Waller Helms Advisors
Waller Helms Advisors was a boutique investment bank providing M&A and strategic advisory services to clients in the insurance, healthcare, wealth management, and financial technology sectors, acquired by Houlihan Lokey.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Waller Helms Advisors does
Waller Helms Advisors was a boutique investment bank specializing in M&A advisory and strategic transaction services for clients in the insurance, healthcare, wealth management, and financial technology sectors. The firm operated a relationship-driven advisory model, sourcing and executing mandates through direct business development, industry referrals, and senior banker networks targeting corporate clients, private equity sponsors, and financial institutions across North America. Its revenue model was based on transaction-based advisory fees and multi-year retainer arrangements typical of boutique investment banking, with no public disclosure of pricing structures.
The firm pursued a focused vertical specialization strategy, with its domain expertise concentrated in insurance and healthcare M&A, supplemented by wealth management and fintech capabilities. In May 2022, Waller Helms Advisors expanded its wealth and investment management franchise through the acquisition of Park Sutton Advisors, a boutique investment bank specializing in financial services. The combined firm positioned itself at the center of active M&A markets in its target verticals. As of the most recent source data, Waller Helms Advisors LLC (a Delaware-formed LLC) has been acquired by Houlihan Lokey, a global investment bank, and is no longer operating as an independent entity. Houlihan Lokey's SEC filings reference post-closing performance targets and shares issuable to former Waller Helms Advisors members, indicating an earnout-contingent consideration structure.
Waller Helms Advisors firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Waller Helms Advisors
- Legal name
- Waller Helms Advisors LLC
- Website
- https://wallerhelms.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Waller Helms Advisors was a boutique investment bank providing M&A and strategic advisory services to clients in the insurance, healthcare, wealth management, and financial technology sectors, acquired by Houlihan Lokey.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Waller Helms Advisors industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Investment Banking Advisory
- NAICS
- Management Consulting Services (54161), Other Management Consulting Services (541618)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industry-Specialist / Sector-Focused M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- M&A Advisory (Buy-side/Sell-side) (BPAHADAC), Sell-Side M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAA)
Keywords
Where Waller Helms Advisors is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Waller Helms Advisors business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Investment Banking Advisory: M&A advisory and transaction-related fees generated from facilitating mergers, acquisitions, and other strategic transactions for clients in the insurance, healthcare, wealth, and financial technology sectors.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Multi-year contract | Transaction-based advisory fees |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
Waller Helms Advisors product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Waller Helms Advisors is a boutique investment bank providing M&A advisory, capital solutions, and strategic consulting services to clients in the insurance, healthcare, wealth management, and financial technology sectors. The firm delivers transaction-based advisory services across North America, with enhanced wealth and investment management capabilities following its acquisition of Park Sutton Advisors.
Product overview
Waller Helms Advisors is a specialized investment bank focused on insurance, healthcare, wealth, and financial technology sectors. The firm offers financial advisory services including M&A advisory, capital markets expertise, and strategic consulting to clients across these verticals. Following its acquisition by Houlihan Lokey, the firm's capabilities in wealth and investment management have been enhanced through the integration of Park Sutton Advisors, a boutique investment bank specializing in financial services with particular expertise in wealth management.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Investment Banking Services Financial advisory services including mergers and acquisitions advisory, capital solutions, and strategic consulting for clients in the insurance, healthcare, wealth management, and financial technology sectors.
Companies that use Waller Helms Advisors
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Waller Helms Advisors technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Waller Helms Advisors partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Park Sutton AdvisorscoreWaller Helms Advisors acquired Park Sutton Advisors, a boutique investment bank specializing in financial services, particularly wealth management. The acquisition aimed to enhance WHA's capabilities in the wealth and investment management sector and position the combined firm at the center of active M&A markets in these sectors.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Waller Helms Advisors competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Park Sutton Advisors: Boutique investment bank specializing in financial services M&A, particularly wealth management. Park Sutton was acquired by Waller Helms Advisors in 2022, making it the most direct comparable in terms of size, vertical focus, and business model.
- Lincoln International: Global mid-market investment bank with strong verticals in financial services, healthcare, and technology. Highly comparable in size and operating model to Waller Helms, with similar industry-focused approach to M&A advisory.
- Brown Gibbons Lang & Company: Middle-market investment bank with strong financial services and healthcare M&A practices. Comparable size and similar industry-focused boutique model to Waller Helms Advisors.
- Cross Keys Capital: Boutique investment bank focused on insurance and financial services M&A. Closely comparable in terms of size, geographic focus, and dedicated insurance vertical specialization—directly competing for the same insurance M&A mandates.
Broad incumbents
- Houlihan Lokey: Global investment bank and parent company of Waller Helms Advisors. Houlihan Lokey is the #1 ranked global M&A advisor by deal count and a leading advisor in financial services, healthcare, and fintech—all of WHA's verticals. Closely comparable business model but at vastly larger scale.
- Evercore: Independent global investment banking advisory firm with strong healthcare and financial services coverage. Comparable as a high-value advisory firm competing in the same verticals with a similar independence-focused model, though at materially larger scale.
- Jefferies: Global investment banking firm with active insurance, healthcare, and fintech M&A practices. Competes directly with WHA in mid-market financial services and healthcare advisory mandates.
- Raymond James Financial: Investment bank with significant mid-market M&A advisory in insurance, healthcare, and financial services. Similar vertical coverage to WHA with a much larger platform and broader service offering.
- Piper Sandler: Mid-market-focused investment bank with dedicated financial services and healthcare groups. Comparable in targeting verticals that overlap with WHA's focus areas, particularly insurance and asset/wealth management.
- Robert W. Baird: Employee-owned investment bank with significant M&A advisory practice in healthcare, financial services, and technology. Comparable in mid-market focus and vertical specialization approach.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Waller Helms Advisors financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Waller Helms Advisors leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Waller Helms Advisors funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Waller Helms Advisors M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Waller Helms Advisors
What does Waller Helms Advisors do?
Waller Helms Advisors is a boutique investment bank providing M&A advisory, capital solutions, and strategic consulting services to clients in the insurance, healthcare, wealth management, and financial technology sectors. The firm delivers transaction-based advisory services across North America, with enhanced wealth and investment management capabilities following its acquisition of Park Sutton Advisors.
Is Waller Helms Advisors a public or private company?
Waller Helms Advisors is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Waller Helms Advisors founded?
Waller Helms Advisors was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Waller Helms Advisors based?
Waller Helms Advisors is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Waller Helms Advisors make money?
One revenue line is on record: investment Banking Advisory.
Who are Waller Helms Advisors's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Park Sutton Advisors, Lincoln International, Brown Gibbons Lang & Company and Cross Keys Capital. Broad incumbents are Houlihan Lokey, Evercore, Jefferies, Raymond James Financial, Piper Sandler and Robert W. Baird.
Does Waller Helms Advisors have an API?
No public API is recorded for Waller Helms Advisors.
What industry is Waller Helms Advisors in?
Waller Helms Advisors's product category is Investment Banking Advisory. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEAGAJ, Industry-Specialist / Sector-Focused M&A Advisory, with a secondary code of BPAHADAC, M&A Advisory (Buy-side/Sell-side). Its NAICS code is 54161 and its SIC code is 8700.