Industry leader Christopher Cooper joins Avison Young as Managing Director, Southern California

Industry veteran also becomes Principal

TORONTO, March 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - Mark E. Rose, Chair and CEO of Avison Young, announced today that industry leader Christopher Cooper has joined Avison Young as a Principal and Managing Director of the Southern California region.

Effective immediately, Cooper will oversee the growth and development of the company's presence throughout Southern California, including Greater Los Angeles, Ventura County, Orange County and San Diego. He will be based in the company's Los Angeles West office.

"We view the Southern California region as a critical growth area for Avison Young, and Chris is especially qualified to lead this initiative, along with the other senior Principals already in the region," comments Rose. "We have already established offices in Los Angeles West and Los Angeles North. With Chris on board, we can further expand those offices and seek out opportunities to grow in other key Los Angeles submarkets."

Prior to joining Avison Young, Cooper, a 27-year commercial real estate industry veteran, served as CEO of Los Angeles-based Charles Dunn Company, Senior Managing Director for Cushman & Wakefield in Los Angeles, and Executive Vice-President at Jones Lang LaSalle in Los Angeles.

"I have known Chris for many years, dating back to our days together at Jones Lang LaSalle," notes Earl Webb, Avison Young's President of U.S. Operations. "Chris has demonstrated a unique ability to negotiate complicated transactions, gain the respect of the largest and most sophisticated clients in the U.S. and, most importantly, build and run a very successful brokerage business in Southern California. We are all excited about Chris joining us and look forward to sharing the successes in the Southern California region with him."

Cooper possesses a wide range of experience in corporate services, leasing, construction, acquisition, sales, development and finance, and has an impressive track record of closed real estate transactions valued in excess of $3.5 billion.

He began his professional career as a real estate lawyer, representing both public and private-sector clients for 11 years. He has acted as lead real estate counsel on numerous large transactions, including the development, leasing, acquisition, and financing of office, industrial, hospital and other health care properties.

Cooper holds a Bachelor's degree in economics and political science from the University of California at Berkeley and a Juris Doctorate from Loyola University in Los Angeles. He has served on several boards and executive committees including: BOMA Greater Los Angeles Advisory Board (2011 to present); executive committee and Board member - Core Network (2012); executive committee - Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation (2006 to 2008); executive committee - Los Angeles Central City Association (2006 to 2008; 2010 to 2012); alternate Board member - Los Angeles Mayor's Economy and Jobs Committee (2007); Board of Directors - UCLA Anderson School Real Estate Forecast Conference (2006 to 2007); member - CoreNet Global.

Neil Resnick, Principal and Managing Director of Avison Young's Los Angeles West office, says Cooper will further the firm's efforts to be a dominant force in major markets throughout Southern California.

"We are thrilled to have Chris join Avison Young in a leadership capacity for our Southern California region," says Resnick. "His long history of leadership and the respect he has earned in the Los Angeles business community will be of tremendous value to our firm and to our clients. Avison Young's presence in Los Angeles has grown from three professionals last August to 29 today. With Chris' leadership, we expect to significantly increase our staffing level throughout Southern California. We couldn't be more pleased to have Chris join our ranks of Principals and leaders as we continue to grow Avison Young."

Avison Young opened its Los Angeles West office in August 2011, followed by a second Los Angeles office in December through the acquisition of Ramsey-Shilling Commercial Real Estate Services, Inc.

"The ability to partner with the best and the brightest professionals in the industry, coupled with the entrepreneurial spirit at Avison Young, provided an exceptional opportunity to be part of something very special," notes Cooper. "Furthermore, the company's Principal ownership model fosters a culture that always puts the client's interest first, which is of tantamount importance. Joining Avison Young will also allow me to rejoin forces with Mark Rose and Earl Webb, who are among the most respected leaders in the U.S. Having worked with Mark and Earl previously, I am excited about the opportunity to expand the company's proven approach to client-centric service."

Over the past three years, Avison Young has grown from 11 to 28 offices and from 300 to more than 900 real estate professionals across Canada and the U.S. Today's announcement comes on the heels of Avison Young opening new offices in Reno, NV and Bethesda, MD two weeks ago.

Last month, Avison Young was named a winner of Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies program for 2011, sponsored by Deloitte, CIBC, National Post and Queen's School of Business.

Founded in 1978, Avison Young is Canada's largest independently-owned commercial real estate services company. Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Avison Young is also the largest Canadian-owned, principal-managed commercial real estate brokerage firm in North America. Comprising more than 900 real estate professionals in 28 offices across Canada and the U.S., the full-service commercial real estate company provides value-added, client-centric investment sales, leasing, advisory, management, financing and mortgage placement services to owners and occupiers of office, retail, industrial and multi-residential properties.

Avison Young is a winner of Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies program for 2011, sponsored by Deloitte, CIBC, National Post and Queen's School of Business

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SOURCE Avison Young (Canada) Inc.