Landlord-representation specialists Michael Curran and Brad Despot join Avison Young in Chicago

Industry leaders become Principals, will lead Midwest agency-leasing efforts

CHICAGO, Aug. 14, 2013 /CNW/ - Michael McKiernan, Avison Young Principal and Managing Director of the company's Chicago office, announced today that leading commercial real estate brokers Michael Curran and Brad Despot have joined Avison Young.

Effective immediately, Curran and Despot become Principals of Avison Young and will be based in the company's Chicago office. Along with Eric Myers, they will be co-leaders in the firm's landlord/agency-leasing efforts in Chicago and the Midwest. Curran and Despot were most recently Managing Directors at Jones Lang LaSalle in Chicago.

"Grouping two outstanding professionals such as Mike Curran and Brad Despot with Eric Myers will provide Avison Young's clients with the best landlord leasing team in the market," comments McKiernan. "The depth of knowledge and experience they bring to their clients, the reputations of all three, and the enthusiasm they have for their work differentiate this group as the best in the business."

Earl Webb, Avison Young's President, U.S. Operations, adds: "I had the pleasure of working with both Brad and Mike at Jones Lang LaSalle when I was there, and I know they have a tremendous amount of energy around their clients and their assignments. The Avison Young team, including Eric Myers, can provide our clients with three of the most successful leasing professionals in the market, along with all of the resources of our company, to solve even the most challenging problems that our clients may have."

Curran has worked in the commercial real estate industry for 16 years - first in property management and the last 13 years in agency leasing. His agency leasing assignments have included Aon Center, 440 South LaSalle, One South Wacker, 222 South Riverside and One East Wacker. He has completed more than 3.5 million square feet (msf) in transactions of varying sizes and levels of difficulty.

In 2009, Curran completed one of the largest transactions of the year in Chicago with the KPMG lease of 268,000 sf, and was the recipient of the NAIOP Deal of the Year Award. In 2012, he transacted more than 820,000 sf and completed the second largest transaction of the year with Aon Corporation. Curran has been nominated for the Greater Chicago Food Depository Office Broker of the Year Award, as well as the Innovative Deal of the Year Award, for his work in 2012. Strongly committed to the needs of the community, he is a member of the Board of Directors and a volunteer at the St. Ann School in the Pilsen neighborhood. He also volunteers his time and support to the Evans Scholarship program as well as the Big Shoulders Fund. Curran holds a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences degree from Marquette University.

"We are extremely excited about the opportunity to bring our experience to Avison Young. The firm's culture of collaboration, Principal-led structure and entrepreneurial spirit provide the perfect backdrop for us to further grow the Chicago practice," says Curran. "Furthermore, I am delighted to be part of Avison Young's aggressive U.S. expansion program. We have unlimited possibilities for personal and professional growth, especially considering the leadership opportunity that we have working in conjunction with Eric Myers. I look forward to sharing my knowledge and insight with Avison Young colleagues across the U.S. and Canada."

During his 19 years in the Chicago real estate industry, Despot has worked as an interior architect, a tenant representative and, for the last 13 years, as an agency leasing representative. His agency leasing assignments have included 600 West Chicago, 540 West Madison, Chicago Union Station, 300 South Riverside and 150 North Michigan. He has been involved in numerous large transactions totaling more than 3.5 msf.

In 2003, his peers voted him the Property Representative of the Year at the Greater Chicago Food Depository Annual Commercial Real Estate Awards. He was again nominated as a finalist for the award in 2006. Three of his major transactions were awarded finalist for the Downtown Office Transaction of the Year from NAIOP - in 2004 for Bankers Life and Casualty, in 2006 for Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co., and in 2012 for GE Capital Corporation. For the last several years Despot has served on the steering committee for the Greater Chicago Food Depository's Annual Commercial Real Estate Awards. Despot holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

"Mike Curran and I have forged a great relationship over the past 11 years. We have both known Eric Myers for many years and look forward to creating a new working relationship together at Avison Young. This platform along with our combined experience will yield great results for our clients and colleagues alike," notes Despot. "We could not be more excited."

Myers, a 21-year industry veteran, joined Avison Young in January 2013 from Tishman Speyer in Chicago, where he served as an office leasing broker specializing in landlord representation.

Over the past four years, Avison Young has grown from 11 to 49 offices and from 300 to more than 1,300 real estate professionals across Canada and the U.S.

Avison Young is the world's fastest-growing commercial real estate services firm. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Avison Young is a collaborative, global firm owned and operated by its principals. Founded in 1978, the company comprises 1,300 real estate professionals in 49 offices, providing value-added, client-centric investment sales, leasing, advisory, management, financing and mortgage placement services to owners and occupiers of office, retail, industrial and multi-family properties.

• Editors/Reporters: please click on links to view and download photos of Michael Curran and Brad Despot
http://www.avisonyoung.com/sites/default/files/content-files/Media_Room/Temp/Michael%20Curran.jpg
http://www.avisonyoung.com/sites/default/files/content-files/Media_Room/Temp/Bradley%20Despot.jpg

For further information/comment/photos:

• Sherry Quan, National Director of Communications & Media Relations, Avison Young: 604.647-5098; cell: 604.726.0959

• Michael McKiernan, Principal and Managing Director, Chicago, Avison Young: 847.849-1903

• Earl Webb, President, U.S. Operations, Avison Young: 312.957.7610

• Michael Curran, Principal, Avison Young: 312.448.7950

• Brad Despot, Principal, Avison Young: 312.448.7952

• Mark Rose, Chair and CEO, Avison Young: 416.673.4028

www.avisonyoung.com

Avison Young was a winner of Canada's Best Managed Companies program in 2011 and requalified in 2012 to maintain its status as a Best Managed company.

Follow Avison Young on Twitter:
For industry news, press releases and market reports: www.twitter.com/avisonyoung
For Avison Young listings and deals: www.twitter.com/AYListingsDeals

Follow Avison Young Bloggers: http://blog.avisonyoung.com

Follow Avison Young on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/avison-young-commercial-real-estate

SOURCE: Avison Young Commercial Real Estate (BC)

Contact:
Sherry Quan
604.647.5098; cell: 604.726.0959
[email protected]