Raymond James Financial : adds healthcare industry veteran Pete Lawson to Healthcare Finance Group

January 12, 2015

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Raymond James announced that Pete Lawson has joined the firm's Healthcare Finance group as managing director and co-head of Hospital Mergers and Acquisitions. Lawson will implement new strategic initiatives, including physician equity models and partnership strategies for nonprofit systems, while also performing traditional merger and acquisition functions. Lawson has 37 years of healthcare industry experience with nearly 30 years working in operations and development for both nonprofit and investor owned health systems.

"Pete's breadth and depth of experience as a hospital operator are invaluable to our firm and our clients," said Rob Baird, senior managing director and head of Public Finance/Debt Investment Banking at Raymond James. "He brings a unique perspective to banking, which further differentiates the superior services offered by our Healthcare Finance group and underscores our commitment to being an industry leader."

Prior to joining Raymond James, Lawson was executive vice president of development for the former Health Management Associates, now Community Health Systems, for 16 years. His diverse background and extensive knowledge of the healthcare sector will help expand existing relationships and grow new business for the firm.

"The healthcare sector is constantly evolving, which means there are always new opportunities for our clients to grow," said Joe Beck, managing director and co-head of the Healthcare Finance group. "Pete's relationships and expertise in the healthcare sector will be a great asset to the firm as we expand our platform and remain committed to serving the changing needs of our clients."

The Healthcare Finance group of Raymond James provides specialized healthcare expertise to clients nationwide through strategic advisory, capital markets, M&A and real estate services. With veteran bankers in seven offices across the country, Raymond James offers one of the largest and most qualified healthcare investment banking platforms with a focus on not-for-profit healthcare, executing over $41 billion in transactions since 2007.