Andrew Merin, a Cushman & Wakefield Vice
Chairman and the firm's No. 1 Investment Sales professional nationally in 2009, will expand his
team's coverage of the New York tri-state region into Manhattan, effective immediately, said
Frank Liantonio, Executive Vice President of the firm’s U.S. Transaction
Services.
"Andy and his team are consistently the
best of the best in the tri-state region and nationally for Cushman & Wakefield, and we are
very pleased that they will add Manhattan to their existing territory," said Mr.
Liantonio.
The move is part of an overall strategic
realignment of Cushman & Wakefield's Capital Markets Group that creates a New York
metropolitan hub, offering a fully integrated suite of services including Debt and Equity
Finance, Investment Banking and Investment Sales.
New York is the base of operations for
Cushman & Wakefield Sonnenblick Goldman, the company's debt and equity finance and hotel
transaction subsidiary, which recently arranged the $145 million refinancing for the Graybar
Building and $212 million financing of a nine-hotel portfolio on behalf of FelCor Lodging Trust
Inc. The company’s U.S. Investment Sales platform is based in New York, as is its
Corporate Investment Banking Group, which arranged the sale-leaseback of the New York Times
headquarters in 2009.
The company expects that bringing Mr.
Merin's and his team's expertise and long-term institutional relationships into its Manhattan
operations will be complementary to its entire Capital Markets Group and its clients in New
York and nationally.
In 2009, in addition to Mr. Merin, three
other members of the Metropolitan Area Capital Markets Group were ranked in the top 10 of
Cushman & Wakefield's Investment Sales professionals nationally. Last year, Mr.
Merin's team achieved a 43 percent market share in the New York tri-state suburbs.
Mr. Merin and members of the New York
Metropolitan Area Capital Markets Group will maintain offices in New York and New
Jersey.
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