Acquisitions & Mergers

Due to M&A issues, Boutique Investment Bank BDA eliminates jobs in China.

Due to M&A issues, Boutique Investment Bank BDA eliminates jobs in China.

By Kajal Sharma - 17 Sep 2025 04:51 PM

According to persons acquainted with the situation, BDA Partners has laid off a few investment bankers in Shanghai in order to deal with growing competition in China and transaction uncertainty. This makes the company the most recent financial services company to pull out of the second-largest economy in the world.According to insiders who asked not to be named because the information is confidential, the boutique business that specializes in mergers and acquisitions has fired five investment bankers headquartered in Shanghai and moved a couple to BDA's Hong Kong office. According to the persons, three senior bankers are remaining in Shanghai to work on ongoing mandates and close new business.BDA was established in 1996 and has offices in Singapore and New York. According to its website, it offers international customers M&A assistance with an emphasis on Asia, primarily for small-to-mid-sized deals.

In addition to London, it maintains offices in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seoul, Mumbai, and Ho Chi Minh City.In an email answer to a question from Bloomberg News, Simon Kavanagh, BDA's head of Greater China, stated, "BDA has been in China since 1999 and we remain strongly committed to M&A across China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan." We have senior bankers on the ground in Hong Kong and the PRC as part of our ongoing active coverage of China.Even though the number of transactions involving Chinese companies has increased this year, advisers still face several difficulties. These include more inbound investment, significant differences in buyer and seller valuations, fierce competition that is driving down prices, and challenges closing agreements due to regulatory and geopolitical issues, including tariffs.

 

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