Faris Lee Investments Expands Investment Banking Platform Adding Terry Thompson as
IRVINE, CA – October 11, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — Faris Lee Investments has expanded its Investment Banking platform with the addition of 25-year real estate industry veteran Terry Thompson who will lead a national focus on institutional client growth as well as account management as managing director, business development. For Faris Lee, this year marked an increased emphasis on positioning the firm’s investment sales expertise and capital markets intelligence on a national level as part of an integrated investment services platform that encompasses Faris Lee Investment Banking, Faris Lee Capital, and Faris Lee Advisors. Thompson’s hiring is an important element in the firm’s overall services platform delivery to Faris Lee’s growing institutional client base across the U.S.
Thompson comes to Faris Lee following a six-year tenure with WCB Properties as partner in charge of acquisitions. During that time he was responsible for all acquisition activities including placement of a $300 million Southern California value-add fund with UBS. With a number of institutional relationships honed throughout his career, Thompson brings significant experience in business development and advising institutional clients and financial partners. His career includes extensive experience with repositioning assets and creating and increasing asset and portfolio value.
At Faris Lee, Thompson will work directly with Faris Lee executives Rich Walter, president, and Donald MacLellan, senior managing director, to build the platform on a national scale and bring Faris Lee’s market-leading creative and comprehensive approach to retail investment to a wider client base. “Terry brings a deeper, long-standing insight of the institutional market to our platform and will work to add greater value to portfolio clients and their retail property holdings,” said Walter.
Prior to his acquisitions role with WCB Properties, Thompson was a senior vice president for PM Realty Group where he led their business development efforts and directed delivery of commercial real estate services to PM Realty Group’s institutional clients throughout Southern California. Thompson also served as regional vice president with Legacy Partners directing portfolio decisions and services consisting of approximately 13 million square feet of commercial properties while overseeing a staff of over 40 employees throughout Southern California. He served as president for NAIOP SoCal in 2008 and is a past member of ULI, ICSC and UCLA REAG. Thompson received his undergraduate degree in economics/business from UCLA and is a licensed California broker.
“Faris Lee Investment Banking Group is strategically designed for the institutional and professional investor segment and Terry is a dynamic addition to the team and culture. He has demonstrated significant industry leadership both at a corporate and industry level and will be an important member of our executive team. This move strengthens our overall platform by leveraging the firm’s investment advisory and sales expertise, financial insight and intelligence, and collaborative culture” said Rick Chichester, chief operating officer, Faris Lee Investments.
Thompson added: “The Faris Lee platform provides the best of entrepreneurial thinking with high level strategy that defines markets. I look forward to working alongside their advisor and capital market teams to grow the firm.”
Faris Lee Investments is continuing to expand its presence and investment services across the nation. Earlier this year, the firm promoted Richard Berlinghof, a 26-year financial industry executive, to the role of managing partner of Faris Lee Capital emphasizing the firm’s real estate finance expertise, a move crucial to the profit, timing and certainty of closing an investment transaction, especially in challenging markets. Faris Lee Investments continues to expand its platform by adding market leaders and opening new offices in markets where the firm recognizes opportunity and can further grow with its client base.
About Faris Lee Investments: Faris Lee Investments is an advisory and brokerage firm specializing in retail real estate. The company’s team of high-level retail investment and financing experts develop forward-thinking strategies to maximize values of all retail acquisitions and dispositions and to guide clients through complex transactions. Cumulatively, the senior management team of Faris Lee has been involved in more than $20 billion of transactions. Faris Lee’s senior experts are skilled in disposition and acquisition strategies, 1031 exchanges, asset positioning and valuation, marketing, debt and equity structuring, strategic workout and REO solutions and execution. For more information, please visit www.farislee.com.
