A graduate of the Northfield Mount Hermon School, James Ahern serves as the managing partner and head of capital markets for New York's Laidlaw & Company. When he isn't advising Laidlaw clients or raising capital for health care investments, James Ahern enjoys following his favorite National Football League team, the New England Patriots.Last season, the Patriots overcame a 25-point deficit against the Atlanta Falcons to win its fifth Super Bowl in 16 years and, according to Vegas oddsmakers, the team is poised to win another this upcoming season. In May, following the completion of the 2017 NFL Draft, one popular betting site gave the Patriots 7-2 odds of winning the next Super Bowl, ahead of the Falcons, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, and Oakland Raiders, all of which were given 12-1 odds. Since then, the Oakland Raiders have become more popular, and the team's odds of winning the Super Bowl have risen to 6-1. The Patriots, however, are still the heavy favorites with 3-1 odds. Rather than resting on its 2016 laurels, the Patriots added potential impact players in free agency, including defensive backs Stephon Gilmore and Duron Harmon, as well as running back Mike Gillislee. The team also acquired wide receiver Brandin Cooks from the New Orleans Saints and tight end Dwayne Allen from the Indianapolis Colts.
Through nearly seven years as head of capital markets for Laidlaw & Company, James "Jim" Ahern has grown the investment bank to national recognition with offices in New York, Boston, San Francisco, and London. When he isn't busy with his work at Laidlaw, James Ahern enjoys following his favorite Major League Baseball (MLB) team, the Boston Red Sox. The 40-round 2017 MLB Amateur Draft was held in June and the Red Sox had the 24th overall selection. Boston used that pick to choose hard-throwing right-handed pitcher Tanner Houck, who the organization anticipates becoming a member of the starting rotation in the not-so-distant future. One of the hardest throwers available in the draft, Houck regularly reaches 96 miles per hour (mph) with his fastball and has reached 98 mph on occasion.A native of Collinsville, Illinois, Houck spent this past season at the University of Missouri, where he posted a 4-7 record and a 3.33 earned run average (ERA) to go along with 95 strikeouts in 94.66 innings. He was signed by the Red Sox and has since started four games for the team's A-ball affiliate the Lowell Spinners of the New York-Pennsylvania League. To date, he has a 3.68 ERA and has given up just four hits while striking out nine batters in 7.33 innings.
A graduate of Northfield Mount Hermon School, James "Jimmy" Ahern serves as managing partner and head of capital markets for New York's Laidlaw & Company. Beyond his professional pursuits with Laidlaw, James Ahern is an avid fan of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Boston Celtics. After losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2017 Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics improved its roster in the off-season by signing small forward Gordon Hayward to a four-year, $128 million contract. A native of Indiana, Hayward was one of the most highly sought-after free agents on the market, and for good reason. He averaged a career-high 21.9 points per game with the Utah Jazz last season and was named an All-Star for the first time in his career. By joining the Celtics, Hayward is reunited with his former college coach Brad Stevens, who coached him at Butler University. A ninth overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, Hayward has improved his point totals in each of his seven seasons. In 516 career games, he has averaged 15.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game.
As the head of capital markets and the managing partner at Laidlaw & Company in New York, James Ahern focuses on an expanding healthcare investment market. James (Jim) Ahern and the Laidlaw team have successfully engineered initial public offerings for Therapix Biosciences, Cerecor, and Gemphire Therapeutics, among others. Gemphire, a Michigan-based clinical-stage biopharmaceutical enterprise, focuses on the commercialization of treatments for patients living with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, dyslipidemia, and cardiometabolic disorders. Gemcabene, licensed from Pfizer in 2011, is a promising oral drug candidate that effectively decreases inflammation, LDL-C, and fat in the form of triglycerides. To date, nearly 200 clinical gemcabene Phase 1 and Phase 2 trials have been accomplished, both as a monotherapy and in tandem with statins of various dosages. The market size for this drug, which has been demonstrated as safe and effective, is estimated at 20 million patients and $33 billion by 2025.
