People: Houlihan Lokey Brings on Elsa Berry as MD

Distressed advisor Houlihan Lokey tapped Elsa Berry as a managing director and head of cross-border consumer coverage.

And, distressed advisor and investment bank Lazard hired Fotis Hasiotis to join the firm's London office as a co-head of the European financial sponsors group alongside Paris-based Isabelle Xoual. Hasiotis joins from Bank of America Merrill Lynch, where he was head of financial sponsors, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

[The Deal]

Jefferies is adding Matthew Schultz as a managing director in its Investment Banking Division focused on the Internet sector. He will be located in the firm's Silicon Valley office and will work in partnership with David Liu who is also an MD specializing in Internet investment banking. [Jefferies]

Kazushige Kobayashi has stepped down as president and CEO of Alternative Investment Capital, the Japanese private equity advisory formed in 2002 by Mitsubishi and Daido Life Insurance. This promises to be a big deal within Japan's relatively small private equity market. [Fortune]

Keefe, Bruyette & Woods brings on another new managing director, Simon Leopold, in January. Leopold joins new MD hire Andrew Dietz. Both will work out of the New York office. [HousingWire]