Los Angeles is home to many prestigious investment banks that provide a wide range of financial services. As a major financial center on the West Coast, LA has attracted top investment banks to establish a presence and cater to clients in technology, healthcare, media & entertainment, and other key industries. Understanding the leading investment banks in Los Angeles can help companies and individuals find the right partner for advisory, capital raising, mergers & acquisitions, and other needs.
Some of the top investment banks with strong presence in Los Angeles include Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Citigroup, Credit Suisse, and Deutsche Bank. These global banks operate offices across LA and Orange County to serve the financing needs of corporations, startups, private equity firms, and high net worth individuals. In addition, boutique investment banks such as LionTree, Guggenheim Partners, and Moelis & Company have also built up reputable advisory and investment banking practices focusing on LA-based clients.
Global banks dominate high-profile deals and billionaire clients
The bulge bracket investment banks based in New York and other major financial centers have expanded significantly in Los Angeles over the past decade. Taking advantage of their vast global resources and expertise, these banks have advised on many high-profile M&A deals, IPOs, and other strategic transactions involving LA companies. They also manage the wealth and investments for billionaires, celebrities, and other ultra high net worth individuals based in the region.
Goldman Sachs, for instance, has played key roles in major M&A deals like Disney’s $71 billion acquisition of 21st Century Fox’s entertainment assets and Amgen’s $13.4 billion takeover of Otezla from Celgene. Its private wealth management unit serves elite individuals and families in LA through customized solutions.
Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley has raised billions of dollars in IPOs and follow-on offerings for tech companies like Snap, Riot Games, and Rackspace in the LA area. It also provides M&A and private financing advisory to fast growing startups and companies in e-commerce, digital media, and other sectors.
Other global banks like JP Morgan, Bank of America, Citi, Credit Suisse, and Deutsche Bank also have significant on-the-ground coverage in LA, enabling them to capture business from corporations as well as wealthy entrepreneurs and entertainment figures.
Boutique banks build on industry expertise and local networks
In addition to the global investment banks, Los Angeles is also home to a number of boutique investment banks that offer highly specialized services to clients. While they may lack the scale and global reach of the bulge bracket banks, these boutiques compete effectively by leveraging deep industry knowledge, local relationships, and superior execution.
LionTree, for instance, has an influential media and technology advisory practice centered on the LA market. It has advised clients likeinitializer on its recent $1 billion capital raise and PlayStation maker Sony Interactive on acquisitions.
Guggenheim Partners has strengths in advising on insurance, sports, and entertainment deals in LA, alongside its asset management and capital markets businesses. It worked with Guggenheim Baseball Management on the high profile $2 billion acquisition of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012.
Moelis & Company has been expanding its presence in LA and California to serve technology, healthcare, and consumer clients. It recently advised consulting firm AlixPartners on its acquisition of Zolfo Cooper and represented personal styling service Stitch Fix on its $1.6 billion IPO.
LA propels growth of tech and healthcare investment banking
The technology and healthcare industries are major pillars of the LA economy, creating immense opportunities for investment banks focused on these sectors. Silicon Beach has given rise to fast growing tech startups and unicorns like Snap, Bird, GOAT, Ring, NextTruck, FloQast, and many more. Top boutique tech banks like Qatalyst, Frank Quattrone’s new firm Section 32, and Progress Partners have been very active in advising LA tech companies.
At the same time, LA biotech and medical technology startups have been receiving increasing investor interest and exits, spurring the need for specialized healthcare investment banking expertise. Torreya, Leerink, and SVB Leerink are among the top life sciences boutiques banks with growing LA practices.
Bulge bracket banks have also prioritized building their tech and healthcare teams in LA to capitalize on the deal flow. Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and others have tech and healthcare bankers on the ground to cover private financings, IPOs, and M&A involving local clients and startups. As Silicon Beach and LA biotech continue to thrive, expect leading investment banks to further expand their capabilities.
Los Angeles is an important and fast-growing market for top investment banks given its robust technology, healthcare, and entertainment industries. Global banks like Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley as well as boutiques like LionTree and Moelis have built strong presence to serve corporate clients and billionaire individuals. With LA’s dynamic economy, investment banking activity will continue rising across startups, unicorns, and established corporations.