Brad Mendelson Mendelson has twice won the Most Ingenious Deal of the Year award from the Real Estate Board of New York.

NEW YORK CITY—Retail veterans Brad Mendelson and David A. Green have joined Colliers International as senior partners and vice chairmen, effective immediately. The two will bolster Colliers’ retail practice in Manhattan and the New York tristate region.

Both Mendelson and Green come to Colliers from Cushman & Wakefield. A spokesman for Cushman & Wakefield tells GlobeSt.com, ““Cushman & Wakefield is committed to expand our retail team in New York building on our status as the number one ranked retail services firm in New York City.”

As senior partners, Mendelson and Green will have a specialized focus on urban retail and broader iconic retail transactions. “The addition of this vibrant retail team is a major strategic step up in expanding Colliers’ retail platform in New York,” says Joseph Harbert, Colliers International president | Eastern Region. “With decades of acclaimed industry experience, Brad and David bring an exceptional level of on-the-ground market knowledge and they position us well to take our retail practice to new heights.”

Among New York’s leading retail professionals, Mendelson has worked on some of its most notable real estate transactions. Past and current assignments include the redevelopment of 1530 Broadway for Bow Tie Partners, where Toys ‘R Us once operated the world’s largest toy store and now the site of upcoming flagship Gap and Old Navy stores; the campaign at 666 Fifth Ave., with the leasing to Uniqlo and Hollister; the lease of the St. Regis condominium retail space on Fifth Avenue to various divisions of the Swatch Co.s; and, the recent leases for Saks Off Fifth Department Store at 135 East 57th Street and the new Zara store at 222 Broadway. He has received numerous awards including the Real Estate Board of New York’s 2000 and 2011 Most Creative Deal of the Year Awards for his work on the Toys ‘R Us transaction in Times Square and the leasing of the Times Square Theater.

David Green Green recently represented Boston Properties in the re-leasing of the former FAO Schwarz retail space.

Green, an attorney and certified public accountant, is also acknowledged as one of the top retail professionals in New York. He’s represented many prominent owners and high profile tenants in transactions that include Boston Properties in the recent leasing of the former FAO Schwarz space to Under Armour, the long-term lease of the retail space at 650 Fifth Ave., which gained Green REBNY’s Robert T. Lawrence Most Ingenious Deal of the Year Award; the original Toys ‘R Us transaction at 1530 Broadway, where he was co-winner of the Most Creative Deal of the Year award along with Mendelson; followed by leases to the Gap and Old Navy; and the leasing of multiple Charles Schwab branches in and around New York City.

The addition of Mendelson and Green comes at a time when Colliers, along with MIT, Google, Stanford and AMP Technologies, are leading discussions around the future of technology and retail-friendly smart building spaces. “Retail and accelerating innovation are top priorities for Colliers,” says Dylan Taylor, president and COO of Colliers. “The partnership of Brad and David in New York and the Tristate region will enhance our global high street retail platform. We are thrilled to have them on board and available immediately to deliver services seamlessly wherever our clients choose to do business.”

For his part, Mendelson cites the “entrepreneurial and energetic culture” at Colliers.  “This agility, along with Colliers’ global platform, will provide a distinct competitive advantage, in delivering superior outcomes that accelerate our clients’ success.” Green adds, “Colliers’ reputation for delivering the highest level of client service makes this a perfect fit for us.”