Houlihan Lokey announced that Larry DeAngelo and Paul Simpson have joined the firm as Managing Directors to lead the firm's global Business Services Group. Simpson is based in London and DeAngelo is based in Atlanta.

DeAngelo joins from SunTrust Robinson Humphrey (STRH), where he was a Managing Director in the Mergers & Acquisitions Group, leading that firm's Business and Financial Services M&A team. Prior to STRH, he held senior roles at a number of private equity funds, focusing primarily on the technology, business, and financial services sectors. Thomas Bailey has also recently joined the Atlanta-based Business Services team as a Director following six years at STRH.

Simpson joins Houlihan Lokey after nearly two decades at Rothschild, where he held a number of roles, most recently serving as Managing Director and Global Head of Business Services. During his tenure at Rothschild, Simpson advised on more than 100 transactions across a range of industry sectors.

"Paul and Larry each bring decades of world-class experience and extensive insight and relationships in the Business Services sectors we serve. The addition of their teams to Houlihan Lokey creates a powerful leadership platform on which to continue the firm's growth in this sector," said Anita Antenucci, Senior Managing Director. "Houlihan Lokey now brings unparalleled depth of senior industry experience across the services sectors. Teamed with our end-market focused industry groups and our global offices, we have over 15 Managing Directors covering services. This depth will be tremendously beneficial to our client base and the growth of our global business, particularly as we increasingly work on cross-border transactions that require a genuine blend of global reach and local expertise. We're delighted that they have joined Houlihan Lokey," she added.

The Business Services Group covers a dynamic sector of the economy, encompassing Information Technology Services, Business Process Outsourcing, Marketing Services, Information Services, Human Resources Outsourcing, Facility Maintenance, Specialty Consulting, and Rental Services. Among the Business Services Group's most recent closed transactions are the following:

• the sale of CAPS Payroll (the premier provider of technology-enabled payroll solutions to the entertainment industry) to Cast & Crew Entertainment Services and Silver Lake;
• the sale of AVI-SPL (an end-to-end provider of audio visual and video collaboration solutions) to HIG Capital;
• the financial restructuring of Altegrity, LLC (parent of leading risk management and background investigations companies, Kroll and HireRight) by its second- and third-lien noteholders ; and
• a $150 million capital raise for Panavision, Inc. (the world's leading equipment rental providers of proprietary and third-party cinema camera systems).

"Houlihan Lokey's growth over the past two years, particularly in Europe, has been remarkable. I am hugely attracted by my new firm's commitment to continued growth, its world-class service offering, and its very powerful US platform in Business Services. I look forward to replicating that excellence throughout the region and working with my colleagues to further grow Houlihan Lokey's Business Services Group globally," said Simpson.

"The depth and breadth of Houlihan Lokey's coverage footprint in the services sector is outstanding, and the range of services the firm offers its clients, from traditional corporate finance to financial restructuring, valuation and other services, is among the most comprehensive on the Street," said DeAngelo. "I'm excited to have joined the firm and I'm confident that Paul and I, along with our partners around the firm, will continue the outstanding track record of success that Houlihan Lokey has achieved to date in Business Services," he continued.

Houlihan Lokey is a global investment bank with expertise in mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, valuation, financial restructuring, and strategic consulting. The firm serves corporations, institutions, and governments worldwide with offices in the United States, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. Independent advice and intellectual rigor are hallmarks of our commitment to client success across our advisory services. Houlihan Lokey is ranked as the No. 1 M&A advisor for all U.S. transactions, the No. 1 global M&A fairness opinion advisor over the past 15 years, and the No. 1 global restructuring advisor, according to Thomson Reuters.