Houlihan Lokey Advises Title Guaranty of Hawaii

Houlihan Lokey is pleased to announce the acquisition of a majority interest in Title Guaranty of Hawaii, Inc., (Title Guaranty) by Fidelity National Financial, Inc. (Fidelity). The transaction was signed on June 23, 2017, and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2017.

Founded in 1896, Title Guaranty is the oldest and largest title and escrow company in Hawaii, providing real estate closing services to clients island wide, as well as underwriting services to title providers throughout the Unites States. Title Guaranty consists of two operating legal entities: Title Guaranty Escrow Services (TGES) and Title Guaranty of Hawaii (TGOH). Title Guaranty's core business segments include commercial and residential re-sales, commercial and residential refinances, and developer first sales transactions. Title Guaranty has more than 300 employees in branches statewide.

Fidelity is the nation's largest title insurance company through its title insurance underwriter subsidiaries—Fidelity National Title, Chicago Title, Commonwealth Land Title, Alamo Title, and National Title of New York—that collectively issue more title insurance policies than any other title company in the United States. Fidelity also provides industry-leading mortgage technology solutions and transaction services, including MSP®, the leading residential mortgage servicing technology platform in the U.S., through its majority-owned subsidiaries, Black Knight Financial Services and ServiceLink Holdings. Fidelity was founded in 1847 and is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida.

The transaction represents an expansion of Fidelity's title and escrow businesses in Hawaii and further enhances the long-standing strategic and financial partnership between the two firms. The Pietsch family, the founders and current owners of Title Guaranty, will continue to manage the company and retain an ownership interest. Title Guaranty's name will remain the same.

Houlihan Lokey served as the exclusive financial advisor to Title Guaranty and assisted in initiating, structuring, and negotiating the transaction.