2009 Real Estate Symposium & Alumni Reception

The Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate and the Real Estate Circle of Columbia Business School hosted the second annual Real Estate Symposium and annual Real Estate Alumni Reception for Columbia Business School Alumni on Thursday, November 12, 2009 at the Asia Society in New York.

Opening Remarks

Chris Mayer, Senior Vice Dean and Paul Milstein Professor of Real Estate

Keynote Speaker

Barry Sternlicht, Chairman and CEO, Starwood Capital Group

Breakout Panels

“Capital Markets”
Moderator: Chris Mayer, Senior Vice Dean and Paul Milstein Professor of Real Estate
Panelists: John Bonfiglio ’88, Principal and Founder, Block Island Investors, LLC, Jeffrey Citrin, Co-Managing Principal, Square Mile Capital Management LLC, and Geoffrey Jervis ’99, CFO, Capital Trust, Inc.

“Real Estate Private Equity”
Moderator: Dennis Yeskey ’77, Senior Advisor, AlixPartners
Panelists: Nicholas Bienstock ’96, Managing Partner, Savanna, Cia Buckley ’93, Principal, Dune Capital Management, and Jay Nydick ’90, Co-Head, Real Estate, AllianceBernstein

“NYC Real Estate”
Moderator: Howard Fiddle ’87, Vice Chairman, CB Richard Ellis
Panelists: Charles Bendit, Co-founder, Co-CEO, Taconic Investment Partners, LLC, Robert Deckey, CIO, George Comfort & Sons, Inc., and Anthony Malkin, President, Malkin Holdings

Main Panel

“Banks, Distressed Debt, and Commercial Real Estate: What’s Going to Drive New Lending?”
Introduction by Robert Stern ’88, President, Castle Hill Investors, LLC
Moderator: Lynne B. Sagalyn, Earle W. Kazis and Benjamin Schore Professor of Real Estate & Director, Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate
Panelists: Patricia Goldstein, Head of Commercial Real Estate and Chief Credit Officer, Emigrant Bank, Daniel Neidich, CEO, Dune Real Estate Partners, and Stephen Ross, Chairman, CEO and Founder, Related Companies

Annual Real Estate Alumni Reception

The School and the Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate recognized Distinguished Real Estate Partner, Howard Milstein, Chairman, Milstein Properties

The Second Annual Real Estate Symposium was a great success. Further details on the speakers, panels, and discussions are highlighted in the report.