Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) has announced a significant expansion of its European footprint, securing a controlling interest in the French mid-cap advisory firm Audere Partners and acquiring the real estate capital advisory business of Mellum Capital.
The dual transactions, announced Jan. 20, represent the latest phase of the Los Angeles-based bank's decade-long push to challenge dominant European incumbents in the mid-market and alternative capital sectors.
The move into France is particularly significant.
Houlihan Lokey has signed an agreement to acquire a controlling stake in Audere Partners, a prominent firm currently operating under the Natixis Partners brand.
The deal will add more than 50 finance professionals to Houlihan’s Paris-based team, bringing its total headcount in France to approximately 80.
Patrick Maurel, who led the founding team at Audere, will join Houlihan Lokey along with five other senior managing directors.
"France is a key market, and in Audere Partners, we have found a team with outstanding expertise and a strong cultural fit," said Phil Adams, President of Houlihan Lokey, Europe.
Simultaneously, the firm has finalized the acquisition of Mellum Capital’s real estate capital advisory arm.
Founded in 2021 as a spin-out from Brookfield Financial, Mellum operates out of Munich and London, specializing in equity investments and debt placements for institutional real estate clients.
Founding partners Heinrich Hauss and Markus Reule will join Houlihan’s Capital Solutions Group as Managing Directors.
The acquisitions follow a period of aggressive hiring and integration for Houlihan Lokey, which now employs approximately 550 financial professionals across the EMEA region.
By folding in specialized teams like Audere and Mellum, CEO Scott Adelson is positioning the firm to leverage its "unparalleled access to alternative capital" at a time when traditional bank lending remains constrained across Europe.
The Audere transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2026, at which point the business will be fully integrated under the Houlihan Lokey brand.