Ryan O’Toole has joined Houlihan Lokey as a director in the Aerospace•Defense•Government (ADG) Group. O’Toole was most recently a director at Lazard Frères & Co. PRESS RELEASE Houlihan Lokey, an international investment bank, today announced that Ryan O’Toole has joined the firm as a Director in the Aerospace•Defense•Government (ADG) Group. Mr. O’Toole, formerly of Lazard, [...]

Two financial restructuring advisors have been appointed to search for a private equity cash injection to keep indebted Danish shipping company Torm alive, writes Reuters. M&A advisory and asset management firm Lazard had been appointed to work for the creditors and Evercore had been appointed to work for Torm, reports Reuters. Reuters – Two financial [...]

The Carlyle Group and Hellman & Friedman have completed their $3.9 billion deal to buy Pharmaceutical Product Development. The deal was approved by PPD shareholders on Nov. 30. Morgan Stanley advised PPD while Lazard provided a fairness opinion. Credit Suisse provided financial advice to Carlyle and Hellman & Friedman.

Lazard Ltd hired Timothy M. George to join the bank’s Financial Advisory business. George was previously a founding partner of boutique investment bank Greenhill & Co and a member of its management committee.

Jorge Mora will join Macquarie Group, where he will act as senior managing director and as head of U.S. financial sponsors for the company in New York. Mora has 18 years of experience and most recently served as head of financial sponsors with Lazard.

Lazard Ltd. has named Gary Howe to the post of managing director and head of Financial Institutions Group advisory, North America. Previously, Howe was co-head of FIG Americas at UBS.

Lazard Ltd. has named Peter Kuo a managing director and head of equity capital markets advisory in Asia. He will be based in Hong Kong. Kuo most recently served as a managing director of Cowen and Company, where he was responsible for the origination and execution of its capital raising transactions for Chinese companies, the company said in a release.

Buyout shop Lazard is looking to sell a stake in Australian biscuit maker Unibic to an Asian partner, and is in talks with potential buyers, Reuters reported Tuesday. A strategic buyer would help the company – Australia’s third largest biscuit maker – expand its Asian business.

Mid-market private equity shop HgCapital is planning to sell talc mining and processing company Mondo Minerals, Reuters reported. The firm has hired Lazard to help sell the business, which it values between 300 million and 400 million euros ($425 million-$565 million). HgCapital acquired Amsterdam-based Mondo in 2007. No terms of the original sale were disclosed.

The Gores Group has raised $2 billion for its third private equity fund, which will invest in technology, telecommunications, business services, industrial, consumer, and healthcare sectors. The pool, Gores Capital Partners III, L.P., exceeded its target of $1.5 billion by over 30%. Lazard acted as placement agent and Weil, Gotshal & Manges served as fund counsel.