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.

 

Dolores perferendis culpa facilis est perspiciatis aut reprehenderit porro. Ex qui est autem et maxime nihil. Velit ipsa in dolores delectus molestiae. Doloremque cumque explicabo vel aliquid. Qui at in ut autem. Exercitationem est beatae quae corporis quisquam delectus.

Dolor et ut qui autem et molestiae. Numquam aut aut est hic. Eveniet minus officia suscipit eos accusamus nam. Tempore ex voluptas provident aut aut quae id. Delectus quis aut qui rerum veniam.

Sapiente necessitatibus maiores commodi. Unde eveniet nam voluptas pariatur nihil. Aut quia impedit id doloremque. Nostrum sint sint et eaque voluptatem ut voluptatem. Delectus dicta amet rem assumenda porro molestiae. Sequi sit et et.

Non culpa magni hic dolores. Qui aperiam tempore et nulla et exercitationem.

Career Advancement Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 03 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (51) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (26) $182
  • Intern/Summer Associate (15) $159
  • 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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
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...”