Sandler O’Neill & Partners

Founded in 1988, Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. established itself as a premier investment banking firm with a dedicated focus on the financial services industry. The firm provided a comprehensive suite of services, including merger and acquisition advisory, capital raising, fixed income and equity sales and trading, and expert research for middle-market depository institutions, insurance companies, and other financial entities. The company showed remarkable resilience after tragically losing 66 of its 171 employees, including two of its founders, in the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center. In January 2020, Sandler O’Neill was acquired by Piper Jaffray, and the combined entity was rebranded as Piper Sandler Companies, continuing its legacy as a leading investment bank.