William Blair Expands Biopharmaceuticals Investment Banking Coverage

CHICAGO, July 20, 2017 --

William Blair, a global investment banking and asset management firm, is pleased to announce the expansion of its global biopharmaceuticals franchise. John Sonnier, formerly an equity research analyst at William Blair, is joining the firm’s investment banking team as a managing director. Mr. Sonnier will partner with the firm’s veteran biopharma bankers to provide capital markets and M&A advisory services.

Mr. Sonnier joined William Blair in 2005 to build the firm’s biopharma equity research practice. Before coming to William Blair, Mr. Sonnier was a biotechnology equity research analyst for seven years with the Prudential Equity Group; previously, he spent eight years in various commercial and strategic roles at Johnson & Johnson and Baxter International. Mr. Sonnier holds a Master of Public Health degree from Johns Hopkins University.

“Given heightened consolidation, increasing capital needs, and uncertainty around healthcare policy, the biopharma industry’s need for trusted strategic advice and access to capital markets is greater now than ever before,” said Brent Gledhill, William Blair’s global head of investment banking. “As our biopharma franchise continues to expand, John Sonnier significantly adds to the depth of our sector expertise and enhances our ability to deliver optimal outcomes for our clients.”

Since 2014, William Blair’s healthcare investment banking team has achieved significant success, having completed more than 200 M&A assignments and equity offerings across the industry. This includes transactions for leading biopharma companies around the world.

“As the pace of innovation across the life sciences industry accelerates, I am excited about the opportunity to work with William Blair’s world-class investment banking team to help high-growth biopharma companies access strategic capital,” Mr. Sonnier said.

About William Blair Investment Banking

William Blair’s investment banking group enables corporations, financial sponsors, and owner/entrepreneurs around the world to achieve their growth, liquidity, and financing objectives. Drawing on the collective intellectual capital and deep sector expertise of a global team that reaches across more than 20 cities on five continents, the investment banking group brings a rigorous and innovative approach to corporate board advisory projects, mergers and acquisitions, and equity and debt financing. From 2012 to 2016, the team advised on more than $230 billion in completed transaction volume. For more information, please visit williamblair.com.

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Tony Zimmer
William Blair & Company
312-364-8611
[email protected]