Austin, TX, May 20, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Westlake Securities is pleased to announce Gregg R. Honigblum has joined its investment banking team as Managing Director and will lead its Life Sciences group. Mr. Honigblum will be based in Westlake's Austin headquarters.

"We're pleased to have the addition of Gregg to the Westlake team.  Our firm has seen an increased interest in healthcare opportunities in Central Texas and Gregg's knowledge and experience in the sector will help fuel additional growth to the region," commented Wilson Allen, Partner and Managing Director.

With over 25 years of experience as a financier for emerging growth companies, Mr. Honigblum has raised over $500 million in private equity and has been instrumental in providing early stage capital for such companies as Myriad Genetics (MYGN), Acacia Biosciences, which merged with Rosetta Inpharmatics and was acquired by Merck for $620 million, and Amedica (AMDA), the first orthopedic implant company to have a ceramic spinal implant approved by the FDA.

From 2001-2014, Mr. Honigblum was the CEO of Creation Capital LLC and Creation Capital Advisors, an investment banking, broker dealer and advisory firm based in New York City and Austin, Texas specializing in the founding, funding and development of breakthrough technologies in the life sciences arena.

"I am very fortunate and excited to join Westlake Securities. With their unique presence and platform, we will be able to offer clients a broad based opportunity to be part of tomorrow's great discoveries in medicine.  South Texas including Austin and San Antonio is becoming a breeding ground for important technologies and Westlake will be instrumental in helping these entrepreneurs and scientists realize their dreams," added Mr. Honigblum.

Mr. Honigblum holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin. He holds FINRA 7, 24, and 63 licenses.

About Westlake Securities

Westlake Securities is a privately-held corporation that provides investment banking, capital markets and financial advisory services both privately held and publicly traded companies and to institutional investors. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, with offices in Houston, Lafayette, Louisiana, and North Palm Beach, Florida, Westlake provides M&A advisory services, private placements of debt, equity and limited partnership interests, institutional sales and trading and financial advisory services to clients throughout the U.S.