A three-way battle has emerged between Brookfield Asset Management, China Investment Corporation and Lone Star in the race to be named PERE’s global firm of the year.
As the final countdown begins to the close of the 2009 Awards, PERE can reveal there is just 2 percent between the three contestants – with two of the firms evenly tied on equal votes. Polls close at midnight on Friday, 22 January.
Thousands of readers have voted in the competition, ensuring battles between firms and individuals across the four categories: Global, North America, Europe and Asia. 
In North America, Sheila Bair, chairman of the US banking regulator the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), is neck and neck with Starwood Capital founder and chief executive officer Barry Sternlicht in the race to be named the region’s industry figure of the year.
A similar battle has ensued between Starwood and White Plains, New York-based Rockwood Capital, over the North America fundraise of the year title. Will Rockwood’s $964 million Fund VIII win the day or will Starwood take the honour following the successful IPO of its US mortgage REIT, Starwood Property Trust, which has raised more than $920 million to date?
The battles though are not just among US real estate players. In Europe, another three-way contest has emerged for European fundraise of the year between Benson Elliot, Mountgrange Investment Management and Orion Capital Managers. At present there are just 50 votes separating the three firms.
And in Asia, just 3 percent separates Angelo Gordon from Lone Star in the competition to be named Asian debt investor of the year.
The PERE Awards 2009 are the only industry awards to allow readers to nominate – as well as vote – for the individuals, firms and deals they believe stood out from the crowd in the past year.
Remember, you don't have to vote in every region or category: just the ones relevant to you. This year we have presented four suggestions in each category to aid the voting process, but the fifth box is the most important. If you believe an alternative person, deal or firm should win, use your vote to say so.
So, with two days left, who do you think should win:
To vote in the PERE Awards 2009 Global categories, please click here.
To vote in the PERE Awards 2009 North American categories, please click here.
To vote in the PERE Awards 2009 European categories, please click here.
To vote in the PERE Awards 2009 Asian categories, please click here.
Voting closes at midnight on 22 January, 2010. Results will be published simultaneously on PERENews.com and in the March issue of PERE magazine. Click here for more details on the PERE Awards 2009.
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