Sunday, March 11, 2018

Red Sox Re-Sign Infielder Eduardo Nunez


Since becoming the head of capital markets at Laidlaw & Company in 2010, James "Jimmy" Ahern has facilitated more than $2 billion in transactions in the healthcare sector. Away from his work at Laidlaw, James "Jim" Ahern enjoys following his favorite Major League Baseball (MLB) team, the Boston Red Sox. 

In July of 2017, the Red Sox acquired veteran infielder Eduardo Nunez from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for minor league players Shaun Anderson and Gregory Santos. The 30-year-old Nunez was coming off a year split between the Giants and the Minnesota Twins. 

Maintaining an impressive .308 batting average in 76 games with San Francisco prior to his trade to Boston, Nunez continued his impressive play in 38 games with the Red Sox, compiling eight home runs, 27 runs batted in (RBIs), and a .321 batting average. As a result, Nunez was recently re-signed to a one-year contract worth a guaranteed $6 million with a $4 million player option for the 2019 season. 

A native of the Dominican Republic, Nunez made his MLB debut in 2010 as a member of the New York Yankees and played four seasons with the team before he joined the Twins. Through 669 career games, he has 46 home runs, 245 RBIs, and a .282 batting average.

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Casino Night Raises Funds for BBBSMB


James Ahern functions as the managing partner and head of capital markets for Laidlaw & Company UK Ltd. in New York City. Beyond his obligations for Laidlaw, Jimmy Ahern supports Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay (BBBSMB) and serves on the Board of Overseers for the Big Brothers Big Sisters Foundation. BBBSMB invites supporters to Casino Night to help raise money for the organization’s programs.

Casino Night treats guests to an evening of table casino games, dancing, and networking with some of Boston’s brightest professionals in the 40 and under range. Presented by the Young Professionals Group Executive Committee, the event will feature an open bar and prizes for the top casino winners. Guests may also participate in a raffle with more than 30 prizes. Dress for the event is black tie formalwear.

Individual tickets start at $100, and guests interested in sponsoring can select from a number of sponsorship packages that range between $750 and $7,500. Sponsorship packages include multiple tickets and promotional opportunities based on level.

Casino Night will take place at the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse on April 21, 2018.

Friday, January 26, 2018

Red Sox Sign Veteran Catcher Oscar Hernandez


Since joining Laidlaw & Company in 2010, James "Jimmy" Ahern has helped facilitate over $2 billion in transactions, primarily on behalf of companies in the healthcare sector. When he isn't leveraging his investment banking skills for Laidlaw & Company's clients, James "Jim" Ahern enjoys following his favorite Major League Baseball (MLB) team, the Boston Red Sox. 

The Red Sox are already deep at the catcher position with Sandy Leon, Blake Swihart, and Christian Vazquez all slated to compete for the starting job in 2018, but competition will be even more intense during spring training as the team recently signed 24-year-old Oscar Hernandez. The native of Venezuela began his career in the Tampa Bay Rays minor league system but was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2014 Rule 5 Draft. 

Since joining the Diamondbacks, Hernandez has played in only 22 games and has a less-than-stellar .167 career batting average to go along with one home run and two runs batted in (RBI), but he's primarily known for his impressive defensive capabilities. Through eight seasons at the minor league level, he has 63 home runs, 258 RBI, and a career batting average of .256.

Saturday, January 13, 2018

Lobster Stocks South of Cape Cod Experience Sharp Decline


A managing partner with Laidlaw & Company, James (Jim or Jimmy) Ahern provides capital raising solutions to public and private firms in the health care sphere. An avid fisherman, Laidlaw executive James Ahern enjoys fishing trips in the Nantucket area as well as grilling steamers and lobsters. 

A recent Boston Globe article brought attention to a troubling situation in which, despite record lobster catches in the colder waters off Maine, the coastline south of Cape Cod has seen a devastating loss of its lobster population. With warming sea temperatures singled out as the major cause, lobster catches in Rhode Island and New York have been particularly impacted. The New York catch was only 218,000 pounds in 2016, a fraction of the 9.4 million pounds netted in 1999. Buzzards Bay south of Cape Cod has also been affected, with the 2016 catch only 60 percent of what it was two decades ago. 

