Houlihan Lokey Agrees to Buy Vicente & Partners, With Nine Expected to Join in London

Houlihan Lokey agreed to acquire Vicente & Partners, an independent advisory firm established in London in 2020, in a deal that would bring nine financial professionals into its London office.

Houlihan Lokey announced the agreement Nov. 11. The firms signed it Oct. 30. The nine professionals are expected to join the London office; the agreement does not report that the acquisition has closed.

Alejandro Vicente, who founded Vicente & Partners, will join Houlihan Lokey as a managing director. Partners Lidiia Gaiduk and Michelle Garcia are also joining the firm.

The firm works with businesses in the beauty, personal care and pet health sectors in Europe and the U.S. Vicente’s consumer-goods career exceeds three decades, including a 17-year tenure at J.P. Morgan and eight years in senior corporate positions.

The team’s past advisory work includes Touchland’s sale to Church & Dwight and Kering’s acquisition of Creed. It also advised on Coty’s $4.3 billion sale of its professional and retail hair business to KKR. Houlihan Lokey’s Consumer Group has more than 140 industry-focused professionals worldwide.

“Joining Houlihan Lokey is a natural evolution for us,” Vicente said.