Last Updated: July 31, 2024
This article ranks the top M&A advisory firms in New York. Our search pulled information from a total of 137 firms (sources), which were then narrowed down using 5 criteria:
- Principal Experience Score (35%): A 1.0-5.0 rating evaluating the experience of the firm’s partners, including (a) tenure at established national M&A firms and (b) personal involvement in the company’s deals.
- Notable Rankings & Awards (30%): Accolades and recognition from notable industry publications and organizations.
- Total Annual Deals (25%): A quantitative representation of how many deals the firm closes during the average calendar year, indicating overall deal success and team strength.
- Client EBITDA Range (10%): The average size of a firm’s clients, as taken from a range of proprietary data on the firm’s website or third-party data sites. While “bigger” deals do not necessarily mean “better” ones, firms which manage larger deals achieve success in more complex environments.
Using these filters, our team condensed the total firms to 8 finalists, on the table below, which were then ranked according to their overall performance in the initial search compared with their counterparts.
NOTE: In this list, we feature M&A advisory firms as opposed to investment banks, though there is overlap between the two. If a firm primarily offers advisory services, they are included in our dataset.
The Top M&A Advisory Firms in New York
| # | Name | Client EBITDA Range | Total Annual Deals | Principal Experience Score | Notable Rankings & Awards | Specialty |
| 1 | Sica | Fletcher | $1-30M | 45-75 | 5.0 | #1 in S&P Global Market Intelligence League Tables | Professional Services, Finance, Fintech, and Manufacturing |
| 2 | Allen & Company | $20M-1B | 25-45 | 5.0 | #9 in M&A League Tables | Real Estate, Technology, and Media & Entertainment |
| 3 | Houlihan Lokey | $30-50M | 550-650 | 4.6 | Boutique M&A Financial Advisor or the Year, Mergermarket Japan M&A Awards | Buy-side and sell-side advisory for Japanese M&A |
| 4 | FE International | $1M-10M | 15-30 | 4.2 | Financial Times “Fastest Growing Companies 2023” Awards | Retail, Consumer Goods & Education |
| 5 | MergersCorp | $500k- 10M | 15-25 | 3.9 | #3 in Axial’s list of New York Advisory Firms | Aerospace, Education & Football Clubs |
| 6 | BMI | $10-100M | 10-15 | 4.3 | #24 in Axial’s Top 25 Investment Banks 2023 | Architecture & Interior Design |
| 7 | M+A Squared | $5M-15M | 5-10 | 3.9 | Best Cross Border M&A Advisory Firm 2023 (M&A Atlas Awards) | International M&A for Media, Telecommunications & Life Sciences |
| 8 | Lenox Hill Capital Advisors | $500k-3M | 5-15 | 4.2 | N/A | Optical Products & Services, Health & Beauty Products, and Media & Entertainment |
The sections below detail each of the candidates in further detail, providing a summary of the firm’s experience and discussing their placement on this list.
Sica | Fletcher
Sica | Fletcher is an M&A advisory firm which caters to a wide range of small to mid-sized businesses across several industry verticals. The firm’s #1 position on the S&P 500s Intelligence League Tables is due largely to the disproportionate number of deals they close despite being a smaller shop. Similarly, their scoring here is due the input of the firm’s founders on every deal they close, which indicates a greater attention to detail than would be the case at a larger firm.
Sica | Fletcher comes from a background in finance, however recent deals indicate an intent to move into the technology and manufacturing sector. Their expertise would likely make a good fit for any company within the middle market margins.
- EBITDA Range: $1-30M
- Total Annual Deals: 45-75
- Principal Experience Score: 5.0
- Notable Rankings & Awards: #1 in S&P Global Market Intelligence League Tables
- Specialty: Professional Services, Finance, Fintech, and Manufacturing
- Contact: Sica | Fletcher’s Website
Allen & Company
Allen & Company is an investment bank known for its combination of high-profile transactions and low-profile visibility. Despite the firm having no website or publicly listed number, they oversaw Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox in 2017 and a number of other major enterprise mergers. In addition to M&A, they also provide clients with capital services.
Allen & Company utilizes their elusive structure to reinforce a “quality over quantity” approach to their deal flow, prioritizing a smaller number of high-value deals.
- Client EBITDA Range: $10M-1B
- Total Annual Deals: 25-45
- Principal Experience Score: 5.0
- Notable Rankings & Awards: #9 in M&A League Tables
- Specialty: Real Estate, Technology, and Media & Entertainment
- Contact: N/A
Houlihan Lokey
Houlihan Lokey is an investment bank renowned for their work in the M&A market, in particular for the remarkable workload their firm takes on every year. They work with a large team to manage complex deal types such as leveraged transactions as well as capital raising, valuations, and board advisory services for larger companies.
