Piper Jaffray has hired Partnership Capital Growth investment bankers Janica Lane and Brian Smith to head up a new Healthy, Active & Sustainable Living Group within its consumer investment banking franchise.



The San Francisco-based Lane and Smith, will join the firm from Partnership Capital Growth (“PCG”), a boutique investment bank focused on consumer product and service businesses in the areas of healthy, active and sustainable living. The group counts among its past clients best-in-class brands like Anytime Fitness, KIND Healthy Snacks, Muscle Milk, Drybar and BluePrint Juice, among others.

 

Lane was named to the SGB 40 Under 40 this May for her role in several pivotal deals in this market segement, which is often referred to as LOHAS, an acronym for Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability.

The group is expected to join Piper Jaffray on Dec. 31, 2013 and will be based in the firm’s San Francisco office. Brent Knudsen, founding partner of PCG, will continue to manage Partnership Capital Growth Investors, the firm’s private equity business with nearly $200 million in capital under management, and will provide ongoing consulting services to the Piper Jaffray consumer investment banking team. Chris Spahr, PCG’s partner in Chicago will also assist in transitioning certain client relationships.


The new healthy, active and sustainable living group will further enhance Piper Jaffray’s leadership position in consumer investment banking and strengthen the firm’s expertise in some of the most dynamic, on-trend sectors in the consumer industry. With the addition of the PCG team, Piper Jaffray will have more than 35 consumer investment bankers in San Francisco, Minneapolis, New York and London.


“We have long admired the PCG banking franchise,” said Scott LaRue, Piper Jaffray co-head of investment banking and capital markets. “We are thrilled to have these talented bankers join the Piper team and allow us to collectively grow our business and better serve our clients.” 


“The healthy, active and sustainable living group is very additive to Piper's platform,” added Michael Hoffman, head of Piper Jaffray consumer investment banking. “Some of the most innovative, fastest-growing companies are in this space. Our new PCG partners' expertise and Piper's expanded banking capabilities will be a winning combination for our clients in achieving their long-term potential.”


“We are thrilled to have found a partner in Piper Jaffray that shares our values, culture and passion for providing outstanding banking and advisory services to our clients,” said Brent Knudsen.


In a joint statement, Lane and Smith said, “This unique partnership will enable our team to thrive and have access to more resources to better serve our core clients. We look forward to working with Piper Jaffray and are confident that our combined team will have a formidable presence in the market.”

Since 2003, the Piper Jaffray global consumer investment banking and capital markets team has represented clients in 194 transactions with an aggregate value of $35.7 billion. In addition, the firm has six senior research analysts covering 117 consumer companies across the active & healthy lifestyles, hardlines retail, consumer products, restaurants and specialty retail industries.