M&A advisory firms for marketing, advertising and PR are investment banks and boutique advisors that represent agencies and marketing-services companies in sales, acquisitions, mergers and capital raises. This directory profiles firms with documented transactions in those sectors, grouped by specialty. It covers firms, not individual bankers, and does not publish a numbered ranking.
What do M&A advisory firms do for marketing and PR agencies?
M&A advisory firms for marketing and PR agencies manage the sale, purchase, merger or recapitalization of agencies and marketing-services companies, from valuation through closing. The firms here work deals in advertising, public relations, communications, marketing services and media.
Some generalist banks also run dedicated marketing services teams. Houlihan Lokey's Marketing Services team is one example, and this directory includes such teams where the transaction record supports it. Entries are grouped by specialty so readers can compare firms working the same corner of the market, such as marketing services M&A or PR and communications M&A.
How are firms selected for this directory?
Firms are considered against eight criteria, and transaction evidence outweighs general reputation or overall firm size.
| Criterion | What it measures |
|---|
| Documented transactions | Closed deals with a named buyer, seller and (where disclosed) value |
| Sector specialization | Share of the firm's deal flow inside advertising, PR, marketing or media, not general corporate finance |
| Recency of activity | At least one verifiable transaction in the trailing 24 months |
| Institutional depth | Named senior bankers with public deal credit, not a solo practitioner |
| Buy-side and sell-side experience | Evidence of representing both acquirers and targets, not one side only |
| Middle-market relevance | Typical deal size inside the range PR and marketing services agencies actually trade at |
| Geographic reach | Coverage beyond a single metro market where the firm claims national or global reach |
| Published industry research | Original deal commentary, market reports or valuation benchmarks the firm has put its name on |
A firm must clear a majority of these criteria with documented evidence, not self-reported claims, before Everything-PR adds it to the roster. Candidate firms that did not pass that check were left out rather than published as weak entries.
Which M&A advisory firms are covered so far?
The table below lists every firm profiled or scheduled in this directory, with live profiles first and scheduled profiles in publication order.
| Firm | Specialty | Status |
|---|
| Ciesco | Technology, media and marketing M&A (London) | Live |
| Berkery Noyes | Media and marketing M&A (New York) | Live |
| Canaccord Genuity | Technology, media, marketing and information services group | Live |
| Houlihan Lokey | Marketing Services team | Live |
| Solomon Partners | Media and Entertainment group, advertising and marketing services | Live |
| SI Global | Media, marketing and technology M&A (formerly SI Partners) | October 21 |
| LUMA Partners | Digital media and marketing M&A, AdTech and MarTech | October 26 |
| Madison Alley | Digital marketing, media, advertising and commerce M&A | November 9 |
| JEGI LEONIS | Media, marketing, software and technology M&A | November 19 |
| Equiteq | Technology and consulting M&A, marketing-adjacent deals | November 24 |
| Woodland Park Capital Advisors | Advertising, marketing, media and eCommerce M&A | December 10 |
| Drake Star | Technology M&A with a Digital Media practice | December 16 |
| Gould+Partners | PR agency M&A exclusively | December 30 |
| Progress Partners | AdTech and digital marketing M&A | January 6, 2027 |
| Oaklins DeSilva+Phillips | Media, advertising and marketing M&A (Oaklins TMT practice) | January 11, 2027 |
Gould+Partners is the only firm in this table built exclusively around PR agency transactions rather than marketing, media or advertising more broadly. Each firm is linked once its profile goes live.
How does a typical marketing or PR agency sale unfold?
A typical marketing or communications agency sale starts when an advisory firm prepares a confidential information memorandum. A buyer list is then built from strategic acquirers and private equity-backed platforms, first-round indications of interest narrow the field, and a small group of finalists completes management meetings and diligence before a letter of intent is signed. EPR's guide on how to sell a PR agency walks through each phase, the value drivers buyers weigh and the buyers to know.
Earnouts, where part of the price depends on revenue or EBITDA retention after closing, are a common feature of agency deals because agency revenue depends on client relationships and key people.
Does this directory rank firms numerically?
No, this directory does not rank firms numerically. Firms are organized by specialty area instead, including advertising M&A, PR and communications M&A, marketing services M&A, media M&A, and MarTech and AdTech M&A, so a larger generalist bank does not automatically outrank a smaller specialist with a deeper transaction record.
Will this directory track individual M&A deals?
Individual deals are tracked in the PR Agency M&A Tracker, which records agency acquisitions and holding-company moves. A companion transactions database, tracking specific advertising, marketing and PR deals by buyer, target, date, sector and advisor, follows once enough firm profiles are live. Where deal value is not publicly disclosed, entries will say so rather than estimate a figure.
How does this directory relate to other Everything-PR coverage?
This directory sits alongside the publication's PR firms and agencies directory and its financial services coverage, connecting the agencies Everything-PR covers to the firms that advise on their transactions.
Who is this directory for?
This directory is for agency founders and executives weighing a sale, private equity professionals sourcing deals in marketing services, and communications industry readers who want to know which advisory firms work in their market. Agency owners considering a sale can start with the guide to selling a PR agency.
