Babcock & Brown LP was a global investment and advisory firm, established in 1977, based in Sydney, Australia, that went into liquidation in 2009. Babcock & Brown Securities LLC was an active investment banking firm focused on equipment and project financing such as aircraft, rail, marine and infrastructure and is based in Greenwich, CT, USA. It is unrelated to Babcock & Brown LP. Babcock & Brown LP was best known in financial markets for structured finance deals. The company had at its peak 28 offices and over 1,500 employees worldwide. Although headquartered in Sydney, it had a significant presence in Europe and the United States. The creditors of Babcock & Brown LP voted to place the company into liquidation on 24 August 2009. At the end of 2008 Babcock & Brown LP had a market capitalisation of just over $8.5 billion, and in 2007 its market capitalisation peaked at above $9.1 billion (A$33.90 per share). However, by October 2008 the share price had collapsed by 95% to A$1.30 and by December 2008 by 99.6% to A$0.14, representing a market capitalisation of less than $50 million. On 13 March 2009 the company was placed into voluntary administration. Approximately 45% of its shares were owned by the executives of the firm. Nicknamed the "Mini Macquarie", Babcock & Brown LP was a company frequently compared with larger competitor Macquarie Bank. History Babcock & Brown LP was founded in 1977 by James Babcock and George Brown in San Francisco, US. It largely operated as a corporate advisory firm focused on leasing of aircraft and other equipment until the early 1990s. Babcock & Brown LP opened a Sydney office in 1982 and entered the real estate market there, at that time enjoying considerable success. Jim Babcock resigned from the board of directors on 1 November 2008 citing personal reasons. The company's focus from advisory work to investment management continued until a German bank Bayerische Hypo- und Vereinsbank invested US$120 million in return for a 20% stake. It used those funds and third-party funds they raised from clients to invest directly in a wide variety of investments, as both co-investor and principal. Organisational structure Babcock & Brown LP regarded its three business functions as financial advisory, principal investment on its own account, and funds management. It was a global business with 33% of its revenues coming from the United States, 31% from Australia, and 36% from