What’s Next for the Peninsula?

Demand for Space, Cutting-Edge Developments & the Future of Biotech Tenants in the Region

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  Peter Conte

  Peter is a member of a Transwestern team that assists clients in every stage of the real estate process including: Real estate leasing or disposing of facility leases; providing strategic, long-term planning via portfolio analysis, site selection and employee location consulting. We excel in assisting early, mid and late stage funded start-ups in managing growth in terms of cost analysis with the goal of increasing their bottom line. Additionally, Peter is the Bay Area head of Transwestern's BioTech Advisory Group, leading the company's efforts in life science and biotech office and laboratory disposition, having years of professional lab experience with the USDA and public/private cancer research departments before working in brokerage. He is also a LEED® Accredited Professional, and member of the United States Green Building Council, helping to merge green building and leasing practices into commercial real estate.

  Transwestern

  National Director - Lab + Life Sciences

  Peter Conte

  National Director - Lab + Life Sciences

  Transwestern

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  William Syme

  William joined Woodstock Development in 2012 and is responsible for managing new partner relationships and overseeing the leasing strategy for portfolio assets. He also works with the team to expand the firm’s portfolio and development pipeline through new acquisitions. Prior to Woodstock, William spent nearly five years in the San Francisco Peninsula office of BT Commercial (now Cushman Wakefield) where he was a leasing broker focusing on occupier services. William holds a Bachelor’s degree from Santa Clara University. While not in the office, he spends most of his time with his wife and two girls in the Presidio of San Francisco and Crissy Field.

  Woodstock Development

  Partner

  William Syme

  Partner

  Woodstock Development

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  Peter Banzhaf

  Managing Principal

  Helios Real Estate Partners

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  Sherif Eldash

  Master’s graduate in Civil Engineering with over 13 years of experience in pre-construction for commercial tenant improvement projects, specializing in the life sciences industry. Extensive expertise in cost estimating, value engineering, subcontractor bidding, contract negotiation, bid leveling, and cost analysis. Proven ability to lead and manage preconstruction departments and teams of estimators, ensuring all tasks are completed efficiently and bids are submitted without scope gaps. Skilled in overseeing and driving the success of preconstruction phases to deliver well-coordinated, cost-effective project outcomes.

  GCI General Contractors

  Preconstrution Manager

  Sherif Eldash

  Preconstrution Manager

  GCI General Contractors

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  Robert Fagnant

  An associate partner with Syska Hennessy Group, Robert manages staff and projects across the multi-discipline MEP services. Robert has extensive experience with laboratory and life sciences projects including spaces for ISO cleanroom pharma manufacturing, electron microscopy, mass spectroscopy, BSL-3 containment, NMR environments, neuropharmacology and electrophysiology. He’s worked on projects with The Scripps Research Institute, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, The Burnham Institute, Pfizer and Genentech. Robert’s depth of experience in both design and project management enhances collaboration with owners, architects, and contractors.

  Syska Hennessy Group

  Associate Partner

  Robert Fagnant

  Associate Partner

  Syska Hennessy Group

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  Kurt Lindorfer

  Kurt’s professional engineering career spans over 40 years. His expertise includes structural engineering design for Mission Critical Facilities such as Data Centers, Health Care Facilities such as Hospitals and Clinics and Life Sciences Facilities such as Biopharmaceutical Pilot Plants and Production Facilities around the United States and the World. His area of expertise is in designing buildings to be occupable after natural disasters including Tornados, Hurricanes and Earthquakes. He has been the structural engineer of record for conventional “fixed Base Buildings” ranging from 1-23 stories, “Base Isolated Buildings” ranging from 1-5 stories, and the retrofit and new construction of buildings incorporating Fluid Viscous Dampers ranging from 1-22 stories. He has published numerous papers on passive energy dissipation and presented the findings at various conventions in Boston, San Francisco and Milan. For over 23 years as the Founding Principal at PARADIGM Structural Engineers, Kurt spends most of his time developing new leaders at PARADIGM and mentoring staff in Chicago and San Francisco.

