Middle Market Banks - Interning at a PE firm

I am currently interning at a PE firm and am a senior at a midwest school. I was wondering what all of you thought about the following banks for possible banking opportunities:

Brown Gibbons Lang & Co. Stout Risius Ross Piper Jaffray Goldsmith, Agio, Helms & Lynner, LLC Duff & Phelps Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin

Although interning for two summers at the PE firm has given me great experience, my GPA is only a 3.3. Do I have a chance to get an interview with the above banks? If so, which banks do you like and why?

43 Comments
 

BGL sucks... bankers are total a-holes and they work their analysts to the bone over the shittiest deals this side of the port-o-john.

Piper is a pretty weak name.

HLHZ is the way to go, but a 3.3 at a midwest school and you're gonna have to blow someone to get in.

I honestly don't know much about the other firms... i've never even heard of Goldsmith & whomever.

 

Rumor is that Piper just paid market on bonuses with no regional adjustments...

HLHZ is a sweatshop where you crank out fairness opinions all day...

Go Piper all day if you are deciding between the two

 

Although it is complained of being a tough place to work and a valuation shop that is trying to be an investment bank, it easily comes with the most prestige out of the banks you listed. HLHZ might be a stretch for your credentials but they do recruit from a select number of midwest schools so give yourself a chance and go for it.

 

Only do Piper if you get into the tech group (and want to be in the tech group). If you are in M&A at HLHZ, you will not be doing any valuation, completely different groups.

 
Only do Piper if you get into the tech group (and want to be in the tech group). If you are in M&A at HLHZ, you will not be doing any valuation, completely different groups.

Really? I've heard firsthand that the tech group (assuming you mean the one based in MN, not SF) is the most dysfunctional group in the bank. They had 3 people leave in the past year after only a year.

 

Low at Piper and HLHZ, but not impossible. COMPLETELY different cultures at those two firms by the way. Total opposite sides of the spectrum.

 
Best Response

BGL - losing people and works only on deals that nobody else wants to.

SunTrust - lost a bunch of people and activitely hiring to replace the smart ones that left.

HLHZ - gotta love FO if not in the M&A group. Good name and reputation.

Piper - lost its co-head of M&A but still good reputation and does good M&A work.

You're missing Edgeview and Harris Williams - big in middle market M&A (esp. for PE firms) but often overlooked as a great experience.

 

Tech group is primarily in SF at Piper. Same with consumer.

Specialty FIG is primarily in MN as well as healthcare.

There are some mm generalists in both states, but essentially Piper is 4 industry bank + a little mm industrial.

---------------- Account Inactive
 

Read above for other comments about them. Several of their D and MD's have recently left the firm. In fact, after many month of squabble they just lost the L from BGL.

 

D&P and HL seem tohave pretty good reps here in Chicago, but I've heard that working at HLHZ=hell. It's supposedly absolutely the worst in terms of hours and culture.

just what I've heard.....

 

I was an Industry Group analyst at HLHZ. 90% of my job consisted of sell side M&A work. I didn't do any FOs, PPAs, or other valuation crap: the FAS group handles the latter. Also, please note that HLHZ does not provide public offering services as does Jeffries and Piper; although you may get some private placement exposure.

The HLHZ environment can be hardcore, but some groups are not as bad as others. I know for a fact some groups in NY do not work nearly as much as CHI, DA, and ATL.

As far as your chances of an interview, you will be on the fence with a 3.3. However, if you were to contact an analyst or associate and convey your interest with the firm, your chances would increase during the screening process. If selected, know your shiat...and don't be a prick or dork - very profound I know.

Pay is strong as they are competitive with BB. I heard Jeffries pays well too.

Also, SunTrust RH sucks ass - terrible pay and no respect. RH used to be pretty good before SunTrust bought them. All the good bankers dusted that place a few years ago when they reorganized.

 
SHA1991Bump, particularly re: BGL and D&P. This thread is over 3 years old, and so I'm curious about the firms' current reputations. Also, where would you place BMO relative to them. Thanks.

BGL - Lost a bunch of senior bankers throughout 07-09. Usually do ~$50 mm deals that nobody wants to do... but recently I've seen them in a few bake-off's with HW/Lincoln/Piper.

 

Duff and Phelps is a joke, in New York at least. I've seen a number of notably bad work products from them. In New York they compete with the Big 4 for various consulting and valuation services like fairness/solvency opinions more than they compete with banks. They have credit for 2 closed deals and 1 pending year to date, totaling $202mm, most of which was the fairness opinion for Constellation Energy.

There have been many great comebacks throughout history. Jesus was dead but then came back as an all-powerful God-Zombie.
 

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