Investment Bank Stifel Financial Opens First Branch in Israel

Investment Bank Stifel Financial Corp. announced on Tuesday it is opening a first branch in Israel. The NYSE-listed bank chose veteran investment banker Alain Dobkin as the branch’s managing director and Israel country head. Dobkin has two decades of Israeli and international experience in mergers and acquisitions and in the past has helped set up Citigroup’s operations in Israel. Formerly, he was a managing partner at Spring Hill Partners and China Everbright Israel.

St. Louis, Missouri-headquartered Stifel serves middle-market clients, specializing in public M&A and equity deals under $1 billion. It also manages venture capital-backed IPOs. The bank also offers equity research. Three years ago, Stifel partnered with Israeli Bank Leumi’s investment banking arm Leumi Partners on a potential government tender. Stifel considers Israel a highly strategic market with robust growth in M&A and capital markets activity, Brad Raymond, Global Head of Investment Banking at Stifel, said in a statement.