William Blair, a global investment banking and asset management firm, announced 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. Sonnier will partner with the firm’s veteran biopharma bankers to provide capital markets and M&A advisory services.

Sonnier joined William Blair in 2005 to build the firm’s biopharma equity research practice. Before coming to William Blair, 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. 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.”

“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,” Sonnier said.

As ABL Advisor reported earlier this month, analysts expect demand for new biotechnologies to drive double-digit spending and increased debt financing in the biotech and biopharma markets.