Joshua Yates

Prior to joining Ankura, Joshua’s diverse experience includes real estate advisory work in the US and abroad, and as the investment director for two sovereign wealth funds in the Middle East that focused on large-scale mixed-use developments across the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. His international focus included business development for entry into new global markets, due diligence underwriting, acquisitions, joint venture partnering, raising capital (both equity and debt), restructuring, and dispositions.

Joshua’s professional experience includes:

• Litigation and expert report support related to the diminution in value of a large retail center in Las Vegas.
• Determined damages and lost profits for a failed multifamily development in Arizona.
• Damages support in a claim for lost opportunity by an equity joint venture partner in a mixed-use development in Gujarat, State of Surat, India.
• Variety of sale-leaseback analyses for government agencies in Alaska and Washington, DC.
• Re-engineered and implemented the policies, procedures, and reporting for a land acquisition and development group in Mexico.
• Identified and quantified cost savings opportunities in real estate and facilities management for a large retail center in New York.
• Litigation support in $300 million investor class action claim against a private REIT of retail properties involving the alleged improper valuation of an external property manager in an internalization transaction. Primary area of focus was the duties, scope, and associated fees for the property manager in the stewardship of the portfolio comprising several hundred properties.
• Prepared a restructured business plan/strategy and supporting financial budget to ensure the successful completion and sales/delivery of 17 residential towers currently under construction in the Pearl Qatar Project.
• Packaged the sale of six residential towers (total USD 600 million) into an institutional investment structure with detailed financial analysis and led “road show” in the Middle East and Asia.
• Re-engineered the financial planning and reporting capabilities of a healthcare REIT to support its transition from private ownership to public listing.
• Opposition to a motion for class certification by thousands of property owners against a global investment bank and national real estate services provider on several billion dollars of debt financings made on four destination, master planned communities.
• Conducted a reassessment of four Limitless Far East projects, which included underwriting the financial and development assumptions to ensure viability in the changing market place.
• Assisted in reengineering Far East operations (South East Asia and China) and establishing project based operations in four countries (China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam).
• Successfully negotiated the return of investment funds in a Chinese and Malaysian project that were determined no longer viable or in line with current corporate direction – USD 90 million.
• Secured debt finance facilities for two projects in East Asia, which equated to a total facility amount of USD one billion in 2009.