CRAIG BROWN
Craig Brown is the Founder of Capital Restructure Group and is an expert in all
facets of chapter 11 reorganizations and the restructuring of real estate debt.
Mr. Brown first began consulting to chapter 11 clients in 1990. He has written over
300 bankruptcy reorganization plans that provided both debt and equity financing
for the real estate projects. In addition to consulting to property owners in chapter
11, Mr. Brown has, as a principal, restructured the debt on 2 of his own projects
through chapter 11 and understands the process from the property owners’ perspective.
Mr. Brown sits on the Advisory Board of Capital Underwriters Fund, a bankruptcy
specific fund that finances and invests in real estate projects that are in chapter
11. Capital Restructure Group is the exclusive underwriter for the fund which provides
super-priority loans, take-out financing, new value (equity) and credit enhancement
to chapter 11 property owners.
A 1979 graduate of UCLA, Craig Brown began his career in real estate that same year
as a commercial real estate agent in the Silicon Valley, specializing in R∓D leasing
and the sale of R&D land for spec development. He was subsequently recruited by
Crocker Mortgage Company and joined them as an Assistant Vice-President in their
Mortgage Banking Division where he specialized in the analysis, underwriting and
placement of commercial real estate loans in the San Francisco Bay Area.
In 1986 he was recruited by Trammell Crow Residential Company and jointly opened
their office in Orange County as their Director of Land Acquisitions where he began
his career in the development of residential properties. He subsequently opened
the California offices of Worthing Western Corporation as its Vice President of
Development in charge of all of the Companies residential development in the state
of California. His Worthing Western projects were underwritten for and joint ventured
with Travelers Insurance Company.
In his capacities with Trammell Crow, Worthing, and thereafter as an independent
Developer, he acquired, developed and financed over four hundred million dollars
in multi-family residential properties and single family residential properties
throughout the southern and northern California regions, Arkansas and Nevada. He
has in addition acquired and entitled in various partnerships over 2,000 acres of
raw land which has been developed into subdivisions totaling over 3,000 homes and
brings his 30 years of development and finance expertise to the negotiating table
for chapter 11 clientele.
MIKE MINDER
Mike Minder has more than 40 years of experience in domestic and international diversified
real estate finance, disposition and development that he brings to Capital Restructure
Group. Mr. Minder sits on the Advisory Board of Capital Underwriters Fund, a
bankruptcy specific fund that finances and invests in real estate projects that
are in chapter 11. Originally from Big Bear California, Mr. Minder began his professional career
working with his father in the family lumber business. After the lumber company
was sold, he entered the real estate investment business with the purchase of Spencer
Real Estate in Big Bear and subsequently the formation Capital General West, serving
as its President and CEO. The Jensen Minder Real Estate Investment Partnership followed,
with an emphasis in raw land acquisition and development. Success from the land
business was parlayed into Akami, Ltd., an agricultural land company based in Hawaii,
whose holdings consisted of Macadamia nut farms on the big island of Hawaii and
sugar cane plantations that were subsequently subdivided and became the beginnings
of the town of Princeville on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.
A sabbatical from the real estate business ensued when Mr. Minder co-founded the
Generation Company, a book publishing consortium with both profit and non-profit
divisions. With profits from the Generation Company, domestic and international
real estate was acquired, including Playas Palmeras near Campeche, Mexico, where
two destination resorts were designed, as well as banking investments in Capistrano
National and Southland National banks in southern California. Mr. Minder became
a Principal of U.S. Housing in the 1980’s, a company specializing in commercial
and single-family home development projects throughout the United States.
