Ayers Capital formed

Ayers Capital LLC began operating this week as a registered investment advisory company providing services in Tennessee. The company is a JV between an affiliate of Parsons, Tenn.-based Ayers Asset Management Inc. and Chicago-based InterOcean Capital LLC. Principals include executives previously with U.S. Trust, Bank of America, SunTrust and InterOcean Capital.

Regions ups Healthcare banking ante

With an earlier bankerly quiet period apparently now ended, Regions Financial Corp. (NYSE: RF) formally announced Wednesday John Barton in Nashville will lead the bank's expanding healthcare practice. Barton was previously in a similar role with SunTrust. Word had leaked back in March. Earlier, Barton was with Third National and CRC Equities. Until recently, Fifth Third's Kevin Lavender (at left) has held virtually uncontested the most visible healthcare lending role in Nashville, and his bank has made a number of notable healthcare alliances and was an early supporter of the Medical Banking Project.