Harris Williams opens in Frankfurt

Harris Williams & Company, a US middle market investment bank, has opened an office in Frankfurt, as it expects European M&A activity to pick up. 

The Frankfurt office will focus on M&A transactions across Europe and its ability to bring US buyers to European sellers, according to a statement. 

“Germany represents a gigantic economy and is one of the healthiest economies in Europe. It has a long history of building high quality companies across a number of sectors including industrials and technology.  We expect the middle market M&A volume in Europe to go up relative to last year,” Thierry Monjauze, managing director and head of Harris Williams & Company's London office, told Private Equity International.  

“While statistics may not suggest pick-up in activity today people have recognised that the [subdued activity] last year is the new norm. European sellers are accepting the fact that things are not going to pick up from an economic perspective in the short term and are therefore much more willing to trade,” he added. 

The office will be led by Jeffrey Perkins, who has 19 years of investment banking experience in Germany, according to the statement. He joins Harris Williams & Company from Daiwa Corporate Advisory, where he was responsible for cross-border assignments in and out of German speaking markets. 

This is the firm’s second European office to open in recent years, after Harris Williams & Company opened a London office in December 2009.  

With the opening of the Frankfurt office, Harris Williams & Company will have eight offices across the US and Europe and a workforce of approximately 215 people. The firm advises on mid-market sell-side M&A.