Prominent Team Of Capital Markets Experts Further Boosts BGC Partners' / Newmark Grubb Knight Frank's Growing Real Estate Platform

NEW YORK, May 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- BGC Partners, Inc. (NASDAQ: BGCP) ("BGC Partners" or "BGC"), a leading global brokerage company servicing the wholesale financial and property markets, today announced the appointments of Mark F. Brown, Jeremy D. Stoler, N. Dante LaRocca, and John B. Tesoriero, who add to BGC/Newmark Grubb Knight Frank's growing roster of leading professionals within its commercial real estate platform.  Their debt and equity capital markets expertise during the past 15 years of approximately $25 billion in commercial loan originations and more than $50 billion in commercial real estate transactions, offers a natural complement to BGC/Newmark Grubb Knight Frank's growing suite of services within its real estate platform.

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Michael Lehrman, Global Head of Real Estate at BGC, said: "We are delighted to welcome Mark and his exceptional team, each of whom brings formidable industry connections and expertise.  I am confident that their extensive capital markets transactional experience, and their contributions as outstanding professionals and as an incomparable team, will prove pivotal in offering a compelling value proposition to our prominent client base and will support ambitious plans for our real estate platform." 

He continued: "Their appointments underscore our continued dedication to creating a full-service commercial real estate platform.  The expansion of its capital markets franchise complements the leasing, management, investment sales, and other services offered by Newmark Grubb Knight Frank, the combination of which creates one of the most innovative and dynamic players in the industry."

"This is an exciting moment to join Michael and the BGC/Newmark Grubb Knight Frank team in building a formidable real estate capital markets powerhouse," Mr. Brown said. "With brighter prospects in evidence across the commercial real estate marketplace, BGC/Newmark Grubb Knight Frank's real estate platform has an unparalleled ability to offer comprehensive services to clients across the capital structure and to capitalize on extensive distribution relationships throughout the U.S. and globally."

Mr. Brown has more than twenty years industry experience and joins BGC's Real Estate Capital Markets Group as a Senior Managing Director, reporting to Mr. Lehrman. He has held senior positions at Nomura Real Estate Finance Group where he served as President and its founding member, in addition to Centerline Capital Group and Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette/Credit Suisse.  Most recently Mr. Brown was at 801 Capital Finance Company LLC which he founded, providing asset capitalization and finance, asset sales and dispositions, fund management and advisory and consulting services to the commercial real estate industry. 

Mr. Stoler, Mr. LaRocca, and Mr. Tesoriero bring extensive real estate capital markets industry experience to BGC/Newmark Grubb Knight Frank's real estate platform.  They have worked together with Mr. Brown for the past 15 years across a number of companies, including Nomura Real Estate Finance Group, Centerline Capital Group, Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette/Credit Suisse and, most recently,  801 Capital Finance Company LLC, where they were founding members.  They join BGC's Real Estate Capital Markets Group as Managing Directors, reporting to Mr. Brown. 

About BGC Partners
BGC Partners, Inc., a leading global brokerage company primarily servicing the wholesale financial and property markets, has over 7,000 employees in New York, London and dozens of cities around the world, and conducts over $200 trillion in financial transactions for customers annually. BGC offers customers over 220 products, including commercial real estate, fixed income securities, interest rate swaps, foreign exchange, equities, equity derivatives, credit derivatives, commodities, futures, and structured products.

BGC's technology helps customers determine the value of a transaction and execute transactions at the best possible price. BGC's customers include many of the world's largest banks, hedge funds, governments and investment firms. Trades are executed through BGC's brokers, or through its hybrid and fully electronic brokerage services.

BGC, named after fixed income trading innovator B. Gerald Cantor, also offers financial technology solutions, market data, and analytics through its eSpeed, BGC Trader, and BGC Market Data brands, and provides clearing, processing, and other support services. For more information, please visit www.bgcpartners.com.

About Newmark Grubb Knight Frank
A part of BGC Partners, Inc. (NASDAQ:BGCP), Newmark Grubb Knight Frank is one of the largest commercial real estate service firms in the U.S. It brings together the strategic consultative approach to creating value for clients and leading position in the New York market that are hallmarks of Newmark Knight Frank; the complementary strengths of Grubb & Ellis in leasing and management, investment sales, valuation and capital markets services; and BGC's financial strength, proprietary technology, expertise in global capital markets and deep relationships with many of the world's leading financial institutions.

Newmark Grubb Knight Frank and its London-based partner Knight Frank together operate from more than 300 offices in established and emerging property markets on five continents. This major force in real estate is meeting the local and global needs of tenants, owners, investors and developers worldwide.

SOURCE BGC Partners, Inc.