Raymond James hires three to expand senior living, debt restructuring

Raymond James has expanded its public finance department with three hires for its senior living and debt restructuring groups.

The team of David Fields, Rob Whitlock and Naomi O’Dell joins the firm from RBC Capital Markets bringing a combined 80 years of senior living investment banking and debt restructuring experience.

“The addition of this specialized and experienced team underscores our continued commitment to growing our municipal platform as a whole,” said Gavin Murrey, Raymond James’ head of public finance and debt investment banking.

The three will work across the practice’s dedicated senior living and debt restructuring groups, which provide strategic advisory services for clients, including debt restructuring, affiliations, partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, dispositions, bond transactions and alternative capital raising activities.

Previously, Fields was a managing director at RBC in Philadelphia, focusing on high-yield origination activity and debt restructuring engagements.

“A majority of debt restructuring engagements involve distressed entities, demanding specialized knowledge and focus,” Fields said. “With its strong public finance practice and extensive resources, the firm is well-positioned to enhance our capacity to provide a high level of support and the tailored, high-touch guidance expected by our clients.”

Fields has played a key role in transactions involving over $3 billion in strategic asset dispositions and over $5 billion in senior living bond issues. His 30-year career also includes positions at UBS and HJ Sims. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Rochester and an MBA from Union College.

Whitlock, with almost 30 years of senior living investment banking, financial advisory and consulting experience, has been involved in several hundred senior living financings and engagements. He began his career as an appraiser before moving to the healthcare consulting practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers and later spent 20 years as an investment banker at UBS and RBC.

Whitlock, who will also be based in the Philadelphia-area office, has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delaware and an MBA from Clemson University.

O’Dell has specialized in healthcare and not-for-profit finance for more than 20 years and is based in Chicago. She has negotiated over $500 million in property and note sales and has been involved in more than 200 financings. O’Dell spent nearly five years as a managing director at RBC and had been a senior vice president and division head at Santander Bank. She managed multiple asset recovery divisions, supervising around $4 billion in assets. O’Dell began her career at LaSalle Bank as a commercial banker and is a graduate of Bradley University.

“We are thrilled to welcome this talented trio of veteran bankers to our nationally ranked public finance practice,” said Murrey. “Their innovative debt restructuring capabilities complement the more traditional underwriting Raymond James offers within the senior living space.”

With headquarters in St. Petersburg, Florida, the Raymond James Financial Inc. offerings includes private client group, capital markets, asset management, banking and other services to individuals, corporations and municipalities.