Moelis was founded in 2007 by Ken Moelis, who'd previously run investment banking at UBS. It grew quickly into one of the main elite boutiques and, like PJT, has a strong restructuring practice alongside M&A.
What Moelis is like to apply to
- Generalist analysts. At many boutiques, Moelis included, analysts don't sit in one sector or product group. You might work on a tech sale and a restructuring in the same month. That suits people who like variety. Say so if it's you.
- A culture people describe as intense and entrepreneurial. It's a relatively young firm that's grown fast. Talk to analysts there to get your own view of it.
- Small classes, as at every boutique, so a clean, technical CV matters.
What I'd put on a Moelis CV
- A finance internship with deal work and numbers, even at a small firm.
- Evidence of range: different kinds of projects, sectors or roles, because you'll be a generalist.
- Something that shows you can keep going. A demanding sport, a job alongside your degree, a society you built from scratch.
Before: Worked on a variety of projects across different sectors
After: Worked on 3 live mandates in 10 weeks: a £75m software sale, a consumer brand carve-out and a lender-side restructuring