Commercial Real Estate Expert Witness

BACKGROUND SUMMARY:

Expert is a commercial real estate consultant specializing in the shopping center, mall and retail real estate industries. He has experience serving as senior executive of, or adviser to, both Fortune 100 retailers and shopping center developers. Clients include national retailers, Mall R.E.I.T.s, institutional investors and law firms. Expertise includes; litigation support services, expert witness testimony, shopping center management, leasing and operations, partnership and landlord/tenant disputes, standards of care, best practices, and due diligence services for retailers, developers, law firms, lenders and investors.

 BUSINESS HISTORY:

Private Company, Chicago, IL,     Principal                                           

Founded this diversified advisory and consulting practice in 1988 to provide comprehensive advisory and implementation services to the commercial real estate industry. Client list includes major law firms, international, national, regional and local, mall and free standing retailers, leading shopping center and mall R.E.I.T.s, hedge funds and a variety of private equity or capital management funds. 

 MONTGOMERY WARD & COMPANY, Chicago,
IL,    V.P. Real Estate     

Expert was recruited to serve as senior real estate officer responsible for all stores, office and warehouse matters affecting this former $4.5 Billion retailer. His responsibilities included the Real Estate, Property Management, Market Research, Asset Redevelopment and Property Disposition departments.

 THE TAUBMAN COMPANY, Bloomfield Hills, MI,    V.P. Development      

Served as senior shopping center development officer with primary responsibility for a $220 million mixed-use shopping center, office and hotel project in the Cherry Creek section of Denver, Colorado. Expert 434 also initiated and supervised mixed-use joint venture projects in Ohio, Florida, Texas and Idaho. He also managed the real estate functions for the Woodward and Lothrop department store company, a subsidiary of Taubman.

 COLE NATIONAL CORP., Cleveland, OH, V.P. Real Estate & Construction

Expert served as senior officer responsible for all matters pertaining to real estate, construction, market research and store planning for this $650 million diversified retailer. At that time the company operated over 1700 stores through five divisions: Children’s Palace, Eyelab, Original Cookie Company, Craft Showcase and Things Remembered.

FEDERATED DEPARTMENT STORES, INC., Cincinnati, OH                      

Federated Stores Realty, Inc., V.P. Development    

Expert was promoted to Senior Development officer with responsibility for all aspects of regional mall development from conceptualization through grand opening. Specific responsibilities included land planning, traffic and parking planning, governmental approvals, construction and anchor tenant leasing. Also responsible for joint venture projects totaling over 4,000,000 Sq. Ft., in PA, NY, FL, CA, and MA.

 Regional Manager, Real Estate                                                                    

Expert was recruited to serve as the senior real estate executive with primary responsibility for the Bloomingdale’s, Abraham and Strauss and Filene’s divisions. He developed over 2,400,000 sq. ft. of department store, specialty store and discount store properties, as well as more than 1,000,000 sq. ft. of warehousing and office projects.

 WALGREEN DRUG COMPANY,  Chicago, IL                                              

 Regional Director, Real Estate                                                                         

Responsibilities included site selection, lease negotiation, planning and construction activities for both Walgreens and Globe Discount City, their former discount store subsidiary. At various times he served as Regional Manager for the Southeast, Midwest and Southwest regions where he developed new stores in 40 states.

 Expert started in the Market Research Department as a Real Estate Trainee in 1960.
His responsibilities included implementation of all market research functions including feasibility studies, development of new research models, rent surveys and real estate investment analysis.

 

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:

MBA
(Finance and Economics), University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

BA
(Liberal Arts), University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

 

PROFESSIONAL LECTURING ACTIVITIES

Cornell University
Dispute Resolution in Shopping Center Development

Hunter College
Urban Renewal and Valuation of Retail Property

Santa Clara University
Revitalization of Distressed Centers

 Numerous lectures and seminars given through the Urban Land Institute (ULI), International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), Gerson Lehrman Group (GLG) and National Retail Merchants Association (NRMA).