  PARADIGM Structural Engineers

  Founding Principal

  Moderator

  Kurt Lindorfer

  Founding Principal

  PARADIGM Structural Engineers

In-Demand Labs: Developing Spaces That Meet Tenant Needs Across All Lab Types

Delivering and Designing to Meet Market Demands in an Evolving Life Sciences Market

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  Adam Voelker

  Adam Voelker serves as Business Unit Leader and Principal for Trammell Crow Company’s Northern California Business Unit. In this role, he is responsible for day-to-day operations of the office and strategic oversight of all new development and investment activity in the Bay Area. Prior to joining Trammell Crow Company, Adam worked as a Managing Director for Tishman Speyer for nine years in San Francisco and Washington, D.C. He was responsible for acquisitions and new development opportunities in Northern California across office, life science and residential product types. In this role he was integrally involved in all capital markets activities, partner relationships and managed the development of Mission Rock, a 2.7-million-square-foot mixed-use project in San Francisco on the waterfront. Before joining Tishman Speyer, Voelker worked in Acquisitions and Project Management at The Abbey Company in Southern California after graduating from Penn State University. Voelker is actively involved in ULI through the national IOPC Council, with City of Hope on the Bay Area Building Hope board, and through several local community organizations.

  Trammell Crow Company

  Principal

  Adam Voelker

  Principal

  Trammell Crow Company

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  Razmig Boladian

  Razmig co-manages RPP and is specifically responsible for asset management and capital markets. Prior to RPP, Razmig, a serial entrepreneur, co-founded several companies and practices, including Roland Berger Strategy Consultants’ Middle East practice and served as Partner and Saudi Arabian Country Manager. Within six years, Roland Berger was ranked one of the top five consulting firms in the Middle East, managing over fifty consultants. Razmig started his career at Booz & Co. and Deloitte Consulting. Razmig is a graduate of American University of Beirut, Carnegie Mellon University, and Harvard University.

  Rubicon Point Partners

  Managing Partner

  Razmig Boladian

  Managing Partner

  Rubicon Point Partners

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  Geoff Sears

  Partner

  Wareham Development

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  Gul Dusi

  National Lead, Life Sciences Project Development

  JLL

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  Rachel Lee

  An award-winning architect, Rachel brings over 20 years of experience leading science and technology and research and development facility projects for tech companies, top research institutions, biotech companies, and developers. Her attention to meeting clients’ needs and her spirit of collaboration across all disciplines results in successful outcomes for highly complex projects. Within the lab design industry, Rachel is a thought leader helping to define new paradigms and trends in R+D facilities. She has frequently presented at conferences across the U.S., including Tradeline, I2SL and the Lab Design Conference.

  HDR

  Education & Science Principal

  Rachel Lee

  Education & Science Principal

  HDR

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  John H. Hina

  John is a Project Executive at COBE Construction with 18 years of experience in the industry. He leads a team of Project Managers who excel in driving business growth and strengthening client relationships by consistently exceeding expectations. With a strong mechanical background, he specializes in complex projects in the Biotech/Lab, Semiconductor, and Data Center sectors. John is also an active ISPE member, serving on its membership committee. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and three kids, coaching their sports, traveling, trying new restaurants and following his favorite Chicago teams.

