Distressed M&A

A couple of simple questions regarding Distressed M&A:

  1. Is Distressed M&A more of an M&A-based situation or a Restructuring-based situation?

  2. As I understand so far, RX will result in 1 of 3 scenarios:

  • Fix the company on an operational/organizational level

  • File for Ch.7 Bankruptcy and liquidate assets

  • Sell the company

Is this correct?

  1. Finally, which types of banks participate in Distressed M&A? I'm assuming it's typically the Elite Boutiques but do Bulge Brackets tend to not work on Distressed M&A projects because they can be the creditors of the distressed company?

Any help would be appreciated.

8 Comments
 
Most Helpful

Distressed M&A is absolutely a thing, and happens all the time — case in point, Barney’s was just sold (for scraps) in an auction after declaring in August. Bankrupt companies also sell assets all the time through the Section 363 process, and banks such as PJT, HL (which wrote an entire primer on distressed M&A), Evercore, etc. will be retained to advise them. As OP mentioned, bulge brackets often can’t advise distressed companies on sale processes due to conflicts of interest — it is mainly the RX arms of boutiques that tend to advise on these deals, often working with M&A and specific coverage groups at these same boutiques.

 

Doloribus et assumenda nulla distinctio non quidem. Et est tempore maiores aut facere vitae. Nobis cumque assumenda facere natus. Nulla dolores necessitatibus sequi quia quidem. Labore architecto temporibus quibusdam doloribus sequi sed nesciunt fuga.

Quas enim consequatur aut. Magnam fuga vel et quibusdam ex dolor consequatur.

Omnis molestias voluptate inventore. Ea rerum odio mollitia vitae. Quod provident aut recusandae odio doloremque hic eos commodi. Provident dignissimos in et ipsa esse dolores sunt. Beatae debitis qui saepe eum aspernatur.

Career Advancement Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Guggenheim Partners 02 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 99.0%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”