Veteran deal maker Ken Moelis unveiled plans to take his namesake investment bank public, in a move that will let him and his partners cash in on buoyant financial markets and increasing demand for independent mergers-and-acquisitions advice.

Moelis on Tuesday disclosed paperwork for an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange that it already had filed confidentially in January. The firm will seek to raise as much as $100 million, a placeholder amount that may increase based on investor demand.