He was instrumental in the development of five subdivisions containing 460 homes
in Antelope Valley, California; an outpatient surgical center adjacent to Holy Cross
Hospital on Rinaldi Street in Mission Hills, California; a medical office building
on Lyon Street in Santa Clarita, California; condemnation, relocation and build-out
of the old Century Freeway project (now California route 105); and the acquisition
of 1200 apartment units in Fort Worth, Texas. Prior to founding Samson Investment
Company in 1992, Mr. Minder co-founded Alda Samson Land Ventures, a real estate
finance company for developers, completing project financings of over one hundred
and twenty million dollars, including single family homes, condos, infill projects
and redesigning of the residential portion of downtown Antioch, California, which
incorporated 1500 mixed use units and provided a resolution to the city’s hazardous
waste problem on the site.
In addition to consulting to property owners in chapter 11, Mr. Minder, as a principal,
restructured the debt on 2 of his own projects through chapter 11 and understands
the process from the property owners’ perspective.
JAMES M. IRVING
James Irving began his real estate career in 1986 as a senior loan officer specializing in the financing and management of commercial and hospitality properties. In 1992 he formed Harrington Phillips Funding Corporation, a mortgage brokerage firm in Beverly Hills specializing in high net worth clientele and the financing of multi-million dollar custom homes, commercial property and construction financing. In the17 years since its formation, Mr. Irving has funded over $1 Billion in loans, 70 % of which are commercial real estate transactions. Mr. Irvings relationship with CRG dates back to 1995 when Harrington Phillips Funding Corporation was utilized by Craig Brown to fund super priority loans and take out finanicng for real estate projects in chapter 11. Mr. Irving is a licensed California Real Estate Broker and is experienced in directing all aspects of business and real estate reorganizations.
RENE BAYANI
Rene Bayani began his career as a legal assistant to Rattan and Tucker where he
analyzed client financial data, created financial models and performed forensic
accounting. He subsequenhtly joined Washington Mutual Bank as a commercial loan
officer where he was responsible for the underwriting and financial analysis of
commercial properties, averaging over $200 Million in production annually, and eventually
worked with non-performing assets.
He brings 10 years of real estate experience to Capital Restructure Group and a
lenders perspective to debt restructure negotiations.
REZA JAFARY
Reza Jafary began his career as a multi-family investment analyst for Elite Financial Group, a firm specializing in the financing of multi family, residential loans. In 2004 Mr. Jafary formed Meridian Funding Group, real estate fiinance firm specializing in financing high net worth clientel in their acquisition and refinancing of commercial real estate. Mr. Jafary averaged production of 60M per year while managing the day to day duties of his office and oversaw 5 loan officers and two support staff. Mr. Jafary subsequently formed Venture West Funding which specialized in providing premiere financial consulting and lending services to businesses and individuals for structured finance. Mr. Jafary is an expert in complicated real estate financial transactions, Mezzanine Financing, and Equity financing and debt restructure. He brings 12 years of real estate finance experience to Capital Restructure Group.
JACK FERNANDEZ
Jack Fernandez began his career in the finance industry with WFS financial,
where between 1985 and 1998, he rose from the manager of 1 of the 3 branch
offices to senior vice president overseeing the production in 70 offices in the
Western United States Mr. Fernandez was additionally on the team that pitched WFS
to Wall Street and the team that made the Road Showwhen the Company went public.
In 1999, Mr. Fernandez was recruited as the COO of Triad Financial Corporation,
and subsequently rose to Senior Vice President.In the 3 years he was with the Company,
he oversaw the Risk Management Strategy Department and implemented the firms funding,
underwriting, and credit policies. Mr. Fernandez began investing in and developing
real estate in earnest in 2003 and funded the $35M joint venture for purchase and
development of an 800 acre, 3 hotel, 2000 home, golf course, ocean-front resort in
Mazatlan, Mexico.
He is an expert in real estate finance and complex equity transactions.
ASSOCIATES
Capital Underwriters FundWorld Equity Loans
Harrington Phillips Funding Corporation
Meridian Funding Group
NHL Funding
World Realty
Tom O'Donnell
Guy Munoz
Brian Eisberg FioreBuilt Construction
Alaxandra Solomon