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Houlihan Lokey Continues Expansion of Global FinTech Platform With Key Hire

Andrew Atherton Joins FinTech Group as a Managing Director

SAN FRANCISCO — August 5, 2024 — Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI), the global investment bank, announced today that Andrew Atherton has joined the firm’s FinTech Group as a Managing Director. Mr. Atherton is based in San Francisco and will cover multiple FinTech sectors as well as FinTech-adjacent enterprise software companies, working closely with his colleagues in both the FinTech and Technology groups to ensure seamless coverage across the firm’s client base. 

Alec Ellison, Global Head of FinTech at Houlihan Lokey, said, “We are absolutely delighted to have Andrew join our leading FinTech Group and add to our coverage capabilities in this dynamic sector. His depth of market knowledge is matched only by his breadth of transaction experience and industry relationships. In addition, his experience and relationships in adjacent software sectors such as governance, risk, and compliance, which reside in both FinTech and Technology, will provide highly relevant complementary expertise. We look forward to integrating him into our global team as we continue to expand our ability to deliver superior outcomes for companies and investors in the FinTech and technology sectors.”

Mr. Atherton joins from Union Square Advisors, where he was a Partner advising on a broad range of M&A transactions, private capital financings, and strategic advisory assignments for clients across the FinTech and enterprise application software sectors. His prior experience also includes roles in RBC Capital Markets’ Technology Investment Banking Group and Goldman Sachs’ Special Situations Group.  

“Houlihan Lokey’s blend of sector knowledge, private capital expertise, and market relationships across the financial sponsors’ universe has helped establish the firm as the premier investment banking advisor to clients in the mid-cap space, and its deep commitment to client success lies at the heart of its corporate culture,” said Mr. Atherton. “I’m excited to join a firm that shares my own client-centric philosophy, and I look forward to continuing the excellent track record that the FinTech and Technology teams have established at Houlihan Lokey.” 

Houlihan Lokey’s FinTech Group covers the entire spectrum of the global financial technology sector, pairing deep end-market expertise with dedicated senior-level financial professionals across every vertical of FinTech. In 2023, Houlihan Lokey was ranked as the No. 1 M&A advisor for all global FinTech transactions with 15 deals* and as the No. 1 M&A advisor for all global technology transactions with 89 deals.**

*PitchBook Data, Inc.
**LSEG (formerly Refinitiv).
Excludes accounting firms and brokers.


Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI) is a global investment bank with expertise in mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, financial restructuring, and financial and valuation advisory. Houlihan Lokey serves corporations, institutions, and governments worldwide with offices in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region. Independent advice and intellectual rigor are hallmarks of the firm’s commitment to client success across its advisory services. The firm is the No. 1 investment bank for all global M&A transactions, the No. 1 M&A advisor for the past nine consecutive years in the U.S., the No. 1 global restructuring advisor for the past ten consecutive years, and the No. 1 global M&A fairness opinion advisor over the past 25 years, all based on number of transactions and according to data provided by LSEG (formerly Refinitiv).

For press inquiries, contact PR@HL.com or +1 212.331.8225.