Comparison · 13 material differences
AM&AA vs ILPA
This comparison was generated on request from the records. It carries no editorial verdict and is not indexed. The published comparisons are listed on the compare page.
Read down each column for one organization, across a row for the difference. A bronze mark at the left of a cell means the organizations differ on that row. A dash or “not published” means the organization does not disclose the fact; it is not a zero.
Verified September 2026
Professional association
Verified September 2026 AM&AA
Middle-market M&A advisers: investment bankers, CPAs, attorneys, valuation specialists, corporate financial investors and business advisers
Professional association
ILPA
Institutional limited partners (pension funds, endowments, foundations, insurers, family offices, sovereign wealth funds and development finance institutions) that invest in…
What the records say
- Maximum age at joining: AM&AA: Young Professional membership is limited to those aged 35 and under in the early stages of an M&A career; ILPA: No published maximum age at joining.
- Industry restriction: AM&AA: Individual membership is for M&A and supporting trade professionals who practise independently; ILPA: No published industry restriction.
- Annual dues: AM&AA: $545 a year; ILPA: $4,410 a year.
Side by side
| AM&AA | ILPA | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Professional association | Professional association |
| Founded | 1998 (Established in 1998 to bring together CPAs, attorneys and corporate financial advisers working in middle-market M&A) | 2002 (ILPA describes its origins as an informal networking club of a few dozen limited partners more than two decades ago; secondary sources date its formal establishment as a trade association to 2002) |
| Headquarters | Dallas, United States | Washington, United States |
| Geographic footprint | Chapters are all in the United States plus a virtual chapter; the membership network spans 25 countries | Members in 50-plus countries; roughly 60% US-based and 40% in Europe, Canada and elsewhere. Offices in Toronto, Washington DC and London. |
| Members | 1,100as of September 2026 | 600as of September 2026 |
| Chapters | 24 | Not applicable: no chapters. ILPA runs 20-plus regional gatherings across 12-plus countries |
| Primary audience | Middle-market M&A advisers: investment bankers, CPAs, attorneys, valuation specialists, corporate financial investors and business advisers | Institutional limited partners (pension funds, endowments, foundations, insurers, family offices, sovereign wealth funds and development finance institutions) that invest in private market funds |
| Typical member | Members are M&A and supporting trade professionals: accountants, lawyers, investment bankers, valuation and due diligence specialists, and corporate financial investors working in the middle market. Individual membership is aimed at those who practise independently; corporate membership covers teams of five or more from one firm. | Members are institutions rather than individuals: public and corporate pensions, endowments, foundations, family offices, insurance companies, investment firms, development finance institutions and sovereign wealth funds. Around 7,000 individual professionals sit under those institutional memberships. Service providers, consultants and general partners are excluded. |
| Qualification | ||
| Maximum age at joining | Young Professional membership is limited to those aged 35 and under in the early stages of an M&A careerIdentification and proof of age are required during the application processverified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published maximum age at joining |
| Industry restriction | Individual membership is for M&A and supporting trade professionals who practise independentlyverified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published industry restriction |
| Invitation required | No | No |
| Sponsor required | No | No |
| Application process | Applicants complete an application through AM&AA's membership portal at amaa.wildapricot.org, or contact the association directly. Young Professional applicants must supply identification and proof of age. Corporate memberships are arranged by email with custom pricing. There is no published interview, sponsorship or committee review, but all members must accept the ethics and standards rules and the no-solicitation condition. | An institution submits a membership application request form (a separate form exists for associate membership) and ILPA checks it against the three eligibility tests. Fees are then assigned from the four-tier AUM schedule for a 12-month term. Questions go to membership@ilpa.org. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed: AM&AA publishes membership categories and conditions but no acceptance data | Not publicly disclosed: ILPA publishes eligibility criteria but no acceptance or rejection data |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | $545 a yearIndividual membershipverified September 2026 · source ↗ | $4,410 a yearTier 1: total AUM under $1.5 billion. Fees rise about 5% year over year.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Programme fee | $5,200 one-timeCertified Merger & Acquisition Advisor (CM&AA) programme fee, which includes first-year membership and materialsverified September 2026 · source ↗ | Fees are institutional, cover a 12-month term, and are banded by total AUM in USD. |
| Membership term | Annual | 12-month term, renewed annually |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | Monthly chapter events plus two annual conferences (Summer and Winter), and CM&AA certification courses run in person and virtually | Annual Summit, Legal Conference, Members' Conference and Forum EMEA, plus more than 20 regional gatherings across 12-plus countries and a webcast programme |
| Peer forums | No confidential peer forums; members organise through chapters, including a virtual chapter, and deal-sourcing tools | No standing peer forums; members convene at conferences, regional gatherings and through the ILPA Connect platform |
| Confidentiality | Members agree not to solicit fellow members without written board permission; no broader confidentiality policy was found | Could not be independently verified: no published confidentiality policy was found |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Not documented |
| Organized as | Chapter-based, Event-focused, Virtual | Event-focused, Virtual |
| Confidential peer forums | No | Partial |
| Local chapters | Yes | No |
| Virtual membership | Yes | Partial |
| Online community | Partial | Yes |
| Member directory | Yes | Yes |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Yes |
| Leadership development | Partial | Partial |
| Retreats | No | No |
| Travel | No | No |
| Family programming | No | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | No | No |
| Next-generation programming | Yes | No |
| Investment discussions | Yes | Yes |
| Investment opportunities | Yes | No |
| Philanthropic component | No | No |
| Networking emphasis | High | High |
| Social emphasis | Medium | Low |
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