TSL Express Daily News

NEW YORK – October 31, 2024 — Global M&A Network has named A&G Real Estate Partners “Real Estate Advisory Firm of the Year”—the fifth consecutive year in which A&G has received the honor—as part of its 16th Annual Turnaround Atlas Awards.

The evaluation was based on A&G projects conducted on behalf of healthy and distressed clients, inside and outside of bankruptcy court, over 12 months starting in February 2023. The work included strategy consulting, property sales and occupancy-cost reduction/portfolio-optimization.

“We are honored once again to receive recognition for our contributions to our clients and the industry,” said A&G Co-President Andy Graiser. “All told, our teams provided more than $1 billion in occupancy cost savings last year. I am extremely proud of the way they came together to save jobs, prevent hundreds of stores from closing and provide critical support to our clients for long-term viability.”

During the gala event in New York, Global M&A Network also recognized A&G for its work in the Chapter 11 restructurings of Party City Holdco (“Corporate Turnaround of the Year”) and U.K.-based Cineworld with its U.S.-based Regal Cinemas division (“Cross Border Turnaround of the Year”).

Last year, A&G’s additional real estate work included a major portfolio-optimization project for Rite Aid, with the majority of the leases being restructured. In addition, the firm’s real estate sales division sold 49 fee-owned properties for the national chain drug retailer.

Additional portfolio-optimization engagements were for David’s Bridal, Equinox Group/Blink Fitness, West Marine, major office lessee MCS, and national restaurants franchisees TOMs King (Burger King) and Summit Restaurants (Hardee’s), to name a few.

In the education sector, A&G arranged a two-year lease transaction that allowed part of Cazenovia College to serve as the home of the New York State Police Auxiliary Academy.

“We have been very pleased with the growing momentum of our work in the education sector, as well as real estate sales across all sectors,” noted A&G Co-President Emilio Amendola, head of the firm’s real estate division. 

That momentum continued into this year: Earlier this summer, A&G and global real estate investment bank Eastdil Secured successfully marketed the luxury William Vale Hotel in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood. The $177 million transaction with EOS Hospitality followed a three-year ownership restructuring and litigation process led by Asaf Ravid, Chief Restructuring Officer of All Year Holdings Ltd., resulting in full payment of all outstanding secured bonds.

More recently, A&G announced plans to hundreds of Big Lots store leases in connection with that retailer’s restructuring and sale process.

All told, A&G has achieved occupancy cost savings of more than $4 billion over the past four years on behalf of clients in every real estate sector. Meanwhile, A&G has now sold more than $12 billion of owned real estate and leases.

The firm and its cofounders have received multiple awards from Global M&A Network, including “Real Estate Restructuring Firm of the Year,” “Top 100 Restructuring Professionals,” “Leadership Achievement Award,” “Chapter 11 Restructuring of the Year,” “Consumer Retail Restructuring of the Year,” and “Distressed M&A Deal of the Year.”

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