SVB Leerink


SVB Leerink is a specialist investment bank focusing on the healthcare sector, headquartered in Boston, MA. SVB Leerink offers capital markets capabilities, M&A advisory, corporate access and equity research. SVB Leerink was founded in 1995 by Jeffrey A. Leerink.

History

1995 – Founded as Leerink Swann LLC with a focus on sell-side research
1996 – Established MedaCorp expert network as a joint venture with Dan Dubin
1999 – Inc. Magazine's America's 500 fastest growing private companies
2014 – Leerink Swann is renamed as Leerink Partners LLC
2019 – Leerink Partners LLC, now SVB Leerink, was acquired by SVB Financial Group, parent company of Silicon Valley Bank
The company has offices in Boston, New York, San Francisco and Charlotte.

MEDACorp

MEDACorp, established 1996, is a strategic knowledge resource at SVB Leerink. It operates a global network of key opinion leaders in various fields of expertise. The aim of this network is to connect medical knowledge with the financial industry. Uses are e.g. validation of new products and commercial viability in the assessment of company financials, corporate due diligence in the medial field as part of M&A advisory or capital raising.

Expert network controversy

A 2010 probe into expert network focused on potential for conflict of interest and insider dealings through expert network across the entire industry. The SEC investigated a 2009 merger between Cougar Biotech and Johnson & Johnson in which Leerink advised Cougar. MedaTech client SAC Capital had been an investor in Cougar Biotech. The focus of the investigation was whether any information about the transaction flowed from Leerink via MedaTech to SAC. According to Leerink, the firm operates strict information barriers. Speculations about MedaTech’s shut down as part of the investigation proved unfounded.

Incidents

In 2012, the SEC charged a former Leerink analyst for insider trading. The analyst had obtained confidential information about a merger transaction Leerink was working on and passed this information on to a friend to place trades on his behalf. The analyst gained around $600,000 from this investment and was later sentenced for insider trading.