Houlihan Lokey gained a foothold in Latin America with the launch of an office in São Paulo, Brazil. The NYSE-listed investment bank hired Bruno Baratta as a managing director and head of Brazil, tasking him with leading the company’s efforts to build out its presence in the region.
The company currently conducts business in Latin America through Houlihan Lokey Assessoria Financeira Limitada and/or in conjunction with affiliates, and it plans to hire more local professionals as it expands its service offering.
Baratta joins from Lazard, where he led the firm’s Restructuring and Capital Solutions business in Brazil. He brings experience across M&A, public and private capital raising, and financial restructuring engagements. He has advised clients is sectors including oil and gas, energy, technology, telecommunications, healthcare and retail.
“We see a tremendous opportunity for clients in the region to benefit from our expertise in corporate finance, financial restructuring, and financial and valuation advisory services, and [Baratta] is the perfect candidate to lead this expansion,” said Houlihan Lokey CEO Scott Beiser.
“Over the past few years, there has been a transformation in the way Brazilian companies access capital and manage their balance sheets, and Houlihan Lokey’s capabilities are unmatched to address those needs,” said Baratta, who added that the company already has a successful track record in the Brazilian financial restructuring markets and is well-positioned to provide its suite of services to a larger client base.
Houlihan Lokey has recently served or is currently current engaged with clients in the region including offshore drilling operators Petroserv Marine and Constellation Oil Services, builder Andrade Gutierrez, outsourcing services provider Atento, miner Samarco Mineração and telecom Oi.
