Jefferies expands its global Healthcare Investment Banking Group

Oct 5 2009

Jefferies today announced the expansion of its global Healthcare Investment Banking Group with the hiring of five senior professionals. Henry Elphick, Tommy Erdei and Probir Rao join as Managing Directors, Gil Bar-Nahum as a Senior Vice President, and Andrew Clayton as a Vice President. Henry Elphick, Tommy Erdei and Gil Bar-Nahum are based in London, Probir Rao is based in Mumbai, and Andrew Clayton in Hong Kong.

David Weaver, President of Jefferies International Limited, commented, “We are very pleased to welcome these experienced bankers to Jefferies. Their expertise in advising healthcare companies coupled with their relationships in the business will help to make an immediate and significant contribution to our global healthcare practice."

“Extending our presence outside the US, these new hires represent the continued expansion of Jefferies’ healthcare investment banking platform. Henry, Tommy, Probir, Gil and Andy will enable Jefferies to better serve healthcare companies throughout Europe and Asia,” added Sage Kelly, Global Head of Healthcare Investment Banking at Jefferies.

These additions further enhance Jefferies’ global healthcare investment banking platform, which is now one of the world’s largest, consisting of more than 50 dedicated specialists in the US, Europe and Asia. In July of this year, Jefferies announced the hiring of over 35 investment bankers, including Benjamin Lorello as Chairman of Investment Banking and Mr. Kelly.

In just over two months, Jefferies has completed or announced 17 healthcare transactions worth over $5 billion, including acting as Financial Advisor to Sepracor Inc. in its $2.6 billion sale to Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma, Co., Ltd., Joint Bookrunner on both Inverness Medical Innovations’ $150 million senior notes offering and its subsequent $100 million senior notes offering, Joint Bookrunner on Alapis Holdings’ $664 million (€451 million) common stock rights offering, Sole Bookrunner on Auxilium Pharmaceuticals’ $119 million common stock offering, Joint Bookrunner on Cumberland Pharmaceuticals’ $85 million initial public offering, and Exclusive Advisor to Qiagen NV on its $130 million acquisition of DxS Ltd.

Henry Elphick joins Jefferies from UBS Investment Bank, where he spent ten years and was most recently a Managing Director in the Global Healthcare Team focused on European healthcare services and medical technology companies.

Tommy Erdei joins Jefferies from UBS Investment Bank, where he spent three years and was most recently an Executive Director in the Global Healthcare Team focused on European pharmaceutical companies. Previously, he was a Director in the healthcare team at ABN AMRO and before that an equity research analyst covering pharmaceuticals at UBS.

Probir Rao joins Jefferies from UBS Investment Bank, where he spent three years and was most recently a Managing Director in the Global Healthcare Team responsible for India. Previously, he was a Vice President at JP Morgan in that firm’s Investment Banking Division covering India.

Gil Bar-Nahum, PhD, joins Jefferies from UBS Investment Bank, where he spent ten years and was an Executive Director in the Global Healthcare Team focused on biotechnology and life science companies. Previously, he was a biotechnology research analyst in the equity research group at UBS. He received his PhD from New York University in Basic Sciences/Biochemistry.

Andrew Clayton joins Jefferies from UBS Investment Bank, where he spent five years and was most recently a Director in the Global Healthcare Team in Hong Kong covering Asian healthcare companies.