With the deal announced on Jan. 18, the Woodland Hills-based financial advisor will more than quadruple its pro forma mergers and acquisition advisory business and augment its debt capital markets and financial restructuring capabilities. FocalPoint, based in Sawtelle, has seen $17 billion in closed deals over its 20-year history.
The companies plan to use their combined efforts to provide clients with access to both firms’ execution capabilities and suite of end-to-end services from a single platform.
“FocalPoint is a world-class firm known for its ability to handle complex deals with speed, accuracy and quality,” Bryant Riley, B. Riley’s co-chief executive said in a statement. “This combination builds on our long and successful track record of acquiring and integrating other complementary businesses that can provide us with additional scale and capabilities to expand our small- and middle-market leadership.”
FocalPoint was founded in 2002 and serves middle-market clients throughout the United States. It specializes in mergers and acquisitions, private capital advisory, financial restructuring and special situation transactions. The firm employs 50 investment banking professionals who specialize in high-growth sectors such as aerospace and defense, industrials, business services, consumer goods, health care, technology and media.
The company maintains offices in Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, New York and Shanghai.
“This transaction brings more breadth and depth to our teams in M&A, debt capital markets and financial restructuring while maintaining the entrepreneurial and collegial culture that has made FocalPoint a success,” said FocalPoint co-founder Duane Stullich.
B. Riley was co-founded in 1997 by Riley and Tom Kelleher. The company provides advisory services to clients and partners. It operates via several subsidiaries to offer end-to-end capabilities spanning investment banking and institutional brokerage services, private wealth and investment management, financial consulting, corporate restructuring, operations management, risk and compliance, due diligence, forensic accounting, litigation support, appraisal and valuation, auction and liquidation services.
Sullivan & Cromwell, based in New York, acted as legal counsel to B. Riley Financial. Chicago-based Sidley Austin and downtown-based Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton served as legal counsel to FocalPoint. Century City-based Houlihan Lokey served as financial adviser to FocalPoint.