The warming sea temperatures are reflected in almost 100 days in 2012 when readings in the Long Island Sound were above 68 degrees. The Atlantic lobster is best suited to temperatures within the 53 to 64 degree range. Reflecting a growing sense that maintaining a stable population may be futile, there have been no new regulations set in place by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to conserve dwindling lobster stocks.

Saturday, December 23, 2017

Northfield Mount Hermon School’s Top-Ranked Basketball Team



James “Jim” Ahern joined Laidlaw & Company in 2010 and now serves as managing director and head of capital markets at the firm. Alongside his work with Laidlaw, James “Jimmy” Ahern supports his alma mater, Northfield Mount Hermon School, where he serves as chair of the Basketball Alumni Council for Excellence. 

In addition to top-notch academic programming, Northfield Mount Hermon (NMH) boasts one of the nation’s best preparatory level basketball programs. A member of the prestigious New England Prep School Athletic Conference, the NMH basketball team has maintained a top-10 national ranking for the past 12 years and a top-5 national ranking over the past seven years. During that same period, the team reached the National Championship Final Four the last four times and took home the National Championship in 2013. 

Due to its combination of solid academic and athletic programming, NMH produces many athletes who go on to play at the collegiate level. More than 50 NMH basketball players have gone on to play Division I ball for a variety of colleges and universities, including Yale University, Harvard University, Dartmouth College, Brown University, and Princeton University.

Friday, December 8, 2017

Celtics Win 16 Consecutive Games in First Half of 2016-17 Season


Since becoming managing partner of Laidlaw & Company in 2010, James Ahern has helped grow the firm into a nationally-recognized healthcare investment bank with multiple offices throughout the United States and one in London, England. Beyond his work with Laidlaw & Company, James Ahern is a passionate fan of the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Through 23 games in the 2017-18 regular season, the Celtics sit atop the Eastern Conference with a win-loss record of 19-4. The team dropped its first two games of the season but proceeded to win its next 16, including an impressive come-from-behind win against the defending champion Golden State Warriors in which the Celtics trailed by 17 points on two separate occasions. Boston came within three wins of equaling its franchise record of 19 consecutive wins, which was set by the 2008-09 team. That team began the year with a remarkable 27-2 record and finished with a record of 62-20 before being upset by the Orlando Magic in the second round of the playoffs. 

The 2017-18 team's streak came to an end in a November 22 contest against the Miami Heat. Boston had overcome double-digit deficits in games against the Warriors, Oklahoma City Thunder, Charlotte Hornets, Atlanta Hawks, and Dallas Mavericks, but suffered a 104-98 loss to the Heat. The 16-game streak tied for the fourth longest in franchise history.

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

Navigating into Nantucket Harbor in a Small Vessel


Based in Boston, James (Jim) Ahern holds a leadership role with Laidlaw & Company as managing partner. His responsibilities with Laidlaw include raising capital for public and private firms working in the field of health care. James (Jimmy) Ahern enjoys boating in his free time and frequently visits Nantucket to sample favorite eateries such as Cru and Galley Beach.

With a year-round population of 10,000, Nantucket offers regular ferry service that brings most summer visitors to the island’s compact harbor front. When navigating a small vessel into the area, the various shoals along the way make it imperative to keep a close eye on both government marks and detailed charts. The approach to the island is fairly shallow, which means that in rough conditions waves get churned up on the surrounding reefs and increase the risk of encountering rocks.

A typical approach from the west across Nantucket Sound involves maintaining a position within channel markers passing along Cross Rip Channel and navigating past Tuckernuck Shoal on the starboard side. The next landmark to round on starboard is Brant Point Lighthouse, which leads into the main harbor channel and the Nantucket Boat Basin on the harbor's western side.