Livingstone Opens Chicago Doors: Takes to the World M&A Stage
June 2007
Livingstone, the first integrated, international investment banking boutique focused on middle market mergers & acquisitions and private equity transactions, announced today the official opening of its new Chicago offices. The firm will do business at 443 North Clark Street in the city’s River North neighborhood.
The local and growing team of 10 is joined by 35 corporate finance professionals in the firm’s other principal offices in London and Madrid. Together, Livingstone’s investment bankers specialize in cross-border M&A and capital raising transactions between $30 and $300 million across several key global industry sectors.
Livingstone was created earlier this year through the operational merger of London’s Livingstone Guarantee, Madrid-independent NC Finanzas Corporativas, and Chicago-based ONE Worldwide. Livingstone Guarantee was founded in 1976 and was ranked as the UK’s No. 1 mid-market investment banking boutique in 2006. ONE Worldwide was formed earlier this year by local veteran investment bankers Stephen Miles and David Sulaski, now each a partner of the Livingstone business.
Miles, most recently a Managing Director of Goldsmith Agio Helms & Company, and Sulaski, formerly with William Blair & Company, joined together in building the Chicago office of Brown Gibbons Lang & Company earlier in the decade. They also worked closely with their European colleagues - now their partners - and led many of the firm’s flagship global transactions.
“We are pleased to be anchored in Chicago and to deliver our clients seasoned middle market expertise and truly unique international reach via one, integrated international firm,” said Miles. “This team has a long history of cooperation and great results for our clients, and we are fortunate to bring the Livingstone’s 30 year old tradition of quality and creativity to the U.S.”
Sulaski added, “The U.S. mid-market has experienced a dramatic increase in interest from strategic acquirers abroad and Livingstone is perfecting the model of accessing them for the benefit of our sell-side clients. At the same time, there has been a surge in demand among U.S. corporations and private equity firms to invest outside of North America, and we expect to continue to be leaders in sourcing attractive opportunities for them overseas.”
London partner Jeremy Furniss commented, “The U.S. has been the most important source of strategic buyers and investors for our clients since our inception, and we have completed nearly 90 transactions with U.S. counterparties since 1995 – even without the benefit of a local US team. The creation of a Livingstone-owned local infrastructure is therefore a natural extension of our already very cosmopolitan business. We are fortunate indeed to have found two such impressive bankers to lead the charge for us in the USA.”
The firm expects to make several announcements about key new hires and strategic geographic expansion in the coming months.
For further information contact:
Stephen Miles
Tel: + 312-670-7900
Email: miles@livingstonepartners.com
David Sulaski
Tel: + 312-670-7900
Email: sulaski@livingstonepartners.com
