Distressed Real Estate Sales Gain Momentum;
Complex Market Offers Risks and Rewards
Join Willis for Comprehensive Real Estate Forum April 21, 2011
ATLANTA – Willis North America’s Distressed Assets Practice, a unit of Willis Group Holdings (NYSE: WSH), the
global insurance broker will offer a comprehensive real estate insights forum to help investors assess the
risks and rewards associated with acquiring distressed real estate April 21, 2011 in Atlanta.
According to industry reports, an estimated $1.4 trillion in commercial real estate loans will need to be
refinanced between now and 2014. Of those, about 60% are “under water” where the loan exceeds
the value of the asset. As such, sales of distressed properties are gaining momentum and
this trend is expected to continue this year.
“While enormous opportunities exist in this space, buyers of distressed real estate also face a variety of
potential liabilities ranging from environmental exposures to incomplete construction projects,” said Brian Ruane, Leader, Distressed Assets
Practice, Willis North America. “These potential pitfalls underscore the need for buyers to adopt a sound
strategy to reduce and mitigate risks.”
Willis’ real estate insights forum brings together Atlanta’s premier professional real estate partners and leading experts including,
real estate brokers, legal advisors, accounting professionals and insurance and risk management experts. The forum is
part of an ongoing series to provide buyers with expert guidance of this complex marketplace.
| What: | Capital and Distressed Real Estate: Trends, Opportunities and Risk
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| When: | Thursday, April 21, 2011
4 p.m. Forum (Cocktails and Networking follow)
|
| Where: | King & Spalding Atlanta
1180 Peachtree Street, NE, 16th Floor
Atlanta, GA
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| Panelists: |
Richard Hauer, Managing Director – BDO
Josh Kamin, Partner, Real Estate Capital Markets Practice Group
– King & Spalding
Sarah Borders, Partner, Capital Transactions Practice Group – King & Spalding
Donna
G. Barron, Transactions Specialist, Mergers & Acquisitions Practice – Willis
Brian Ruane, Leader, Distressed Assets Practice
– Willis North America
Michael Ryan, Managing Director – Cushman & Wakefield Sonnenblick Goldman
|
Topics of discussion include the investor landscape, owner/operator challenges, risk identification and mitigation strategies, recent market activity
and market forecast. The audience will include real estate investors, private equity funds, institutional investors, private
investors, financial institutions, special services, real estate receivers and asset managers.
The Willis Distressed Assets Practice coordinates specialist capabilities from across Willis’ practice areas to structure insurance programs
that respond to a range of risk management and insurance issues related to distressed assets. Major
areas of focus include Property, Liability and Environmental insurance; Forced Placed coverage; insurance for Real Estate
Owned assets; Professional Liability insurance and Construction insurance for incomplete projects.
About Willis
Willis Group Holdings plc is a leading global insurance broker. Through its subsidiaries, Willis develops and delivers
professional insurance, reinsurance, risk management, financial and human resource consulting and actuarial services to corporations, public
entities and institutions around the world. Willis has more than 400 offices in nearly 120 countries,
with a global team of approximately 17,000 employees serving clients in virtually every part of the
world. Additional information on Willis may be found at www.willis.com.
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