Houlihan Lokey works with large businesses within consumer, food, and retail, but also has deal information posted with deals in energy, healthcare, and real estate. Their specializations in leveraged transactions also make them a good fit for companies with little capital.
- EBITDA Range: $30-50M
- Total Annual Deals: 550-650
- Principal Experience Score: 4.6
- Notable Rankings & Awards: Boutique M&A Financial Advisor or the Year, Mergermarket Japan M&A Awards
- Specialty: Buy-side and sell-side advisory for Japanese M&A
- Contact: Houlihan Lokey’s Website
FE International
FE International is a global M&A advisor targeting SaaS, e-commerce, and content business. They have a little more than a decade experience in the field, during which time the company has experienced rapid growth by targeting clients within fast-growing industries. Although the firm offers services for buy side and sell side advisory, they appear to specialize in the former, listing it as the primary link on their website.
FE International’s services are best suited for buyers within the technology field seeking to acquire businesses within the SaaS, e-commerce, and content fields. Their website is unclear as to whether they serve additional sectors.
- EBITDA Range: $1M-10M
- Total Annual Deals: 15-30
- Principal Experience Score: 4.2
- Notable Rankings & Awards: Financial Times “Fastest Growing Companies 2022” Awards
- Specialty: Retail, Consumer Goods, Education
- Contact: FE International Website
MergersCorp
MergersCorp is an M&A firm specializing in cross border M&A and capital raising for clients, as well as corporate services such as succession planning, corporate restructuring, and financing IPOs. Furthermore, they offer post-transaction consulting services for buyers seeking actionable next steps following an acquisition.
MergersCorp works across several industries, but their website indicates a healthy percentage of closed deals in aerospace, education, and football clubs. Because of their experience working IPO transactions, companies going public are also likely to be a good fit.
- EBITDA Range: $500k-10M
- Total Annual Deals: 15-25
- Principal Experience Score: 3.9
- Notable Rankings & Awards: #3 in Axial’s list of New York Advisory Firms
- Specialty: Aerospace, Education, Football Clubs
- Contact: MergersCorp Website
BMI
BMI Mergers & Acquisitions is an M&A firm which targets architecture and interior design firms as its main clientele. In addition to M&A services, they also serve as an investment bank, allowing clients access to vital capital raising services which enables them to grow their companies before selling to increase overall profit.
BMI’s main clientele has served a specific clientele for most of its tenure, however its website indicates an intent to move into related fields, such as construction. Companies requiring assistance with complex SEC regulations while going public will also benefit from BMI’s experience as an investment bank.
- EBITDA Range: $10-100M
- Total Annual Deals: 10-15
- Principal Experience Score: 4.3
- Notable Rankings & Awards: #24 in Axial’s Top 25 Investment Banks 2022
- Specialty: Architecture & Interior Design
- Contact: BMI Website
M+A Squared
M+A Squared is a boutique advisory firm specializing in cross border M&A transactions, providing clients with services designed for corporate divestiture, board advisory services, and growth advisory. Their advisors specialize in managing complex deal types, including carve outs, market extensions, or congeneric deal structures designed to meet the unique needs of these boutique industries.
M+A Squared’s specialization in cross-border M&A most benefits clients seeking international transactions, however they also have experience working with clients in media, telecommunications, and life sciences.
- EBITDA Range: $5M-15M
- Total Annual Deals: 5-10
- Principal Experience Score: 3.9
- Notable Rankings & Awards: Best Cross Border M&A Advisory Firm 2022 (M&A Atlas Awards)
- Specialty: Media, Telecommunications, and Life Sciences
- Contact: M+A Squared Website
Lenox Hill Capital Advisors
Lenox Hill Capital Advisors is an investment bank targeting private companies in need of management for complex deal types. As a result, their specialists handle complex deal types such as PE transactions, mezzanine financing, joint ventures, and leveraged buyouts. Their services also target consulting opportunities for companies going through ownership transition and value building to grow the company over time.
While Lenox Hill Capital Advisors works across several industries, their specialization in companies serving optical products makes them a unique addition to this list. Their website also indicates a preference for cosmetics and entertainment companies.
- EBITDA Range: $500k-3M
- Total Annual Deals: 5-15
- Principal Experience Score: 4.2
- Notable Rankings & Awards: N/A
- Specialty: Optical Products & Services, Health & Beauty Products, and Media & Entertainment
- Contact: Lenox Hill Capital Advisors Website
