Houlihan Lokey RX vs Bulge Bracket

hi everyone,

i wanted to get thoughts on HL's restructuring group for a summer internship. wanted to know what the pros/cons would be versus a larger bulge bracket type internship?

hours, culture, exit opps, etc?

Thanks!

11 Comments
 
pixel214top creditor-side shop, dont know of any BB that do RX, so if that is what you want go HL exits to distressed pe/hf commonly

FYI- GS does RX coverage for EMEA out of London office

 

One thing to remember about Houlihan restructuring is that although they are a top shop, they mostly do creditor side representation. Typically, a lot of these transactions are less interesting because you end up fighting over pieces of the pie rather than actually trying to restructure the firm and getting to see it from an operational standpoint. I didn't end up going to my superday for Houlihan, but I really liked my interviewer for the first round, and obviously, restructuring is a great space to be in - especially in this economy. I've heard the hours are generally better than a bulge bracket, and I've also heard that they're a little bit more laid back culture-wise as well.

 
bigdecisionsOne thing to remember about Houlihan restructuring is that although they are a top shop, they mostly do creditor side representation. Typically, a lot of these transactions are less interesting because you end up fighting over pieces of the pie rather than actually trying to restructure the firm and getting to see it from an operational standpoint. I didn't end up going to my superday for Houlihan, but I really liked my interviewer for the first round, and obviously, restructuring is a great space to be in - especially in this economy. I've heard the hours are generally better than a bulge bracket, and I've also heard that they're a little bit more laid back culture-wise as well.
  • True about the creditor side - you'll find that BX and LAZ typically do the debtor side.
  • Not sure I'm sold on Restructuring being better in this economy as big M&A deals are starting to come back and with interest rates so low.

With that being said, I would base this decision on culture (which I've been told is pretty distinct in this group) and whether the Restructuring space interests you.

 

I definitely agree that restructuring isnt as hot as it was, and that m&a will pick up in the coming year given large cash balances. Thats also a part of my concen

that being said, i love the culture and restructuring/distressed debt interests me, so i may just bite the bullet here

 
yinyangwsoI definitely agree that restructuring isnt as hot as it was, and that m&a will pick up in the coming year given large cash balances. Thats also a part of my concen

that being said, i love the culture and restructuring/distressed debt interests me, so i may just bite the bullet here

I think that is a good move, unless you have BB opps. Worst case, if you don't care for it or want to explore more for FT offers, you still have a solid name on your resume.

 
peinvestor2012
yinyangwsoI definitely agree that restructuring isnt as hot as it was, and that m&a will pick up in the coming year given large cash balances. Thats also a part of my concen

that being said, i love the culture and restructuring/distressed debt interests me, so i may just bite the bullet here

I think that is a good move, unless you have BB opps. Worst case, if you don't care for it or want to explore more for FT offers, you still have a solid name on your resume.

i do have offers at gs and jpm but i still feel like the culture and fit are better for me at houlihan rx. the other cool thing is that i know exactly what group im getting dropped into

 
Best Response
yinyangwso
peinvestor2012
yinyangwsoI definitely agree that restructuring isnt as hot as it was, and that m&a will pick up in the coming year given large cash balances. Thats also a part of my concen

that being said, i love the culture and restructuring/distressed debt interests me, so i may just bite the bullet here

I think that is a good move, unless you have BB opps. Worst case, if you don't care for it or want to explore more for FT offers, you still have a solid name on your resume.

i do have offers at gs and jpm but i still feel like the culture and fit are better for me at houlihan rx. the other cool thing is that i know exactly what group im getting dropped into

Fair enough and you have a valid point. If you have GS, I'd still go with that unless you are dead set on RX, going forward. Just remember this, it's easier to move from GS to HL than HL to GS.

 

Restructuring is cool in that it's a bit counter-cyclical and a unique skill set, but I think it's fair to say the restructuring wave is over. It peaked a few years back at the height of the Great Recession and by now, everybody has restructured and re-financed. Obviously there will always be firms that get themselves into trouble, but I think we can stop saying "Restructuring blah blah blah in this economy.

Keep in mind that RX, especially creditor side, is a unique skill set that is maybe a bit more limiting than M&A or coverage banking. It is a better ticket to distressed debt HF/PE though - so if that's what you're into...

 

Enim iure consequatur aut distinctio. Occaecati sunt qui aut distinctio. Maxime et laboriosam incidunt. Blanditiis et et sint non autem repellat.

Sed maxime iusto ut rerum repudiandae esse. Sint iste asperiores magni temporibus et.

Similique ad labore voluptate veniam blanditiis omnis. Aut nemo voluptatem rem facere quia quis itaque. Voluptas officiis aut reiciendis. Modi quis et maiores molestiae aut illum.

Porro quia eos tenetur voluptas ut. Rerum delectus qui illum et exercitationem laborum id. Quo et accusamus ea molestiae. Soluta magni officia ut nobis exercitationem nesciunt fugit. Autem veritatis excepturi rerum.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (67) $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
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
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...”