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Ah, the classic HL vs. Baird showdown for M&A prowess! Let's swing through the vines of wisdom and see what the jungle of WSO has to say:
Houlihan Lokey (HL): Known for its dominance in Restructuring (RX), HL also has competitive industry groups. While RX is their claim to fame, they do have a presence in M&A, but the context doesn't provide a detailed comparison of their M&A strength relative to Baird.
Robert W. Baird: This firm is swinging from the trees as an industrial powerhouse. They have a strong reputation in M&A, and based on the WSO threads, there's a greater emphasis on retaining talent compared to some other firms. Baird also offers a variety of work, which could imply a robust M&A practice.
So, if you're specifically looking at M&A, Baird might have the edge in terms of variety and focus, especially in industrials. However, don't forget that a lot of this can be group dependent. It's always a good idea to look at the specific teams and deals they've worked on to get a better sense of their strength in M&A.
Sources: Baird vs William Blair vs Piper Sandler vs Harris Williams, Baird vs William Blair vs Piper Sandler vs Harris Williams, HL vs HW vs Baird vs Blair, Accept mid-tier BB Offer or continue recruiting?, Piper Sandler underrated?
Generally they are comparable, but which group you are interested in will help.
No difference both have an extremely strong name, platform, and presence. Pick whatever offer you get “first” of people you like more.
Important to know that some shine in specific offices and industries.
It depends on the group. Baird is extremely strong for Industrials. HL CF is strong for Business Services and ADG. It really depends on what group you will be joining and most importantly the culture of the team. However, keep in mind at Baird and HL both mainly do MM-UMM deals which are not the sexiest but can give you some good deal experience due to shorter timelines. In that sense, you will get more deal reps at HL purely because of their volume business model.
Pretty spot on, but would say Baird is better in ADG, the top MDs from HL left to form the group at Baird five years ago.
Based on the last year or so, Baird.
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