---
schema_version: "secwatch.filing_event.v1"
accession: "0001193125-26-398130"
form_type: "8-K"
ticker: "HLI"
cik: "0001302215"
company_name: "HOULIHAN LOKEY, INC."
filed_at: "2026-09-22T21:15:14+00:00"
generated_at: "2026-09-22T21:16:27.315230+00:00"
event_type: "leadership"
sentiment: "neutral"
materiality_score: 0.5
calibrated_materiality_score: 0.5
confidence: "high"
source: SEC EDGAR
---

# HLI appoints Prabha Bhandari as CLO, elects Thomas Reichert to board; shareholders approve amended equity plan

## Summary
- Bhandari named Chief Legal Officer & Secretary, succeeding Christopher Crain (retires to Senior Advisor); she joins from Paychex where she was CLO.
- Thomas Reichert elected independent Class I director effective Oct 1, 2026; will join Audit and Nominating committees; receives $120k restricted stock award.
- Stockholders approved Second Amended 2016 Incentive Award Plan: 12M shares reserved, auto annual increase cut from 6% to 1%, no fixed expiration.
- At annual meeting, say-on-pay passed 193.9M for vs 10.6M against; KPMG ratified; all three Class II directors re-elected.

## SEC filing metadata
- accession: 0001193125-26-398130
- form_type: 8-K
- ticker: HLI
- cik: 0001302215
- company_name: HOULIHAN LOKEY, INC.
- filed_at: 2026-09-22T21:15:14+00:00
- event_type: leadership
- sentiment: neutral
- materiality_score: 0.5
- calibrated_materiality_score: 0.5
- confidence: high
- sec_items: 5.02, 5.07, 7.01, 9.01
- EDGAR index: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1302215/000119312526398130/0001193125-26-398130-index.htm
- EDGAR primary document: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1302215/000119312526398130/d916717d8k.htm

## Machine-readable alternates
- HTML: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001193125-26-398130
- JSON: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001193125-26-398130.json
- Plain text: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001193125-26-398130.txt

## Key facts
- Executive change
  Thomas Reichert was elected as Director at HOULIHAN LOKEY, INC..
  - Action: elected
  - Role: Director
  source text: On September 16, 2026, the Board elected Thomas Reichert as an independent Class I director of the Company, effective as of October 1, 2026.
  evidence_url: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1302215/000119312526398130/0001193125-26-398130-index.htm

This AI-assisted summary is a reading aid. Review the linked SEC EDGAR filing before relying on any specific claim.