Lawrence Eppley is a partner in the Corporate Practice Group and Office Managing Partner of the firm's Chicago office. He is also Leader of the firm's Hospitality Team.

Areas of Practice

Lawrence concentrates his practice on acquisitions, real estate finance, development, public and private finance, joint ventures and raising equity, particularly in the hospitality sector.

Previously, Lawrence was general counsel at Potbelly Sandwich Works, one of Chicago's fastest growing companies, and his clients rely on him as their principal outside legal counsel. He often works with middle-market and emerging growth companies, including those in the hospitality and restaurant sectors, and with structured and institutional finance.

Lawrence was named as one of Law360's Hospitality MVPs in both 2013 and 2016 for his extensive work in major transactions geared towards hotel development.

Jason Friedman leads Friedman Properties pursuit of new joint venture partnerships and development opportunities.

Prior to joining Friedman Properties, he practiced commercial real estate law at Kirkland and Ellis LLP and served as an adjunct professor of law at John Marshall Law School. Jason’s deep understanding of the real estate industry’s legal principles helps the firm navigate complex development projects.

Jason currently serves on the board of directors of the Jewish United Fund and is an active member of Young Presidents’ Organization. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin and the Georgetown University Law Center. He lives in Lincoln Park with his wife and their three children.

Wesley Prato, CPA, is an audit partner in the Firm’s Commercial Real Estate Industry Practice and leads the

Southwest Region in this area. Based in CohnReznick’s Chicago office, he has 16 years of experience in

public accounting, providing client services in the areas of audit, review, and other financial reporting needs.

This experience includes working with developers, hospitality owners and private equity investors of

companies in the commercial real estate industry.

Wes specializes in the commercial real estate and hospitality industries serving both real estate operators and

real estate investment funds. He is responsible for planning the engagements, supervising staff, and

coordinating all fieldwork. Other responsibilities on these engagements include determining audit scope,

selecting procedures to be applied, establishing budgets, reviewing work papers, identifying audit issues,

communicating with clients, and preparing financial statements or reports. In addition, Wes takes an active

role in working with his clients to plan and brainstorm on ways to get the next project from concept to

development.

Wes has participated nationally within the Firm in developing audit programs and techniques specifically

tailored to auditing commercial real estate and hospitality entities. He has also leads internal training classes

on commercial real estate and often speaks on panels focused in the industry.

John is the Founder, President and CEO of Oxford Capital Group, LLC, a national real estate investment and development firm focusing on large scale hospitality, mixed-use, senior housing, multifamily, urban retail, parking, and other operationally intensive forms of real estate. Oxford Hotels & Resorts, LLC, its wholly owned management affiliate, specializes in developing, operating and branding distinctive, high design lifestyle hotels, rooftops and other food & beverage venues around the country. Oxford, its affiliates and principals have been involved in approximately $3 billion of transactions, including approximately 13,000 hotel rooms. Noted national projects include Godfrey Hotel-Hollywood, Godfrey Hotel-Boston, Metropolitan Hotel and Lexington Hotel – New York City, National Conference Center-Lansdowne, VA, Residence Inn and Spring Hill Suites in Charleston, SC, and Godfrey Hotel & Cabanas-Tampa Bay. Included in his 17 Chicago area projects (13 of which are hotels) are the recently topped off 56 story Essex on the Park luxury apartment building, and his soon to open Hotel Julian-Millennium Park. Other Chicago projects include Langham Chicago, LondonHouse Chicago, Godfrey Chicago, Hotel Essex, Hotel Felix, Hotel Cass, Hotel Versey, Claridge House, Hyatt Magnificent Mile, Renaissance North Shore, Doubletree North Shore, and Hyatt House Northwest. Additional rooftop and food and beverage venues include IO, LH, SX-Sky Bar, ALK, WTR and Spa Boutique. John and/or Oxford have been nominated for and/or won numerous awards including: Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Arthur Rubloff Humanitarian Award, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Crain’s “40 under 40” and Who’s Who, Developer of the Year, Development of the Year, Redevelopment of the Year, National Hotel Transaction of the Year, Historic Redevelopment of the Year and the Top Hotel in the Continental US. He earned a BA from The University of Michigan and an MBA from University of Chicago. He also studied at Northwestern University, Harvard Business School (YPO’s Presidents’ Program) and Oxford University (Christ Church).

Ben is head of the West Coast regional office, primary responsibilities include development and implementation of investment strategy, oversight and coordination of the West Coast investment activities. Responsible for joint venture structuring and the origination of new investment opportunities for the firm’s West Coast regional office.

Mr. Michael W. Reschke founded The Prime Group, Inc. in 1982 and since inception, has directed and managed the development and acquisition of over $11.0 billion of institutional-quality real estate projects across the United States. Mr. Reschke continues to manage and direct the private real estate development and investment activities of Prime.

During the 1990’s, Prime achieved the unique distinction of being the founding shareholder of four publicly-traded real estate companies, each one being the successor-in-interest to various operating divisions of Prime. In 1994, Prime organized two publicly-traded real estate companies – Prime Retail, Inc. and Ambassador Apartment, Inc. – which became successors-in-interest to Prime’s retail and multi-family divisions. In 1997, Prime again organized two publicly-traded real estate companies – Brookdale Living Communities, Inc. and Prime Group Realty Trust – which became successors-in-interest to Prime’s senior housing and office/industrial divisions.

