WEST
JMP Group Inc. in San Francisco has hired Alex Gauna, Peter Martin, and Allan Rimland as managing directors in its JMP Securities unit.
Mr. Gauna was an executive director and senior research analyst for the semiconductor industry from 2001 to 2007 at UBS AG. Before that he was a managing director and senior research analyst at Banc of America Securities LLC.
Mr. Martin was a portfolio manager in the health-care services, medical devices, real estate, and business services divisions at Matthes Capital Management LLC, a hedge fund management company.
Before that he was a portfolio manager at Presidio Management.
Mr. Rimland had been a managing director since 2001 at Wachovia Capital Markets LLC, where he oversaw investment banking in the health-care services business.
Before that he was a managing director in the health-care and investment banking group at Banc of America Securities.
NEW ENGLANDManulife Financial Corp. has promoted Bill Swartz to national sales manager in the fixed annuities division of its John Hancock Financial unit in Boston.
Mr. Swartz was a senior vice president and the western divisional sales manager for John Hancock's annuities business.
In that post he oversaw the sales of venture variable annuities, 529 College Savings plans, and fixed annuities.
MIDDLE ATLANTICChadbourne and Parke LLP in New York has hired John A. Squires as a partner in its intellectual property office.
Mr. Squires was the chief intellectual property counsel for Goldman Sachs Group in the practice he founded in 2000.
Before that he was general counsel and chief intellectual property counsel at Honeywell Inc. Earlier he was a senior associate in the intellectual property group at Rogers & Wells LLP.
SOUTHEASTRegions Financial Corp. in Birmingham, Ala., has promoted John Owen to its executive council.
Mr. Owen will remain the head of the operations and technology group, a post he has held since joining the company in 2007.
Before that he was the president and chief executive officer of Assurant Specialty Property, a division of Assurant, an insurance provider.
Earlier he was an executive vice president and the chief operating officer at Assurant Specialty.
