Benson Elliot expands senior
team with three appointments

29 September 2008 — Benson Elliot Capital Management, the private equity real estate firm, announces that it has made three additions to its management team as it continues to expand its business across Europe.

Joseph P. DeLeo, Partner and Director of Portfolio Management

With 12 years’ private equity real estate experience, Joseph is responsible for the delivery of Benson Elliot’s investment strategy across its portfolio. Joseph joined Benson Elliot from Fortress Investment Group where, as Managing Director, he directed a team of 40 professionals overseeing the commercial real estate investment management activities in Germany. This included the management of a €5.4 billion, 600 property office and retail portfolio. Previously, Joseph was Vice President, Corporate Development & Investments at Oxford Properties Group, a Toronto, Canada based global real estate investment company.

Chris Coulson, Development Director

Chris brings to Benson Elliot 15 years’ experience in successfully conceiving, implementing and delivering challenging real estate projects across all major sectors. Formerly Development Director for Lordship Estates, a major investor and developer in Central and Eastern Europe, Chris managed office, hotel, retail and mixed-use projects in the region with an end value of c. €500 million. Most recently he was managing Centre Plaza Bratislava, a 200,000 sq m (2.2 million sq ft) urban regeneration scheme in Slovakia’s capital. Before joining Lordship Chris worked as in-house development director for an affiliate of Marriott International.

Dorothee Wintle, General Counsel

A member of both the New York and Paris Bars, Dorothee has become the senior in-house legal professional for Benson Elliot, overseeing a range of corporate and investment activities, and managing external counsel on transactional and other matters. Having worked previously at Jones Day and, before that, in the Paris office of Clifford Chance, Dorothee brings to Benson Elliot extensive real estate and corporate experience. Dorothee has provided investment, financing, management and disposition advice to numerous leading international property players, including The Carlyle Group, Deka, Tishman Speyer, Morgan Stanley and UBS. One of the most prominent transactions with which Dorothee was involved during her time with Jones Day was Morgan Stanley Eurozone Office Fund’s €300 million acquisition from Apollo Real Estate of the Tours Pascal in La Defense.

Marc Mogull, Managing Partner at Benson Elliot, commented: “Our success at Benson Elliot has been a product of the outstanding team we have assembled. As we consider the opportunities and challenges our sector will confront in the next few years, the ability to attract top calibre talent will continue to be decisive in delivering investment success and market leading returns. I am delighted to welcome these experienced and respected professionals to Benson Elliot. Their expertise will prove invaluable as we service the investments we have made for BEREP II and drive to achieve our ambitions for future funds."

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

	Benson Elliot Marc Mogull, Managing Partner +44 (0)20 7808 8900
	Financial Dynamics Dido Laurimore, Rachel Drysdale +44 (0) 20 7 831 3113 rachel.drysdale@fd.com

ABOUT BENSON ELLIOT

Benson Elliot was founded in 2005 by Marc Mogull to realise a vision for successful real estate investing in a changing market environment. Conceived alongside a group of leading institutional investors, the firm is dedicated to delivering sustainable investment out-performance through market cycles. The firm launched fundraising for its inaugural investment vehicle, Benson Elliot Real Estate Partners II, L.P., in April 2006, closing in August 2006 with subscriptions of more than €⁄335 million.

Mr. Mogull, one of Europe’s top investment professionals, was previously Managing Director and the senior real estate executive at Doughty Hanson & Co Limited. At Doughty Hanson Mr. Mogull established and ran the $632 million (equity) Doughty Hanson & Co European Real Estate Fund, one of the first and, to date, one of the most successful private equity real estate funds in Europe

ABOUT BENSON ELLIOT REAL ESTATE PARTNERS II (“BEREP”)

BEREP invests in real estate assets across Europe that offer the potential for superior risk-adjusted returns through active and innovative investment management. It acquires completed properties, as well as funding development, primarily in the UK, Germany, Scandinavia, Italy, France, Spain and central and eastern Europe. All managed funds are fully discretionary.