Houlihan Lokey announced that Rainer Hepberger has joined the firm as a Managing Director in its European Healthcare team. He will be based in the firm’s London office.

Mr. Hepberger joins with more than 15 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Houlihan Lokey, he spent nine years at William Blair, most recently as a Managing Director in European Healthcare Investment Banking. Between 2018 and 2020, he was a Managing Director in Raymond James’ Healthcare team, based in Munich. During his career, Mr. Hepberger has advised on more than 50 M&A transactions across Benelux, DACH, the UK, Scandinavia, Spain, and Israel.

“We are delighted to welcome Rainer to Houlihan Lokey. He joins the European Healthcare team, led by Paul Tomasic, which has already established itself as one of the leading healthcare teams in the region. Rainer’s arrival not only strengthens the healthcare team in Europe, but also adds further depth and expertise to our global medtech coverage. He also shares our focus on superior client outcomes and has an outstanding track record. This appointment underscores our commitment to have one of the market-leading healthcare teams in Europe and to be the leading global healthcare advisory practice,” said Mark Francis, Global Head of Houlihan Lokey’s Healthcare Group.

“Rainer brings a deep level of healthcare expertise, insights, and relationships—particularly in medical technology, healthcare distribution, and outsourcing—which will be invaluable to our practice and our clients across Europe, most notably in the Benelux and DACH regions. With Rainer, our team will comprise 20 professionals, which is one of the largest dedicated healthcare teams in Europe. I am confident that Rainer will help us to continue to build on the team’s success,” commented Paul Tomasic, Head of European Healthcare.

“Houlihan Lokey is a proven leader in mid-cap M&A, combining unrivaled sector knowledge with a comprehensive service offering and truly global reach. These attributes, together with a strong corporate culture and unwavering client focus, made this an exciting opportunity for me. I look forward to working with Paul and colleagues across the firm to help our clients continue to grow and thrive,” commented Mr. Hepberger.

Houlihan Lokey’s Healthcare Group is among the largest of its kind in investment banking, with more than 75 financial professionals in New York, Dallas, Chicago, San Francisco, Sydney, Japan, Milan, Zurich, and London. In 2021, the Healthcare Group was ranked as the No. 1 M&A advisor for US healthcare transactions under $1 billion, based on data from Refinitiv.