C&W enhances real estate/capital markets capability.In a substantial move to enhance its capital markets and real estate investment banking capability, Cushman & Wakefield has announced that the real estate investment banking team led by Jeffrey Cooper and Jeffrey Baker has joined the firm. Effective immediately, Cooper and Baker will hold the titles of senior directors of the firm's Financial Services Group. With more than 35 years of combined real estate investment banking experience, Cooper and Baker have completed over $6 billion in transactions during their careers, and $450 million over the last 12 months alone. The team of Cooper and Baker will work with a mandate to originate and execute large and more complex real estate transactions and organize the firm's acquisition, securitization Securitization The process of creating a financial instrument by combining other financial assets and then marketing them to investors. Notes: Mortgage backed securities are a perfect example of securitization. May also be spelled as "securitisation. and investment banking efforts. "This move clearly demonstrates Cushman & Wakefield's commitment to remain a dominant full services real estate firm at a time when securitization and global capital markets access are becoming increasingly critical," said Thomas P. Falus, president of Cushman & Wakefield of New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , Inc. "Jeff Cooper and Jeff Baker are among the top real estate investment banking professionals in the industry, and will provide a new level of service to meet the needs of our clients into the 21st Century." The team of Cooper and Baker have handled some of the largest and most complex transactions in real estate investment banking, including most recently the leveraged buy-out of Bell Atlantic's real estate investment subsidiary and the formation of a private UPREIT as the successor company. During their careers, they have completed a number of leading edge transactions, including the first retail offering of U.S. commercial mortgage-backed securities in Japan and the development of a sale-leaseback program with debt and attached warrants as a capitalization technique for leveraged buyouts. Other recently completed assignments included the acquisition of CIGNA's former corporate headquarters in Philadelphia and the disposition of the Hyatt Regency Westshore Hotel in Tampa, FL on behalf of Dean Witter. Jeffrey Cooper Cooper is well known for his 18 years at Eastdil Realty, Inc., a real estate investment banking firm, where he most recently served as Executive Vice President and member of the management committee. He was responsible for initiating and overseeing Eastdil's venture with the Nomura Securities Company of Japan, which generated over $6 billion of securitized and syndicated financings. In addition, Cooper spearheaded Eastdil's efforts in the European capital markets through the firm's joint venture with Germany's Bayerische Vereinsbank. As the former head of Eastdil's project finance group, Cooper was also responsible for overseeing the firm's financing and sale assignments. As CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of Eastdil's investment management activities, Cooper had overall responsibility for a $4.5 billion real estate portfolio in the U.S. and Europe. He also launched Eastdil Corporate Panners, a commingled pension fund investment vehicle, which provided sale-leaseback financing to companies involved in leverage buy-outs and invested in the equity of those companies. Cooper's notable transactions involving the capitalization, sale or acquisition of real estate companies completed while at Eastdil included the corporate liquidation of Amterre Development Inc., a shopping center development company, and Food Fair Inc., a shopping center owner/operator; as well as real estate transactions and joint ventures with Paine Webber, Blyth Eastman Dillon, Nomura Securities Co., and O'Connor Realty Advisors, Inc. Previously, he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Chief Operating Officer (COO) The officer of a firm responsible for day-to-day management, usually the president or an executive vice-president. of O'Connor Realty Advisors, Inc., a major real estate investment advisor Investment Advisor 1. A person making investment recommendations in return for a flat fee or percentage of assets managed, known as a commission. 2. For mutual fund companies, it is the individual who has the day-to-day responsibility of investing and monitoring the cash and for pension funds. Cooper is a cum laude graduate of Columbia University School of Law and received an A.B. from Colgate University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa Phi Beta Kappa: see fraternity. Phi Beta Kappa Leading academic honour society in the U.S., which draws its membership from college and university students. The oldest Greek-letter society in the U.S. . He is a member of the Urban Land Institute, the New York Real Estate Board, the American Bar Association American Bar Association (ABA), voluntary organization of lawyers admitted to the bar of any state. Founded (1878) largely through the efforts of the Connecticut Bar Association, it is devoted to improving the administration of justice, seeking uniformity of law , and the NYU NYU New York University NYU New York Undercover (TV show) Real Estate Round Table. He served to the rank of Captain in the United States Marine Corps United States Marine Corps (USMC) Separate military service within the U.S. Department of the Navy (see U.S. Navy), charged with providing marine troops for seizure and defense of advanced bases and with conducting operations on land and in the air in connection with Reserve. Jeffrey Baker Baker previously served as a Senior Vice President and shareholder of Eastdil Realty, where he was a senior member of the origination/structuring team which was responsible for conventional and securitized debt and equity acquisitions and financings aggregating more than $6 billion, completed in conjunction with Nomura Securities. Some of his most notable transactions while at Eastdil included: Reverse Dual Currency Financing for Tower B, World Financial Center; debt and equity financing Equity Financing The act of raising money for company activities by selling common or preferred stock to individual or institutional investors. In return for the money paid, shareholders receive ownership interests in the corporation. for 53 State Street, Boston; securitized participating debt financing Debt Financing When a firm raises money for working capital or capital expenditures by selling bonds, bills, or notes to individual and/or institutional investors. In return for lending the money, the individuals or institutions become creditors and receive a promise to repay for the Credit Lyonnais Building, 1301 Avenue of the Americas; securitized participating debt financing for the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) is the largest futures exchange in the United States and the second largest exchange in the world for the trading of futures and options on futures. complex; convertible mortgage financing for 919 Third Avenue, New York; Price Waterhouse's New York headquarters relocation; and the tax-free exchange tax-free exchange An exchange of assets between taxpayers in which any gain or loss is not recognized in the period during which the exchange takes place. Rather, taxpayers are required to adjust the basis of assets exchanged. in connection with the disposition of Unilever's Lipton Tea subsidiary headquarters building. Baker also served as a senior officer of the real estate and commercial mortgage division of Nomura Securities International Inc., with responsibility for originating and structuring conventional and securitized debt and equity financings. Baker was a member of Nomura's REIT REIT See: Real Estate Investment Trust REIT See real estate investment trust (REIT). underwriting team, with responsibility for credit facility and secured/unsecured debt and equity commitments for public and private real estate operating companies. Notable transactions completed on a principal basis while at Nomura included: MD II securitized REMIC financing; debt financing for Greenway Plaza, a 4.5 million square-foot suburban Houston office complex; secured debt financings for REITs including TriNet, First Washington and Kranzco Realty Trust; and credit facility commitments for public and private real estate operating companies. Baker received his M.B.A. from the Wharton Business School; Masters degrees in Architecture and City Planning from the University of Pennsylvania (body, education) University of Pennsylvania - The home of ENIAC and Machiavelli. http://upenn.edu/. Address: Philadelphia, PA, USA. ; and a Bachelor of Environmental Design, magna cum lande from Miami University. Baker is a member of the Urban Land Institute and the New York Real Estate Board, and has been a frequent guest lecturer. |
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