REIT Insurance Experts Outline Changes to NAREIT D&O Insurance Program

Melissa Lishner, a director at Crystal & Co., and Michael Chu, vice president and national practice leader for REITs at Arch Insurance Group, joined REIT.com for a video interview during REITWise 2015: NAREIT’s Law, Accounting and Finance Conference held in Phoenix.

Crystal is the program administrator for NAREIT’s group Directors and Officers (D&O) Liability insurance program, which is underwritten by Arch.

Lishner outlined the process and rationale for recent changes to the NAREIT D&O insurance program.

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Industrial REIT Prologis Buying KTR Capital for $5.9 Billion

Prologis, Inc. (NYSE: PLD) said April 19 it has agreed to buy industrial property owner KTR Capital Partners through a joint venture for a total of $ 5.9 billion.

The properties will be acquired by Prologis U.S. Logistics Venture (USLV), a consolidated joint venture with Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), the manager of the Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global. Prologis holds a 55 percent stake in the joint venture.

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Green Street Analyst Says Value of Real Estate Key to REIT Valuations

Lukas Hartwich, analyst at Green Street Advisors, joined REIT.com for a video interview during REITWise 2015: NAREIT’s Law, Accounting and Finance Conference held in Phoenix.

Hartwich outlined the various factors Green Street considers when determining the valuation of a company.

“Growth is definitely a consideration,” he said. “But, first and foremost, what we look at is the value of the underlying real estate.”

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QTS General Counsel Says REIT Lawyers More Integrated in Businesses

Shirley Goza, general counsel at QTS Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: QTS), joined REIT.com for a video interview during REITWise 2015: NAREIT’s Law, Accounting and Finance Conference held in Phoenix.

Goza discussed the role of REIT general counsel as in-house gatekeeper and how the position has evolved.

“There’s always been the expectation that both in-house and outside counsel be business savvy. The lawyer needs to understand the business and look for the solution,” she said.

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REIT Governance Specialist Says Succession Planning Should Include All Senior Management

Jim Hanks, a senior partner at Venable LLP, joined REIT.com for a video interview during REITWise 2015: NAREIT’s Law, Accounting and Finance Conference held in Phoenix.

Hanks discussed the growing importance of succession planning.

“I see it as a major item on a continuing basis, as it should be,” he said.

Hanks highlighted a number of aspects to succession planning, including a focus on short-term and long-term planning. “Boards should be doing both,” he said.

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GGP Tax Executive says Retention of Capital Critical in REIT Partnership Issues

Kate Courtis, senior vice president for taxation at General Growth Properties, Inc.  (NYSE: GGP), joined REIT.com for a video interview during REITWise 2015: NAREIT’s Law, Accounting and Finance Conference held in Phoenix.

Courtis moderated a panel at REITWise looking at the partnership tax issues encountered by REITs. Some of the issues the panel discussed included disguised sales and beneficial elections.

“When [REITs] want to recycle capital, retention of that capital is critical,” Courtis said.

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NYSE Manager Sees Healthy REIT IPO Pipeline for 2015

Ron Bohlert, manager of global listings at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), joined REIT.com for a video interview during REITWise 2015: NAREIT’s Law, Accounting and Finance Conference held in Phoenix.

Bohlert noted that initial public offering (IPO) activity during 2014 was “incredibly successful for the NYSE.” There were a total of 117 IPOs, which raised a total amount of $ 65 billion. While the Alibaba Group IPO contributed a sizeable portion of that total, “in terms of the number of deals and capital raised, it was still very successful on all fronts,” he said.

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