooted in trust, the firm provides innovative, integrated solutions across mergers and acquisitions, capital solutions, financial restructuring, and financial and valuation advisory. Our unmatched transaction volumes provide differentiated, data-driven perspectives that help our clients achieve their most critical goals. To learn more about Houlihan Lokey, please visit HL.com.

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Source: Houlihan Lokey, Inc.