Houlihan Lokey Advises The Valence Group

Houlihan Lokey is pleased to announce HLMZ Holdings Limited (dba The Valence Group) has agreed to be acquired by Piper Sandler Companies (NYSE:PIPR). The transaction closed on April 3, 2020.

The Valence Group is the premier independent M&A advisory firm exclusively focused on the global chemicals and materials sector. Headquartered in London and New York, The Valence Group was founded in 2007 by a group of senior Bear Stearns chemicals bankers. The Valence Group has since grown to more than 25 bankers and has advised on a combined transaction value of $50 billion, including the largest chemicals LBO on record and the largest European LBO in the past 10 years. The Valence Group's global client base encompasses the world's largest chemical companies in addition to key multistrategy and specialized financial sponsors.

Piper Sandler is a Minneapolis, Minnesota-based investment bank and securities firm, serving corporate and institutional clients across industries and service lines. Piper Sandler was created through the acquisition of Sandler O'Neill + Partners, L.P., by Piper Jaffray Companies in January 2020. Piper Sandler will offer The Valence Group an expanded network of relationships with financial sponsors, additional capital markets capabilities, and coverage of adjacent industries, including oil and gas, energy, healthcare, and industrials.

The Valence Group's entire team will join Piper Sandler to lead a new chemicals coverage group, with co-founder Peter Hall becoming Piper Sandler's Head of European Investment Banking. The acquisition will significantly expand Piper Sandler's European footprint, add synergistic industry coverage and drive continued scale in Piper Sandler's M&A advisory business.

Houlihan Lokey served as the exclusive financial advisor to The Valence Group and assisted in initiating, structuring, and negotiating the transaction on its behalf. This transaction further strengthens Houlihan Lokey's clear leadership position in advising investment banking boutiques and related advisory firms, while also highlighting its continued momentum across the financial services sector.