IRVINE, CA-Faris Lee Investments has expanded its investment banking platform with the addition of 25-year real estate industry veteran Terry Thompson as managing director of business development, a post in which he will lead a national focus on institutional client growth. Thompson, who formerly was with WCB Properties as partner in charge of acquisitions, tells GlobeSt.com that Faris Lee sees a greater need than ever before for the full range of investment banking and advisory services that the company provides for its clients, including a growing number of institutional clients.

Faris Lee, an advisory and brokerage firm specializing in retail real estate, “has done a great job of penetrating the CMBS world and the special servicers, and sees an opportunity to capitalize on its expertise both on a regional and national basis for even more clients, both on a single-property basis and on a portfolio basis,” Thompson says.

Thompson comes to Faris Lee following a six-year tenure with WCB, where he was responsible for all acquisition activities including placement of a $300 million Southern California value-add fund with UBS. With a number of institutional relationships honed throughout his career, he brings significant experience in business development and advising institutional clients and financial partners. His career includes extensive experience with repositioning assets and creating and increasing asset and portfolio value.