Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin's role advising WestLB is an important turning point for the US investment bank, which opened its first European office nine months ago.
The adviser, which specialises in mergers and acquisitions and restructuring, is working for WestLB's principal finance team for the first time on a possible £900m (€1.4bn) takeover of AWG, the UK water company. If the deal goes ahead â AWG rejected WestLB's initial proposal â it will be Houlihan Lokey's first announced M&A transaction from its London office.
