Industry Veteran Jeffrey S. Schwaber Appointed President of Griffin Capital Securities

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Jan. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Griffin Capital Securities announced today that Jeffrey S. Schwaber, one of the financial services industry's most respected and accomplished senior distribution executives, joined Griffin Capital Securities as President of Capital Markets and Head of Distribution.  Schwaber joins Griffin from Behringer Harvard Real Estate Investments, where he built and managed an industry-leading non-traded REIT sales organization that raised more than $5.5 billion since 2003.

"Jeff is one of the most recognized and respected securities executives in the financial services industry," said Kevin Shields, Chief Executive Officer of Griffin Capital Securities and Griffin Capital Corporation.  "You can count on one hand the senior distribution executives that have built an organization to Tier 1 industry-leading status, compiled a selling group of several hundred prestigious broker-dealer partners and raised billions of dollars through multiple economic cycles, and Jeff Schwaber is certainly one of them."

"We undertook the highest level of diligence in making the decision as to whom we would appoint as President of our securities company," said David Rupert, President of Griffin Capital Corporation.  "We spoke with several leading broker-dealer heads, due diligence officers and other influential industry leaders and invariably one name kept coming up.  We are delighted Jeff is joining our team at such an exciting time in our company's growth."

A 27-year veteran of the securities industry, Schwaber brings a wealth of executive-level sales experience to Griffin, where he will focus his efforts on the distribution of Griffin Capital Net Lease REIT and Griffin-American Healthcare REIT II. 

Known and widely respected throughout the broker-dealer community and acknowledged as one of the most effective and highly regarded speakers in the securities industry, Schwaber is a sought-after keynote speaker and has been a featured guest on CNBC multiple times.  He is also known as a "hands-on" leader with his wholesaling and national accounts teams, and a highly participatory manager in training, education and operations. 

"I considered a number of professional career opportunities and was drawn to Griffin Capital for several reasons," stated Schwaber. "First, the company has an outstanding combination of two high-quality, well-positioned REIT offerings and, perhaps more important, each REIT is advised by a superior management team with a level of pedigree, focus and experience centered around creating value for their shareholders.  I am excited to combine my capital markets expertise with the extensive real estate experience of each management team to drive sales and success to each REIT and their shareholders."

Last November, Los-Angeles-based Griffin Capital Corporation, sponsor of the Griffin Capital Net Lease REIT, Inc., a publicly-registered, non-traded real estate investment trust (REIT), was selected, along with Newport Beach-based American Healthcare Investors, to serve as co-sponsor of Griffin-American Healthcare REIT II (formerly known as Grubb & Ellis Healthcare REIT II) by the independent members of its board of directors.  Griffin Capital Securities was selected to serve as the dealer manager of the healthcare REIT's offering. 

About Griffin Capital and Griffin Capital Net Lease REIT
Los Angeles-based Griffin Capital Corporation ("Griffin") is the sponsor of the Griffin Capital Net Lease REIT, Inc. (the "REIT"), a publicly-registered, non-traded real estate investment trust focused on providing individual investors dependable monthly income through the ownership of a diversified portfolio of 'business essential' office and industrial properties net leased on a long term basis to creditworthy corporate tenants. The REIT, distributed by Griffin Capital Securities, Inc. through leading independent broker-dealers, seeks to raise $750 million in equity.  Manifesting keen alignment of shareholder interest, the principals and certain affiliates of Griffin Capital invested over $26 million of capital into the REIT.  Griffin Capital has a sixteen-year track record sponsoring real estate investment vehicles and managing institutional capital. Led by senior executives, each with more than two decades of real estate experience who have collectively closed more than 400 transactions representing over $14.0 billion in transaction value, Griffin Capital has acquired or constructed over 11 million square feet of space since 1996, and currently manages a portfolio of more than 8.5 million square feet located in 13 states, representing approximately $1 billion in asset value.  For more information regarding Griffin Capital, please visit www.griffincapital.com.

About Griffin-American Healthcare REIT II, Inc. (formerly known as Grubb & Ellis Healthcare REIT II)
Griffin-American Healthcare REIT II, Inc. is a real estate investment trust that seeks to preserve, protect and return investors' capital contributions, pay regular cash distributions, and realize growth in the value of its investments upon the ultimate sale of such investments. Griffin-American Healthcare REIT II currently holds in excess of $438 million in assets, based on purchase price, and is seeking to raise up to approximately $3.0 billion in equity and to acquire a diversified portfolio of real estate assets, focusing primarily on medical office buildings, skilled nursing facilities, hospitals, and assisted living facilities. For more information regarding Griffin-American Healthcare REIT II, please visit www.HealthcareREIT2.com.

About American Healthcare Investors, LLC
American Healthcare Investors, LLC is an investment management firm that specializes in the acquisition and management of healthcare-related real estate, including medical office buildings, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities and hospitals.  The company was founded by nationally recognized real estate investment executives Jeff Hanson, Danny Prosky and Mathieu Streiff, who have completed in excess of $15 billion in aggregate acquisition and disposition transactions during their careers, approximately $5.5 billion of which has been healthcare-related real estate transactions.  Approximately $8.0 billion of the $15 billion was completed as a team while they led Grubb & Ellis' national investment management subsidiary for more than half a decade.  American Healthcare Investors is committed to providing investors with access to the potential benefits that healthcare-related real estate ownership can provide. For more information regarding American Healthcare Investors, please visit www.AmericanHealthcareInvestors.com.

Lee Allan
Vice President, New Media
Griffin Capital Corporation
[email protected]
Office Phone: 310-606-5900
Cell Phone: 310-621-1601

SOURCE Griffin Capital Securities