BentleyForbes Names James M. Kasim As President And Chief Operating Officer

PRLog (Press Release) – Oct 27, 2009 – Los Angeles, Calif.  -- BentleyForbes, a national real estate investment company, has named Mr. James M. Kasim as President and Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Kasim will also join the privately held Company’s founders as a member of the BentleyForbes Executive Committee. This appointment marks the return of Mr. Kasim to the Company, where he previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from 2005 to 2008.

“We are extremely pleased to welcome Jim back to BentleyForbes,” said C. Frederick Wehba II, Chairman and CEO of BentleyForbes. “His extensive knowledge of real estate, finance and corporate operations as well as his past experience with the Company make him a uniquely qualified candidate to lead the day-to-day operations of BentleyForbes and implement the strategic vision of our Executive Committee.”

Kasim returns to BentleyForbes from his most recent position as Chief Financial Officer of Pacific Office Properties Trust, Inc. (NYSE Amex: PCE), a publicly traded REIT. During his tenure with Pacific Office Properties, Mr. Kasim played an integral role in the company’s formation, Initial Public Offering, finance programs and asset operations.

Mr. Kasim originally joined BentleyForbes in 2005 and served as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer until 2008. During that time he was responsible for the Company’s corporate finance, financial reporting and asset management functions, while being integrally involved in the acquisition process, including deal negotiation and acquisition due diligence. He also oversaw all aspects of the Company’s Hospitality division.

Prior to his first tenure with BentleyForbes, Mr. Kasim was a senior manager with Ernst & Young’s Real Estate and Hospitality practice for nearly eleven years. His clients at Ernst & Young included some of the largest real estate and hospitality companies in the nation.

Mr. Kasim received an MBA, with honors, from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from California State University, Northridge. He is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California State Society of Certified Public Accountants. Mr. Kasim has also served as Adjunct Professor for the School of Policy, Planning and Development at the University of Southern California in the Master’s Degree in Real Estate Development Program. He continues to serve as a guest lecturer for many of its other programs.

About BentleyForbes:
BentleyForbes is a national real estate investment firm founded in 1993. The Company is focused on the acquisition, ownership and management of trophy Class A office buildings, luxury resort and hotel properties and select high-quality industrial and retail facilities. Currently, BentleyForbes owns and operates a portfolio of assets valued in excess of $2.7 billion that comprises approximately 7.9 million square feet in total consideration located in diverse markets across the United States. Typical investments for the Company range from $30 million to $500 million and beyond, emphasizing multi-tenanted and single-tenanted Class A office properties in top CBD or regional submarket locations and best-of-class luxury resort and hotel properties in major MSA or resort destination markets. Furthermore, the Company is recognized for its expertise in the acquisition and management of single tenant and/or sale-leaseback property investments, and continues to invest in assets of this type on a select basis. From its Los Angeles headquarters, BentleyForbes employs a roster of real estate experts well versed in commercial real estate investment, finance, law, accounting and asset management. The Company also has regional offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Ft. Lauderdale and Washington D.C. For more information, please logon to www.bentleyforbes.com.