  COBE Construction

  Project Executive

  John H. Hina

  Project Executive

  COBE Construction

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  Keith Wohlert

  Keith Wohlert is a Senior Project Manager and Director at WCI-GC with 11+ years’ experience helping bring commercial construction projects from paper to reality. Specializing in commercial construction projects ranging from office tenant improvements to core and shell, to bio/chemistry lab spaces, Keith uses that experience to meet the project objectives and create a successful outcome for all stakeholders effectively and efficiently. By focusing on superior results through teamwork, Keith has been able to complete numerous projects exceeding clients’ expectations. Over the years, Keith’s strengths at WCI-GC have garnered acknowledgement for providing creative problem solving and dedication to putting client’s and project success first. The most rewarding part of his job is partnering with likeminded people and building long lasting relationships. Keith is leads a team of 7 project managers that build $90+ million in projects annually. Keith completed his undergrad at Cal Poly and MBA at Saint Mary’s College, School of Economics and Business Administration. When he’s not at WCI-GC, Keith lives in Lafayette with his wife and two daughters. They keep him busy with swim team, ballet, pizza making, and camping adventures.

  WCI-GC

  Director, Project Manager

  Moderator

  Keith Wohlert

  Director, Project Manager

  WCI-GC

Helping Life Sciences Companies Scale

Supporting Biotech Startups and Growth Through Real Estate, Design, and Innovation

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  Gino Segre

  Managing Director

  Bakar Labs

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  Michelle Nemits

  As Executive Director of Biocom’s South San Francisco office, Michelle is responsible for building the framework for enabling the creation of a strong, well-connected life science community in the Bay Area. She leads Biocom’s programming and benefits efforts and helps raise awareness of the region’s innovations and accomplishments. Michelle has spent over 20 years in Bay Area life science sales, marketing and business development. She has held leadership roles at a large lab supply distributor and at a biotech tools startup, which fostered her broad view of the Bay Area market, its challenges and its opportunities.

  Biocom

  Executive Director, Bay Area

  Michelle Nemits

  Executive Director, Bay Area

  Biocom

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  Ryan McNulty

  Ryan McNulty is a Principal at MBH Architects with over two decades of experience designing technically complex environments that advance innovation across life sciences, housing, and commercial sectors. As a leader of MBH’s lab and R&D studio, Ryan specializes in high-performance spaces that merge technical precision with human-centered design. His collaborative leadership aligns client goals with interdisciplinary teams to deliver forward-thinking, sustainable solutions that evolve with user needs. Notably, he led the adaptive reuse of Berkeley’s historic building into the award-winning Bakar BioEnginuity Hub, transforming it into a vibrant life science incubator supporting the next generation of biotech ventures. In addition to his work in the life sciences, Ryan oversees MBH’s Housing Studio, where he led early collaboration on The Phoenix—a visionary 300-unit modular development integrating AI-driven design and advanced biomaterials. His ability to bridge technical requirements with long-term vision makes him a trusted partner in creating environments that elevate human experience, accelerate impact, and serve as catalysts for users to do their best work.

  MBH Architects

  Principal

  Ryan McNulty

  Principal

  MBH Architects

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  Steve Blair, PE

  Steve has dedicated his career to ensuring science thrives. He leads our firm's award-winning science & technology practice and guides teams in designing projects that supercharge discovery—from buildings designed to develop life-saving cancer treatments to environments that further exploration of space’s outer limits. Steve’s goal on any project is to ensure scientists and researchers across government, health and commercial sectors have optimized, healthy and exhilarating environments where they are able to perform at their best. He partners with top organizations to break barriers, demand more change and take the next steps to achieve their research potential

  Cannon Design

  Principal, Science & Technology Practice Director

  Steve Blair, PE

  Principal, Science & Technology Practice Director

  Cannon Design

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  Cynthia NeSmith-Montanez

  Cynthia NeSmith-Montanez is a Director of Healthcare at SLS Consultants, bringing over 40 years of experience delivering complex projects across the Healthcare and Life Sciences sectors. Her work spans hospital campuses, medical office buildings, and advanced biotech and research facilities, with deep expertise in regulatory compliance, HCAI/OSHPD oversight, and infrastructure modernization. Cynthia’s background in both owner’s representation and general contracting gives her a unique ability to bridge technical, clinical, and operational priorities. She has also contributed to major initiatives in corporate, financial, and hospitality environments, making her a versatile leader known for strategic insight, collaborative leadership, and successful delivery in highly regulated settings.