In 1997, Ambassador Apartments, Inc. was acquired by Apartment Investment and Management Company, Inc. (“AIMCO”) in a stock-for-stock merger. In 2000, Brookdale Living Communities, Inc. was acquired by Fortress Real Estate Investments following a friendly cash tender offer. Recently, Prime Retail, Inc. and Prime Group Realty Trust were separately sold in cash-for-stock merger transactions.

From 2000 until 2003, Mr. Reschke served on the board of World Business Chicago – a public-private non-profit organization founded in 2000 to promote and market the City of Chicago on a national basis to business leaders looking for a place to start, expand or relocate their businesses. Currently, Mr. Reschke is a member of the Real Estate Roundtable in Washington, D.C., the Urban Land Institute, the Economic Club of Chicago, and the Chicago

Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Reschke is a summa cum laude graduate from Northern Illinois University, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting with Honors in 1977. Mr. Reschke also is a summa cum laude graduate from the University of Illinois College of Law, receiving a Juris Doctorate degree in 1980. Mr. Reschke is licensed to practice law in the State

Recognized as one of the leading real estate experts in Chicago for his development, advisory and management skills, Mr. Murphy has been on the real estate scene since 1989. As President of Murphy Asset Management, LLC, he develops corporate opportunities, advances company initiatives and serves as a principal and advisor to institutional clients. He also leads development initiatives and has been involved in various equity syndications for the acquisition and repositioning of assets across the United States.

Primarily as a principal and owner, Mr. Murphy has been involved in, and in most cases, led the development and repositioning of several million feet throughout the Midwest and East Coast. His recent notable accomplishments include Lincoln Park 2550, a prestigious three-tower, 219-unit luxury condominium development in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood; the Hyatt Centric “The Loop” Chicago,” a redevelopment of 100 W. Monroe, a 183,275 square foot historic office high-rise in Chicago into a 257-room, full-service hotel; the 88,000 square foot redevelopment of the Chicago Motor Club building at 68 E. Wacker into a 143-room, select-service Hampton Inn; and a 237,200 square foot redevelopment of the Oriental Theater Building at 32 W. Randolph into a 199 room Cambria suites hotel. He is also actively involved in the development of a 227-acre private marina and beach resort on Lake Erie in Ohio.

Over the years, Mr. Murphy has also brokered high-profile properties such as the development site at 155 North Wacker and 200 West Jackson. Other notable past achievements include successfully leasing several Chicago properties such the Citadel Center, 200 North LaSalle and 230 West Monroe. Mr. Murphy received his bachelor’s degree from John Carroll University in Ohio. He is an active member of the Building Owners & Managers Association, the Urban Land Institute and the Executive Club of Chicago. In addition to participating in various civic organizations, he also serves as Trustee for the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum and is co-chair of the buildOn organization (formerly Building with Books).

Mr. Liebling joined Waterton in 2011 and serves as chief investment officer of hospitality. In his role, Mr. Liebling is responsible for hotel investment activity, including setting strategy, identifying target markets, sourcing JV capital, transaction and disposition opportunities and other key strategic projects. Mr. Liebling participates on Waterton’s management committee.

Since 2003, Mr. Liebling executed on over $2 billion in luxury, full service and limited service lodging acquisitions in major U.S. markets and with many prominent international brands on behalf of both private investors and institutions. Prior to joining Waterton, Mr. Liebling was senior vice president of acquisitions for Chartres Lodging where he oversaw more than $200 million in equity joint venture transactions alongside prominent institutional partners and was also responsible for the firm’s disposition and financing activities. In previous roles, Mr. Liebling served with CNL Hotels & Resorts where he was involved in acquisitions and dispositions as well as with Ernst and Young’s Real Estate Advisory Services practice where he was involved in the due diligence and underwriting of over $1 billion in real estate transactions.

Mr. Liebling graduated magna cum laude from the University of Miami, holds a Master’s degree from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Gene Kornota co-founded Chicago-based Rebel Hospitality (formerly Neighborhood

Development Corporation) in 1988 and has been leveraging his vision and development expertise

ever since. Gene has overseen the design of over 16 independent boutique and brand hotels,

restaurants, and entertainment venues in Chicago, Memphis and Phoenix.

As a Principal of Rebel Hospitality, Gene focuses much of his attention on the design, planning,

engineering, creative, and branding portions of the business. He is integrally involved in each and

every facet from conception, vision and branding. Gene has an ear to the ground and an astute

understanding of what consumers are looking for – combined with his knowledge of current

trends, Gene creates hotels full of imagination.

Gene speaks on many industry panels and at trade shows on the topic of boutique hotel

development, investment and design. Under Gene’s leadership, virtually every property and

outlet has received multiple industry, press and consumer awards and accolades for spectacular

design as well as innovative extra’s. Gene’s philosophy is all about surprising and delighting

guests.