B. Riley Acquires Corporate Division of Farber Group, Leading Business Advisory Firm in Canada

Rhea-AI Summary

B. Riley Financial (NASDAQ: RILY) announced the acquisition of the corporate division of Farber Group, a Toronto-based restructuring and advisory firm, on February 22, 2023. This acquisition enhances B. Riley's restructuring services by adding 45 staff, including 16 experienced professionals. Farber's offerings will integrate into B. Riley Advisory Services, now operating as B. Riley Farber. This strategic move expands B. Riley's capabilities across North America and strengthens its position in cross-border engagements, benefiting clients in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Positive

• Acquisition of Farber Group enhances restructuring capabilities and builds a leading advisory platform in North America.
• Integration adds 45 staff, including 16 experienced restructuring professionals, bolstering B. Riley Advisory Services.
• Expansion of cross-border opportunities for clients between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

Negative

• None.

Expands restructuring and financial consulting services;
Increases cross-border opportunities

LOS ANGELES and TORONTO, Feb. 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- B. Riley Financial, Inc. (Nasdaq: RILY) ("B. Riley"), a diversified financial services platform, today announced that it has acquired the corporate division of Farber Group ('Farber"), a Toronto-based restructuring and business advisory firm.

B. Riley has acquired the corporate division of Farber Group, a Toronto-based restructuring and business advisory firm.

Farber provides corporate restructuring and related advisory services, M&A corporate finance, wealth management, interim management and executive search, human capital advisory, organizational and talent development and related consulting services to corporate clients, entrepreneurs, law firms, lenders, private equity firms, regulators, and investors across Canada.

In connection with the acquisition, Farber's corporate division will become part of B. Riley Advisory Services. The acquisition adds 45 staff, including 16 experienced restructuring professionals, to B. Riley's established restructuring and turnaround management practice. The Canadian practice will operate under the name B. Riley Farber. Farber's consumer and tax divisions are not included in this transaction and will continue to service their clients in the normal course.

Ian Ratner, co-CEO of B. Riley Advisory Services, commented: "The Farber acquisition represents an exciting addition for B. Riley. This is a world-class organization with whom we have enjoyed a long-standing relationship for over 15 years. We look forward to growing our capabilities and collective foothold across the North American market alongside our trusted partner."

Gary Lifman, Senior Managing Director at Farber, commented: "We are thrilled to become part of B. Riley. This combination catapults our firm into a class of its own. Together, our combined resources and scale enable us to offer our clients greater expertise, experience, and industry specialization. Our established trust, aligned cultures, and shared values allow us to seamlessly collaborate to provide greater value to our stakeholders. As part of B. Riley, our focus remains dedicated to providing the same superior service our clients have known for years."

Expands New and Complementary Financial Consulting Services; Increases Cross-Border Opportunities
Combined, B. Riley and Farber creates a leading North American financial restructuring and business advisory firm. With new and expanded capabilities, this combination mutually benefits B. Riley's and Farber's clients in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.

Farber's interim management and executive search practice, along with its human capital and organizational development advisory services, complement B. Riley's interim management services in which the firm is appointed interim CEO, CFO, or Chief Restructuring Officer (CRO) for clients navigating a restructuring. These complementary offerings facilitate the sourcing, retention, and development of executive talent to support clients across North America, whether for growth or distressed situations.

The integration of the firms' resources and capabilities extends B. Riley's appraisal, valuation, litigation support and forensic services to Farber clients, and provides a foundation with which to expand corporate finance capabilities in Canada and provide Canadian clients access to U.S. capital markets.

As founding members of BTG Global Advisory, an international network of restructuring advisors, this combination builds upon the firms' existing partnership and provides greater opportunities to serve clients across geographies through direct collaboration on cross-border engagements. Farber is also a member of IIC Partners, a global network of search firms with a strong footprint in the Americas. This global network allows Farber to collaborate on executive search and human capital advisory mandates and other cross-border opportunities.

The addition of Farber builds on prior successful investments to expand B. Riley's financial consulting segment including its acquisition of GlassRatner in 2018, and its acquisition of an automotive restructuring firm, Alderney Advisors, in 2021.

Transaction Advisors
Arnall Golden Gregory LLP acted as legal advisor to B. Riley, and Goodmans LLP served as legal counsel to Farber. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

To learn more about B. Riley Advisory Services, please visit: www.brileyadvisoryservices.com and www.farbergroup.com.

About Farber Group ("Farber")
Founded in 1979, Farber was established as an insolvency and restructuring business. Today, Farber continues to grow by fostering an unparalleled collaborative approach and seamlessly providing services across the areas of restructuring, financial and human capital consulting, interim management and executive search, M&A corporate finance and wealth management. With offices in Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver, Farber is positioned to advise businesses across Canada. For more information, visit www.farbergroup.com.

About B. Riley Advisory Services
B. Riley Advisory Services is a leading provider of specialty business advisory services that works with law firms, lenders, private equity sponsors, and companies of all types on business challenges such as planning and executing a major acquisition or divestiture, pursuing a fraud investigation or corporate litigation, or managing through a business crisis or bankruptcy. The firm offers a unique mix of appraisal services including asset-based lending (ABL) valuations, restructuring and turnaround management, forensic accounting and litigation support, and transaction support services including due diligence and quality of earnings reviews. For more information, visit www.brileyadvisoryservices.com.

About B. Riley Financial, Inc. (Nasdaq: RILY)
B. Riley Financial (Nasdaq: RILY) is a diversified financial services platform that delivers tailored solutions to meet the strategic, operational, and capital needs of its clients and partners. We leverage cross-disciplinary expertise and resources of our affiliated subsidiaries to provide end-to-end, collaborative financial services spanning investment banking, brokerage, wealth and investment management, business advisory, valuation, and asset disposition services. On a principal basis, B. Riley opportunistically invests to benefit its shareholders and originates and underwrites senior secured loans for asset-rich companies. Founded in 1997, B. Riley is headquartered in Los Angeles with more than 2,000 affiliated personnel. Learn more at www.brileyfin.com.

B. Riley refers to B. Riley Financial, Inc. and/or one or more of its subsidiaries or affiliates.

Contacts

Media
Jo Anne McCusker
B. Riley Financial
press@brileyfin.com
(646) 885-5425

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SOURCE B. Riley Financial

FAQ

What did B. Riley acquire from Farber Group?

B. Riley acquired the corporate division of Farber Group, a restructuring and business advisory firm.

When was the acquisition of Farber Group announced?

The acquisition was announced on February 22, 2023.

How many employees did B. Riley gain from the Farber acquisition?

B. Riley gained 45 employees, including 16 experienced restructuring professionals from Farber.

What will the Farber division be called after the acquisition?

The Farber division will operate under the name B. Riley Farber.

What are the strategic benefits of the B. Riley and Farber merger?

The merger expands B. Riley's capabilities, enhances cross-border opportunities, and strengthens its North American market position.