  SLS Consultants

  Director

  Moderator

  Cynthia NeSmith-Montanez

  Director

  SLS Consultants

High-Performing Labs: Building the Future of Lab Spaces

Delivering Flexible, Sustainable, and Advanced Lab Spaces

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  Claire Drummond

  Claire serves as the Vice President and Market Executive for Wexford’s first development in California- Aggie Square. She is responsible for overseeing the design, construction, leasing, operations and deal management. Aggie Square is a 1 million SF development on UC Davis’ Sacramento campus. With two 7-story lab buildings, one academic office tower, a mixed-use residential component and parking- the Project is estimated to bring over $1.1 billion of development to the Sacramento market. This development will also showcase Connect Labs by Wexford, Wexford’s marquee shared lab and office offering. Prior to joining the Wexford team, Claire was a Senior Program Manager at Arizona State University; leading the place-based innovation efforts for the Entrepreneurship + Innovation team. This included the oversight of design & construction of new spaces for the program; programmatic and operational design & daily oversight of the existing portfolio sites; leading a team of six; and launching a premier, community-facing makerspace. Before her time at ASU, Claire worked at CIC (the Cambridge Innovation Center), curating a diverse portfolio of clients for the CIC Boston location; helping to design and implement data analytics for the company-wide sales goals; and eventually leading the expansion into Providence, Rhode Island. She received her Bachelor of Science and of Arts in Operations Management and in Spanish from the University of North Carolina- Asheville and a Masters of Global Affairs in Innovation Ecosystems from the University of Toronto.

  Wexford Science + Technology

  VP, Development + Market Executive

  Claire Drummond

  VP, Development + Market Executive

  Wexford Science + Technology

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  Benjamin Stevenson

  Experienced Facilities Operations Professional with a demonstrated history of working in the biotechnology industry. I bring enthusiasm, insight, and a genuine sense of what really works to help tech and biotech companies build organizational excellence and agility to fuel rapid growth.

  CARGO Therapeutics

  Director of Facilities

  Benjamin Stevenson

  Director of Facilities

  CARGO Therapeutics

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  Kris Kyle

  With over 26 years in the construction industry and more than $2 billion in life science facilities delivered, Kris Kyle is a seasoned leader in the biotech, pharma, and academic medical space. As Suffolk’s Director of Preconstruction, he combines deep technical expertise with strategic vision to guide complex lab and research projects from concept to completion—including clean rooms, GMP manufacturing, and highly secure lab environments. He’s currently leading the delivery of Gilead’s Life Sciences Building 331 and has played a key role on projects like UCSF’s Parnassus Research and Academic Building and the Long Baseline Neutrino Facility. Known for navigating complex MEP systems and integrating design with constructability, Kris ensures precision, performance, and speed across every project. A proud Journeyman Electrician and ISPE member, he brings hands-on know-how and a commitment to building the spaces where cutting-edge science happens.

  Suffolk

  Project Executive

  Kris Kyle

  Project Executive

  Suffolk

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  Brian Kenworthy

  Brian Kenworthy is an award-winning designer with over 25 years of experience, leading Science+Technology, Workplace, and Cultural design teams across SmithGroup's west region. He works fluidly across these market types, allowing influences from each to inform each project. His expansive portfolio includes clients such as Wexford Science & Technology, the University of Washington, the University of Illinois at Chicago, the California Institute of Technology, and the California Department of General Services (DGS). To Brian, creativity is a cultivated skill, a trained ability to weave together disparate elements in novel and inspiring ways imbued with both beauty and intellect. He is passionate about nurturing creativity within himself and others, with a focus on mentoring the next generation of designers.

