A European banking dynasty just made a big move in Silicon Valley

pulse

May 9, 2017 2:28 PM

Rothschild & Co., one of the oldest banks in the UK, is making a move on Silicon Valley.

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Rothschild & Co., one of the oldest banks in Europe, is making a move on Silicon Valley.

The firm announced it's opening a San Francisco office in a bid to win business advising technology companies on deals. It has also hired Chris Gaertner as its global head of technology and Walid Khiari as a managing director in technology. Gaertner and Khiari previously worked at Credit Suisse.

"We have been serving clients in the San Francisco Bay Area for some time, and the opening of our office there will allow us to strengthen our team, ensuring that our clients continue to have access to the best people and advice," Robert Leitão, the head of Rothschild Global Advisory, said in a statement.

The new office in Silicon Valley follows the opening of a new Chicago office led by former Goldman Sachs managing director Eric Hirschfield. The firm hired Jimmy Neissa from UBS to be head of Rothschild & Co. North America in August.

Rothschild offers mergers-and-acquisitions strategy, financing advice, and investment and wealth-management solutions for institutions, families, individuals, and governments.

The firm has a rich history. Mayer Amschel Rothschild created a family partnership over 200 years ago, and in the early 19th century, five of his sons established banking businesses in London, Paris, Frankfurt, Naples, and Vienna.

It is now one of the preeminent M&A advisory firms, ranking fifth in M&A revenue in Europe in 2016 with $384 million, according to Dealogic. That put it ahead of Citigroup, Credit Suisse, Barclays, and Deutsche Bank.

The firm has roughly 2,800 employees in 40 countries, according to its website.

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