Atlanta (October 12, 2012) ─ “What to Expect in 2013” was the theme of The Third Annual
Commercial Real Estate Investment & Finance conference sponsored by Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP in concert with France Media’s InterFace Conference Group.
The conference was held October 4 at the Westin Buckhead in Atlanta, and drew over 400 attendees, many of them executives of leading national commercial real estate companies, private equity funds, banks and related service providers.
The keynote address for the conference was delivered by Dr. Peter Linneman, the nationally-acclaimed real estate economist. Dr. Linneman currently serves as the Albert Sussman Emeritus Professor of Real Estate, Finance and Business Public Policy at the Wharton School of Business.
He is considered by many within the commercial real estate sector to be the leading authority for economic forecast. Dr. Linneman reviewed the current state of the real estate market, both locally and nationally, and provided insight into what the real estate industry can expect in 2013 and beyond.
Georgia’s Governor, Nathan Deal, addressed the conference over lunch. The Governor outlined the current state of the Georgia economy and further defined his successful pro-business, pro-growth platform for the State.
“We want as many Georgians out of unemployment lines and into jobs as possible,” Governor Deal said. “More jobs means a higher demand for commercial real estate. And a more productive commercial real estate market means even more economic benefits for Georgia and its citizens,” he added.
His address focused on the positive impacts to be expected from Georgia’s improved transportation system and the future expansion of the Port of Savannah. Governor Deal was introduced by Sam Massell, the President of the Buckhead Coalition and the former Mayor of Atlanta.
Three dozen speakers from leading companies shared their experiences, predictions and advice on topics including the current market cycle, the availability of debt and capital, tax and the “fiscal cliff,” and the development pipeline. The speakers represented the following companies:
Wood Partners |
Cole Real Estate Investments |
Post conference, MMM Founding Partner Sonny Morris, recently named an Atlanta Real Estate Icon by Real Estate Forum magazine, provided his personal thoughts on the outlook for the coming year. "The commentary provided during our conference confirmed that certain sectors of the commercial real estate market have recovered, both in terms of asset classes and locations ─ while others continue to experience ongoing substantial weakness," Morris said.
In addition to title sponsor MMM, other conference sponsors included Cole Real Estate Investments, Ernst & Young, Strategic 1031 Exchange Advisors, Reznick Group, Jones Lang LaSalle and Walker & Dunlop.
About Morris, Manning & Martin
Morris, Manning & Martin (www.mmmlaw.com) is an AmLaw 200 law firm with national and international reach. We dedicate ourselves to the constant pursuit of our clients’ success. To provide our clients with optimal value, we combine market-leading legal services with a total understanding of their needs to maximize effectiveness, efficiency and opportunity. MMM enjoys national prominence for its real estate, litigation, technology, healthcare, intellectual property, capital markets, environmental, green industry, insurance, mergers & acquisitions and timberland & forest products practices. MMM has offices in Atlanta, Raleigh-Durham, Savannah, Taipei, Beijing and Washington, D.C. and an alliance with FGCN in São Paulo, Brazil.
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Media Contact: Terri Thornton, (404) 932-4347, Terri@TerriThornton.com