  SmithGroup

  Senior Principal

  Brian Kenworthy

  Senior Principal

  SmithGroup

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  Ryan Young

  Ryan Young is a Director and Shareholder at Dome Construction, where he’s led with a steady focus on team development and technical excellence since 2015. With experience on both the client and GC side, Ryan brings a unique perspective shaped by his Cal Maritime education, early career at Genentech, and ongoing service in the US Navy. Known for building high-performing teams tailored to each client’s needs—particularly in the life science and technical sectors—Ryan finds the greatest fulfillment in watching his teammates grow through challenges. He approaches every project with the mindset that each problem is an opportunity to improve, always driving toward smarter solutions and stronger outcomes.

  Dome Construction

  Director

  Ryan Young

  Director

  Dome Construction

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  David Brody

  David Brody is Market Development Manager at Doxel. He helps construction teams adopt AI-powered tools that automate progress tracking — so they can focus on managing safe, efficient projects instead of counting components. David started his career in operations, working closely with VDC teams, data engineers, and field experts to turn raw site data into actionable insights. His focus has always been on bridging the gap between construction realities and technical solutions, and he’s passionate about making complex systems feel simple, useful, and scalable.

  Doxel

  Market Development Manager

  Moderator

  David Brody

  Market Development Manager

  Doxel

Enhancing Bay Area’s Biotech Ecosystems and Innovation Hubs

Strategies for Cross-Sector Collaboration and How Universities Drive Innovation and Growth

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  Darren Cooke

  Darren Cooke is the interim Chief Innovation & Entrepreneurship Officer at UC Berkeley. He is also the executive director of UC Berkeley’s Life Sciences Entrepreneurship Center, a professional faculty member at the Haas School of Business, and past chair of the Bio Track at the Berkeley SkyDeck startup accelerator. Cooke teaches entrepreneurship at Haas and for the Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program for the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation. He is an investor and former chair of Medical Device and Digital Health at Life Science Angels. As an attorney, Cooke led the IP legal team for the life science tools group of Bio-Rad Laboratories, and was a life sciences patent litigator at Covington & Burling. Before law school, he was a mechanical engineer developing cochlear implants at UCSF.

  UC Berkeley

  Interim Chief Innovation & Entrepreneurship Officer

  Darren Cooke

  Interim Chief Innovation & Entrepreneurship Officer

  UC Berkeley

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  Carmen Domingo

  Carmen Domingo became the dean of the College of Science and Engineering at San Francisco State University in 2019, marking historic milestone as the first women and Latina to hold this position. She oversees the largest college at the university, serving over 7000 majors. Joining SF State as an assistant professor of Biology in 1997, Carmen later served as associate chair of Biology from 2007 to 2015 and was the interim dean in 2017. An expert in vertebrate embryology, she has taught and mentored hundreds of students in both the classroom and research lab, many of whom have pursued excellent Ph.D. programs and careers in biomedical sciences. Carmen has secured numerous grants from the National Institute of Health, National Science Foundation, California Institute of Regenerative Medicine, private foundations and non-profit organizations. These grants support her research activities, student training, STEM diversity efforts, and professional development opportunities for faculty. In 2018 she was elected as a California Academy of Sciences fellow. Recently, she oversaw the construction of a 125,000 sq. ft. all-electric science and engineering building dedicated to advancing STEM teaching and research. Carmen earned her Ph.D. in Molecular and Cell Biology from UC Berkeley in 1995. She was a recipient of a UC President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship from 1995 to 1997 in the Integrative Biology Department at UC Berkeley.

