HK Private Equity Firm Gaw Capital Adds to US Team

The US subsidiary of Hong Kong-based private equity firm Gaw Capital announced that it had appointed Roman Nemtsov as Senior Vice President, Investments.

Gaw Capital Partners USA indicated that Nemtsov will be based in its soon-to-be opened Chicago office and is responsible for U.S. investments for the firm, focusing on overseeing Gaw Capital’s recently established hospitality venture, as well as development of new joint ventures in the U.S.

In addition to those duties, Mr. Nemtsov will assist in overseeing the operations of Gaw Capital U.S. Value-Add Fund. In December Gaw Capital Partners USA announced that it had hired Ashish Gupta as Senior Vice President for Acquisitions, and that Mr Gupta would be based in its soon-to-be opened New York City office and with responsibility for US investments for the firm.

Prior to joining Gaw Capital Partners, Mr. Nemtsov was a Consultant and founding member of R.V. Kuhn’s and Associates Real Estate Consulting Group. He served as a lead consultant on RVK’s largest state and municipal public funds, endowment and foundation (E&F), and corporate clients with combined allocation to real estate in excess of $6 billion.

Goodwin Gaw, Chairman and Managing Principal of Gaw Capital Partners, commented, “We are grateful to have Roman joining our US team at this exciting phase in its evolution. He would make a valuable addition to our fast growing family with his in-depth experience in proactive sourcing, due diligence, and structuring of investment opportunities of commingled funds, separate accounts, co-investments, secondary fund interests, and direct assets spanning all major property types and geographies.”

Hong Kong Firm Expands into Global Deals

Gaw Capital Partners USA is part of Gaw Capital Partners, a Hong Kong-based private equity real estate fund management company which up until recently had focused primarily on Greater China and the Asian real estate markets in the past.

Gaw Capital Partners currently manages four real estate funds targeting the Greater China and Asia Pacific region, while Gaw Capital Partners USA provides services for separate account direct investment and private equity real estate fund management in the U.S. and U.K. markets. In November Gaw announced the final close of its fourth China real estate fund, Gateway Real Estate Fund IV last after the fund reached its hard cap size of US$1.025 billion.

Gaw Capital Partners USA, together with its associate Downtown Properties, is currently managing a U.S. club vehicle with more than $868 million asset under management in 10 investments with a projected IRR in excess of 20%. In September last year Gaw announced that it had formed Gaw Capital USA with the intention of raising up to $500 million to invest in U.S. commercial real estate.

In the last three years, Gaw Capital and Downtown Properties have also assisted strategic Asian institutional investors in seven separate account direct investments in the U.S. and U.K. Notable transactions include 333 Market Street in San Francisco in 2010, Three First National Plaza in Chicago in 2011, Vintners’ Place in London in 2012, the Lloyd’s building in London in 2013 and Waterside House Paddington London in 2013.