Moelis & Company Completes Acquisition of Hong Kong-Based Asia Pacific Advisers
Moelis & Company, the New York-headquartered independent investment bank, today announced the closing of its acquisition of Asia Pacific Advisers (“APA”), an independent financial advisory firm based in Hong Kong. The acquisition of APA enhances Moelis & Company’s global footprint and further strengthens its Asia Pacific capabilities, adding an established team in Hong Kong to complement the firm’s growing business in Asia Pacific. The acquisition was first announced in January 2011.
Speaking in Hong Kong today, Ken Moelis, Chief Executive Officer of Moelis & Company, said: “Expanding our presence into Asia is a strategic priority for Moelis & Company so we are delighted to close this transaction and partner with such a talented team. Moelis & Company will provide clients in Asia with extensive knowledge and advice about local markets and, at the same time, provide clients in markets outside Asia with strategic counsel about the region.”
Founded by Chief Executive Officer Richard Orders, and shortly thereafter joined by Bert Grisel as Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, APA provides high quality, independent advice to leading corporations, institutions and professional investors in the Asia Pacific region. APA’s capabilities include a comprehensive range of advisory services, including mergers and acquisitions, capital markets advisory and restructuring. Since its inception in early 2009, APA has advised on many notable transactions in Asia Pacific, including serving as Joint Financial Advisor to Swire Pacific on the mandatory general offer for HAECO, which valued HAECO at US$2.2 billion, and advising on corporate governance terms between GOME and the founding shareholders of GOME. APA continues to have a growing pipeline of current business with corporates and private equity firms across Asia.
Mark Aedy, Head of Europe, Middle East and Africa Investment Banking for Moelis & Company, said: “As a leading global investment bank, it is critical for Moelis & Company to have a strong presence in Asia. More than ever, clients are seeking global knowledge and perspectives, and being in Hong Kong significantly enhances our ability to deliver that information to them.”
Mr. Orders said, “Working as one cohesive team in Asia will allow us to grow the business and provide our clients with the strategic counsel and uncompromised advice that they are looking for in today’s demanding markets. In particular, we see significant opportunity for advising on capital markets matters and on cross border transactions between companies in Asia and in the other regions where we conduct business.”
About Moelis & Company
Moelis & Company, recently named Best Global Independent Investment Bank by Euromoney, is a global investment bank that provides financial advisory, capital raising and asset management services to a broad client base including corporations, institutions and governments. With over 480 employees, Moelis & Company serves its clients through offices in New York, Boston, Chicago, Dubai, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles and Sydney. For more information, please visit www.moelis.com.
Notes to Editors
Mr. Orders has over 20 years of experience in advising corporate clients across the Asia Pacific region. Prior to founding APA, he was a Managing Director in the combined RBS/ABN AMRO group in Asia Pacific and before that was Vice Chairman and Head of Global Clients Asia Pacific for ABN AMRO, where he worked since 1996. Prior to joining ABN AMRO, Mr. Orders was a Managing Director and Head of Barings Investment Banking in Asia. He has also worked for Barings in other roles within corporate finance and debt capital markets based in Australia and London. Over the course of his career, Mr. Orders has advised on many of the landmark transactions in Asia.