Torrance, CA – April 26, 2012 – (RealEstateRama) — With a “full steam ahead” mantra and no apparent signs of slowing down, Lee & Associates NYC has added yet another powerhouse industry duo to its ever-expanding roster of professionals. Michael Berne and Richard Donohue join the Manhattan office to spearhead its seniors housing and healthcare brokerage in an effort to branch out into new markets for Lee. Although the two industries were once unchartered territories for the firm, Berne and Donohue bring over 60 years of combined specialized experience to expand Lee’s repertoire of specialties and soon launch a dedicated national seniors housing/healthcare services group. Since its inception in November 2011, Lee & Associates NYC has recruited various key new hires like seasoned retail specialists Henry Goldfarb and Stanley Lindenfeld, Dennis Someck and brothers Robe rt and Mitchell Kunikoff. Over this time period, Lee’s New York office has brought on 22 new additions, currently making it a total of 32 brokers altogether.
“These two hires present us with a terrific opportunity to utilize the 47 and growing Lee offices nationwide to create a nationwide practice focusing on seniors housing and healthcare facilities.” said James Wacht, president of Lee & Associates NYC. “There were very few brokers who focus on this highly specialized practice which leaves the field wide open for us to come in and create a dominant practice. Given the aging demographics of the country and the increasing longevity of our population we see this area is presenting terrific growth opportunities.”
As a former managing director at Jones Lang LaSalle, Berne founded and oversaw the National Seniors Housing Group with Donohue and was responsible for all deal flow in the seniors housing sector. He has had 30 years of experience in managing real estate projects with seniors housing and medical communities and has arranged portfolio acquisitions all throughout the Northeast. As director of the Hospital Division of the New York Attorney General’s Office and director of the NYS Medicaid Fraud Unit, he investigated, audited and examined hundreds of hospitals, nursing homes and adult homes. His recent engagements include disposition of a 230-unit skilled nursing facility in Detroit, Mich., the disposition of fully entitled 47 acres in Maine and entitled land in Florida, financing of a projected 50 facilities of assisted living/memory care and the disposition of an adult day care facility in New Jersey.
In his 35-year real estate career, Donohue has represented a wide variety of healthcare and seniors housing clients. As consultant to the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, Donohue provided strategic advice to the Board and Capital Committee on all real estate matters. Previously a managing director at Jones Lang LaSalle and co-head of the National Seniors Housing Group with Berne, Richard Donohue was responsible for delivering the firm’s full range of capital markets, consulting and brokerage services which included age-restricted, assisted living, Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC’s), skilled nursing and memory care facilities. His most recent assignments include the sale of Saybrook Convalescent Hospital, the disposition of a 180,000-square-foot skilled nursing facility in Southampton and the sale of a skilled nursing facility in Detroit.
Berne graduated cum laude and holds a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College as well as a J.D from Columbia Law School. He is admitted to practice in New York and several federal jurisdictions. Berne is a licensed broker in New York as well as a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Donohue holds a bachelor’s degree from CCNY, is a licensed real estate broker in New York and New Jersey and a member of the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY).
About Lee & Associates NYC:
Celebrating more than 33 years of leadership excellence in commercial real estate, Lee & Associates is the largest broker-owned firm in the nation, with over 47 locations across the nation including Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin. Lee & Associates NYC, a member of the Lee & Associates group of companies, provides office, retail and multifamily/investment brokerage services throughout the metropolitan New York City region. With its affiliate, Sierra Real Estate, Lee NYC also provides services in Property Management, Investment & Acquisitions and Construction Services. For more information about Lee & Associates NYC or Sierra Real Estate, you can contact us at: (646) 723-4707 or visit us at www.leeassociatresnyc.com; www.sierranyc.com.
