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Michael Leff.
Canada-based real estate firm Avison Young has hired Michael A. Leff as a principal who will operate, effective immediately, from the company’s New York office. Mr. Leff, formerly a senior managing director with Newmark Grubb Knight Frank, will shoulder a number of responsibilities, including site selection, lease negotiation, strategic planning and tenant representation. Avison opened its first Manhattan headquarters this past summer and has lured a number of professionals away from other firms, including Grub & Ellis’s Michael Gottlieb, Vincent Carrega, Neil Helman, Jason Meister and Charles Kingsley. Arthur Mirante, formerly of Cushman & Wakefield, joined with Avison this past spring. Last year Greg Kraut left CBRE to join the Canadian firm. Mr. Kraut said the company’s mission is to hand-pick people who are top in their field. Other firms may be concerned to hear that Avison intends to do more hiring, and decisions will be announced within the next two months. In addition, the firm will likely open a Long Island office within the next few months and another one to serve both Westchester and Connecticut, Mr. Kraut added. Prior to joining Newmark, Mr. Leff served as corporate managing director at Studley, where he represented several high profile companies, including Polo Ralph Lauren, Accenture and Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman. Mr. Leff made the leap to real estate from owning his own business—a high-end automobile firm called Evolution Motorsports & Imagine Motorsports. “I had a couple of close friends that were in the business that kept talking about getting into it,” he said. His experience in sales and a strong head for numbers—he holds a
Drew O’Malley.
master’s degree in accounting from C.W. Post and a Bachelor’s degree in economics from Syracuse University—Mr. Leff felt it might be the right move. Some of his successes include placing Polo Ralph Lauren into a 194,000-square-foot space at 650 Madison. He was also bestowed with SL Green’s award for the most significant deal in 2005 for securing an 186,000-square-foot lease at 625 Madison Avenue for Polo.
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Colliers International announced last week that Drew O’Malley, formerly of Bluestone Group, joined the organization as an executive managing director. Mr. O’Malley, a landlord representative, has completed more than six million square feet of New York lease transactions while working with prominent building owners. Before joining the privately owned Bluestone Group, Mr. O’Malley held senior executive positions at TrammelCrow Company, DLJ Real Estate, CSFB Realty Corp. and the Edward S. Gordon Company. In addition to his work as a landlord representative, Mr. O’Malley has arranged more than $700 million in real estate investments. He has represented prominent organizations including AXA, Bankers Trust Company, Credit Suisse First Boston, Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and the Durst Organization. “[Mr.] O’Malley is an experienced, sophisticated real estate executive with a tremendous history of growing and developing New York City landlord agency groups,” Colliers Eastern Region President Joseph Harbert said in a prepared statement issued last week. “[He] is an excellent negotiator, understands how best to position an asset and how to work through the various financial complexities that
Lisa Zandee.
determine their success.” “We are planning a major expansion in our agency representation business,” Mr. Harbert said. “[Mr. O’Malley] is an integral piece of that strategic growth.”
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Denihan Hospitality Group last week announced the related appointments of two new executives in its Manhattan corporate office. Thomas P. Botts will assume the newly created role of executive vice president, chief customer officer. Mr. Botts, formerly of Hudson Crossing LLC, the strategic advisory firm that he co-founded, will report directly to Denihan President David Duncan. He will be responsible for developing a holistic approach to Denihan’s customers, driving customer acquisition, retention and profitability. “Denihan’s legacy over the last 50 years in the hospitality business, and 100 years in the service industry in general, has been driven by an acute level of customer-centricity,” Mr. Duncan said in a prepared statement. “I believe [Mr. Botts]’s broad experience in sales, customer experience, online distribution and marketing will be an important catalyst for Denihan as we pioneer new approaches to our business model.” Denihan also announced the appointment of Lisa Zandee to senior vice president, brand management, another new role in the company. Ms. Zandee has been a full-time consultant for the company since its acquisition of The James hotel brand, which she cofounded, in 2008. “[Ms. Zandee] has been an exceptional leader and creative influence behind The James’ success in driving brand advocacy and achieving a sought-after position as a highly competitive force
Thomas Botts.
in the luxury boutique segment,” Mr. Duncan said in a prepared statement. “We’re delighted that she is joining Denihan full-time.”
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Massey Knakal Retail Services announced last week three new appointments across its New York offices. Edward DiTomasso will transition to an associate role after working with Massey Knakal’s special assets team. Alongside Director of Sales Evan Daniel, Mr. DiTomasso will focus on Long Island City and Astoria in Queens. Kimberly Kines will join Massey Knakal Retail Leasing Services as a director. Ms. Kines was previously a rental associate at Sherlock Homes Realty Corp. in Sea Cliff, N.Y. She will specialize in dealings on the Lower East Side, Chinatown and Alphabet City. Zachary P. Reubel joins Massey Knakal’s Brooklyn division as an associate working alongside Vice President of Sales Mark L. Lively and Director of Sales Brendan Maddigan, with a focus on Greepoint and Williamsburg. Mr. Reubel comes to Massey Knakal from an associate position at Lee Nolan & Koroghlian LLC.
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The New York Commercial Real Estate Women’s Network has appointed Beth Zafonte to the board of directors, it announced last week. Ms. Zafonte will serve two years in the role starting next month, with responsibilities including operational and financial management and strategic planning. Ms. Zafonte has been involved with NYCREW since 2009 and previously served as co-chair of the organization’s community outreach committee. She is the director of economic development services in Akerman Senterfitt’s real estate practice group.
Edward DiTomasso.
Steven Polivy, managing shareholder of Akerman’s New York office, said in a prepared statement, “We applaud [Ms. Polivy]’s passion to help other women succeed in commercial real estate by sharing her knowledge, connections and expertise.”
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Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, the international law firm boasting more than 1,000 lawyers in 17 offices around the globe, has elected 11 new partners, including two real estate attorneys in New York and L.A. Matthew Kidd, a 2001 graduate of the University of Southern California, will bring to the firm’s New York office transactional experience that includes advising clients on a wide range of matters, not least of all acquisition, development and disposition of real estate assets and companies, mortgage and mezzanine financings, formation of joint ventures, preferred equity investments, investments in real estate funds, and acquisitions of real estate-related debt and participation interests. Farshad Moré, meanwhile, will be based in Los Angeles, where he will represent opportunity and private equity funds, real estate investment trusts, institutional and non-institutional real estate investors, developers, operators, lenders and borrowers. “We are proud of the accomplishments of our new partnership class,” said Ken Doran, chairman and managing partner of Gibson Dunn, in a prepared statement issued last week. “Each of them exemplifies the firm’s core values of excellence, professionalism and collegiality,” Mr. Doran added. “They will be the future leaders of the firm, and we are confident they will uphold the highest traditions of Gibson Dunn.”
THE COMMERCIAL OBSERVER | DECEMBER 11, 2012 | 51