  SFSU

  Dean of the College of Science and Engineering

  Carmen Domingo

  Dean of the College of Science and Engineering

  SFSU

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  George Baxter

  After a BSC and a PhD in Organic Chemistry at the University of Glasgow, George joined ICI (a major UK Chemicals business) and spent 15 years in in Sales, Marketing and Business Management. Sectors covered included bulk petrochemicals, water treatment, electrochemical technology licensing, brine cavity usage and major power contracts. He then joined AstraZeneca Specialty Chemicals to lead their Japanese ink jet dye business. The newly formed Regional Development Agencies, economic development agencies of the UK Government, were growing rapidly and George joined the North West Development Agency in 2003 as Director of Science and Innovation. Over the next 8 years, NWDA led a number of major economic development initiatives including Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus. In 2011 he joined Salford University as Professor of Innovation and Enterprise and then took over as Director of Research and Enterprise, standing in for a period as Vice Chancellor Research and Enterprise. A move to the University of Nottingham followed as Director of the Business, Enterprise and Innovation Division and also of the Research Support Office before moving to the University of Edinburgh in 2016 as CEO of ERI ltd (now EI Ltd.) the University’s Commercialisation Company whose staff of 150 lead on business development, Consultancy, venture capital, spin-outs, start-ups and student enterprise. In April 2024 he became the inaugural Chief Innovation and Economic Development Officer at UC Davis, which includes leadership of the Aggie Square project.

  UC Davis

  Chief Innovation and Economic Development Officer

  George Baxter

  Chief Innovation and Economic Development Officer

  UC Davis

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  Deepa Balgi

  S&T Principal

  HGA

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  Tony Natsis

  A name partner of the firm, Anton N. Natsis is Chair of Allen Matkins’ Real Estate Department and is one of the top real estate attorneys in the United States. His practice focuses on development, leasing, purchase and sale, and portfolio investment sales transactions involving office, retail, and industrial projects, as well as arbitrating numerous fair market value disputes, CAM disputes and other significant landlord/tenant disputes. He also has extensive experience in debt, equity, and joint venture workouts, and the purchase of distressed assets and distressed debt. Tony is continually sought out by some of the largest national land owners, such as J.P. Morgan Asset Management, Blackstone Real Estate, Brookfield Properties, HCP, Vornado Realty Trust, Regent Properties, The Irvine Company, Boston Properties, Equity Office Properties, Kilroy Realty, Inc., Beacon Capital Partners, MPG Office Trust, Kamehameha Schools (The Bishop Estate) and Westfield Corporation. He represents many governmental entities, including the LAUSD, State of California, and City of Anaheim. Tony is also frequently retained as counsel for major national office tenants, such as AT&T, Citicorp, the FDIC, AIG, The Walt Disney Company, and the Los Angeles Times. A frequent lecturer and author, Tony is the chief consultant for the California Continuing Education of the Bar Commercial Leasing Series, the legal education reference book on leasing for California attorneys, is an adjunct professor of law at Loyola Law School for a course covering commercial real estate transactions, and has spoken before such national real estate groups as ULI and BOMA. Tony is a founding board member of The Ziman Real Estate Center, which is governed under the joint auspices of the UCLA Anderson School of Business and the UCLA Law School. In the past decade, Tony has closed commercial office leases exceeding 50 million square feet. He has worked on real estate purchase contracts with a total consideration of more than $30 billion and on development transactions with a total consideration in excess of $25 billion. Since 2006, Tony has represented clients in office building portfolio investment sales transactions involving over $75 billion of consideration. One of Tony's most significant transactions is the largest real estate acquisition deal in the history of the United States. He provided extensive real estate services in connection with Blackstone Real Estate's purchase of Equity Office Properties Trust, at that point the largest owner of office space in the U.S. other than the Federal Government, for $43 billion. Subsequently, Blackstone contracted to sell over 50% of the properties it purchased with such sales closing in the first and second quarter of 2007. Tony assisted Blackstone in its acquisition due diligence related to EOP and the subsequent sales of the properties. The transactions related to this deal included Maguire Properties' purchase of Blackstone/EOP in Orange County for $2 billion, Irvine Company's purchase of Blackstone/EOP in San Diego for $1 billion, Morgan Stanley's purchase of Blackstone/EOP in San Francisco for $2.5 billion, and Beacon Capital Partners’ purchase of Blackstone/EOP Seattle for $6.3 billion.

  Allen Matkins

  Partner

  Moderator

  Tony Natsis

  Partner

  Allen Matkins