USC Gives Industry a Taste of Newest Trends

LOS ANGELES-The annual USC Real Estate Law and Business Forum is focused on creating a tailored experience that gives real estate professionals a taste of the newest trends, from legal to finance and development, according to Glenn Sonnenberg, president of Latitude Management Real Estate Investors and the co-chair on the event's program committee. This year, the main event will take place in Downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday, March 5.

"The goal of the event is to be topical and relevant to real estate professionals and real estate lawyers who are a sophisticated crowd, looking for the latest, cutting-edge information," Sonnenberg tells GlobeSt.com. "We are constantly trying to figure out the proper balance of case law, statues, initiatives and new ways of doing things." He uses examples like the event's panels on Downtown development renaissance and the L.A. River project that cover local topics and panels on finance and technology that cover more nationally trending topics. This is an all-day program that lets professionals either focus on their area of expertise or learn about new or emerging trends that affect their business more indirectly.

This year, the program has gathered industry leaders, like Leann Lachman, president of Lachman Associates; Jonathan Klein, managing director at Fortress Investment Group LLC; Eric Owen Moss, principal and lead designer at Eric Owen Moss Architects; and Wayne Ratkovich, president and CEO of the Ratkovich Co., to speak on 15 in-depth panels. During the luncheon, keynote speaker Zev Yaroslavsky of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, 3^rd District "will give people a broad-strokes view of what has happened in his last 40 years in the city council and supervisor's office, and what he thinks of the various institutions and how they are growing," Sonnenberg says, who adds that the committee expects 500 people at the event.

In addition to working on the planning committee, Sonnenberg will also moderate the "Out-of-the-Box" financing panel. "There is a ton of capital that is rushing to stabilized assets, like the high-rise office buildings or the regional mall or the luxury hotel market; but when you start getting to condos and value-add transactions, those are harder to finance," he explains. "There are different pockets of capital out there and borrowers need to understand who has what motivation." This panel will cover those alternative financing options. Sonnenberg urges people to really look at the type project they have and look for financing to fit those attributes.

This is just a taste of what is to come at the upcoming USC Real Estate Law and Business Forum. To find out more information or to sign up, visit the website.