Deals

Broken record 2006-05-01 Staff Writer The race to turn every building in the US into condominiums might have claimed its latest victim: Earlier this year, rumors began circulating that the iconic Capitol Records tower, located at Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood, could be converted into condo

The public sphere 2006-05-01 Staff Writer After several years spent licking their wounds—buffeted by accounting scandals, Sarbanes-Oxley and lackluster stock prices—publicly traded companies seem to be making a comeback, at least on the acquisition front. Private equity buyers on both sides of the Atlantic a

The Pennsylvania Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS) publicised its 2005 investment performance, which was buttressed by strong growth in its alternatives portfolio.

Lightyear Capital, Lehman Brothers Merchant Banking and hedge fund West End Capital are the latest to make a play in the reinsurance space, launching Flagstone Reinsurance Holdings with $715 million.

Through acquisitions and new platforms, real estate investment trusts and private equity real estate funds are increasingly crossing paths. By Aaron Lovell

As the gaming industry expands, private equity has been increasingly tempted to bet on gambling's global boom. But like the act of gambling itself, casinos remain a risky proposition. By Dave Keating

The growth of the CMBS market in the US is fueling ever larger private equity real estate deals—can Europe be far behind? By Paul Fruchbom

Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, with additional offices in Denver and San Francisco, The Townsend Group provides US real estate consulting services to a broad range of institutional investors, including more than 40 pension funds, as well as all manner of foundations and endowments. Here Frank Blaschka, a principal with more than 11 years of institutional real estate consulting experience, and Martin Rosenberg, the firm's chief operating officer, discuss fund structures, the current investing environment and why they would offer the same advice to LPs and GPs alike.

As real estate investors look to the emerging economies of Asia, they would do well to build up their local contacts—and brush up on their tax law. By Jeremy Choy of Macquarie Global Property Advisors

As capital continues to flow into private equity real estate, GPs are gaining the upper hand in negotiating the terms of their fund documents—but that doesn't mean LPs are staying quiet. By Paul Fruchbom