BACKGROUND

Houlihan Lokey, Inc. ("Houlihan Lokey," or "HL, Inc." also referred to as the "Company," "we," "our," or "us") is a Delaware corporation that controls the following primary subsidiaries:


•	Houlihan Lokey Capital, Inc., a California corporation ("HL Capital, Inc."), is a wholly owned direct subsidiary of HL, Inc. HL Capital, Inc. is registered as a broker‑dealer under Section 15(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.


•	Houlihan Lokey Financial Advisors, Inc., a California corporation ("HL FA, Inc."), is a wholly owned direct subsidiary of HL, Inc. HL FA, Inc. is a registered investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.


•	Houlihan Lokey (Europe) Limited, a limited company incorporated in England ("HL Europe, Ltd."), is a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of HL, Inc. HL Europe, Ltd. is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom.

On August 18, 2015, the Company successfully completed an initial public offering (IPO) of its Class A common stock.

Prior to a corporate reorganization that was consummated immediately prior to the closing of the IPO, the Company was incorporated in California as Houlihan Lokey, Inc., a California corporation ("HL CA"), and was a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of Fram Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Fram"), which, in turn, was a majority owned subsidiary of ORIX USA Corporation, a Delaware corporation ("ORIX USA"), with the remaining minority interest being held by Company employees ("HL Holders"). ORIX USA and the HL Holders held their interests in HL CA indirectly through their ownership of Fram. On July 24, 2015, HL CA merged with and into HL, Inc., with HL, Inc. as the surviving entity. In connection with the IPO, the HL Holders deposited their shares of Class B common stock in HL, Inc. into a voting trust (the "HL Voting Trust") and own such common stock through the HL Voting Trust. Houlihan Lokey has separated from Fram and as a result, common stock in HL, Inc. is held directly by ORIX USA (through ORIX HLHZ Holding, LLC, its wholly owned subsidiary), the HL Voting Trust for the benefit of the HL Holders, non-employee directors, and public shareholders.

In addition, prior to the consummation of the IPO, the Company distributed to its existing owners a dividend of $270.0 million, consisting of (i) a short‑term note in the aggregate amount of $197.2 million, which was repaid immediately after the consummation of the IPO, and was allocated $94.5 million to ORIX USA and $102.7 million to the HL Holders, (ii) a note to ORIX USA in the amount of $45 million (see Note 3), and (iii) certain of our non‑operating assets to certain of the HL Holders (consisting of non‑marketable minority equity interests in four separate businesses that range in carrying value from $2.5 million to $11.0 million, and valued in the aggregate at approximately $22.8 million as of June 30, 2015, together with $5.0 million in cash to be used to complete a potential additional investment and in the administration of these assets in the future. All issued and outstanding Fram shares were converted to HL, Inc. common stock at a ratio of 10.425 shares for each share of Fram stock. Immediately following the IPO, there were two classes of authorized HL, Inc. common stock: Class A common stock and Class B common stock. The rights of the holders of Class A common stock and Class B common stock are identical, except with respect to voting and conversion rights. Each share of Class A common stock is entitled to one vote per share, and each share of Class B common stock is entitled to ten votes per share. Each share of Class B common stock may be converted into one share of Class A common stock at the option of its holder and will be automatically converted into one share of Class A common stock upon transfer thereof, subject to certain exceptions. As of March 31, 2016, there were 12,075,000 Class A shares held by the public, 9,524 Class A shares held by non-employee directors, 31,608,972 Class B shares held by the HL Voting Trust, and 21,610,331 Class B shares held by ORIX USA.

The Company did not receive any proceeds from the sale of our Class A common stock in the IPO.

Expenses related to the corporate reorganization and IPO during the year ended March 31, 2016 and recorded in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income include the following:


•	$12,783 of professional service and other third-party fees and expenses associated with the IPO, as well as a corporate reorganization and related activities;


•	$7,420 of compensation expense associated with the amortization of restricted stock granted in connection with the IPO; amortization expense of restricted stock granted in connection with the IPO is being recognized over a four and one-half year vesting period; and


•	$7,855 of compensation expense associated with the accrual of certain deferred cash payments granted in connection with the IPO; accrual expense of deferred cash payments granted in connection with the IPO is being recognized over a four and one-half year vesting period.

The Company offers financial services and financial advice to a broad clientele located throughout the United States of America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. The Company has U.S. offices in Los Angeles, Newport Beach, San Francisco, Chicago, New York City, Minneapolis, McLean (Virginia), Dallas, Houston, Miami, and Atlanta as well as foreign offices in London, Paris, Frankfurt, Madrid, Amsterdam, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Beijing. Together, the Company and its subsidiaries form an organization that provides financial services to meet a wide variety of client needs. The Company concentrates its efforts toward the earning of professional fees with focused services across the following three business segments:

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Corporate Finance provides general advisory services on mergers and acquisitions and capital markets offerings. Corporate Finance advises public and private institutions on buy-side and sell-side transactions, as well as leveraged loans, private mezzanine debt, high‑yield debt, initial public offerings, follow‑ons, convertibles, equity private placements, private equity, and liability management transactions, as well as advises financial sponsors on all types of transactions.

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Financial Restructuring provides advice to creditors and debtors in connection with recapitalization/deleveraging transactions implemented both through bankruptcy proceedings and though out‑of‑court exchanges, consent solicitations or other mechanisms, as well as in distressed mergers and acquisitions and capital markets activities. As part of these engagements, Financial Restructuring offers a wide range of advisory services to its clients, including: the structuring, negotiation, and confirmation of plans of reorganization; structuring and analysis of exchange offers; corporate viability assessment; litigation support and expert testimony; and procuring debtor-in-possession financing.

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Financial Advisory Services provides valuations of various assets and liabilities including: companies, illiquid debt and equity securities, and intellectual property (among other assets and liabilities). These valuations are used for financial reporting, tax reporting, and other purposes. Financial Advisory Services renders fairness opinions in connection with mergers & acquisitions and other transactions, and solvency opinions in connection with corporate spin‑offs and dividend recapitalizations. Financial Advisory Services also provides strategic consulting services and dispute resolution services to clients where fees are usually based on the hourly rates of its consultants.