Leerink Partners
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Investment banking, Financial services |
| Founded | 1995 |
| Founder | Jeffrey A. Leerink |
| Headquarters | Boston , United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Jeffrey A. Leerink (CEO), Tom Davidson (Co-president and co-head of global investment banking) |
| Products | Mergers and acquisitions advisory, capital raising (equity and debt), proprietary research, sales and trading, specialty pharmaceuticals and services, convertible capital markets, alternative equities, ATM businesses |
Leerink Partners LLC is a U.S.-based independent investment bank with a focus on the healthcare sector, serving companies and investors through a range of financial services. These include advisory roles in M&A, capital raising via equity and debt markets, proprietary research, as well as sales and trading operations. Established in 1995 by Jeffrey A. Leerink, the company’s headquarters are located in Boston, Massachusetts, complemented by additional offices across the United States in New York City, San Francisco, Charlotte, Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Nashville.
History
The firm originated in 1995 under the name Leerink Swann LLC and introduced the MEDACorp expert network in 1996 to enhance due diligence processes and validation for healthcare products during M&A transactions and capital fundraising efforts. By 1999, Inc. recognized it as one of the fastest-growing private companies in America.
In 2009, Leerink significantly bolstered its healthcare investment banking division by recruiting 25 senior bankers from Merrill Lynch. That same year, the firm encountered regulatory challenges when the SEC investigated its advisory role in the Cougar Biotech merger; subsequently, in 2012, a former analyst was charged with insider trading involving confidential merger details.
The company rebranded to Leerink Partners LLC in 2014 and proceeded to expand its capabilities by developing specialty pharmaceuticals and services in 2015, launching convertible capital markets in 2016, and establishing alternative equities alongside ATM businesses by 2019. It also co-founded Transformation Capital, a healthcare venture capital firm, in 2016 and introduced the Leerink Transformation Fund—a health IT growth equity fund—in 2017.
In 2021, following Silicon Valley Bank’s acquisition of media and telecom research firm MoffettNathanson LLC, Leerink was renamed SVB Securities LLC. The company strengthened its leadership within financial sponsor and leveraged finance areas while augmenting its healthcare services team with experienced bankers.
After the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank in March 2023, management at SVB Securities initiated a buyback effort from its parent company. Although SVB Financial Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy that month, SVB Securities was excluded from this filing. In June 2023, SVB agreed to sell SVB Securities back to its management team led by CEO Leerink, supported by Baupost Group investment funds. This $55 million cash transaction involved repaying debt but did not include MoffettNathanson LLC. The buyout received approval in July 2023, after which the firm resumed operating under the Leerink Partners name.
Later that year, to enhance its footprint in the Southeastern U.S., Leerink inaugurated an office in Miami. Following the separation from its former parent company, the firm launched an enterprise data initiative aimed at modernizing business operations. This project included collaboration with consulting partner Element22 to upgrade its data center infrastructure and reevaluate office space requirements aligned with growth objectives.
In 2025, Tom Davidson—founding partner of PJT Partners—joined Leerink as co-president and co-head of global investment banking. The firm also revealed plans to establish a London office within the same year.
Leerink Center for Pharmacoeconomics
Formed in 2024, the Leerink Center for Pharmacoeconomics focuses on assessing the extended societal benefits of healthcare innovations such as pharmaceuticals and medical therapies. Employing methodologies like cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) and generalized cost-effectiveness analysis (GCEA), the center evaluates health outcomes alongside economic factors including productivity and equity considerations. Under the leadership of Dr. Melanie Whittington, its mission is to support healthcare decision-making by disseminating research that highlights the comprehensive value of medical interventions beyond their immediate clinical effects.