Chris Cooper, a 24-year real estate industry veteran, has been selected to serve as CEO of Charles Dunn Company, one of the largest full service regional real estate companies on the West Coast. Formerly the senior managing director and western U.S. area leader for Cushman & Wakefield of California, Inc., in his new position, Cooper, 50, will be responsible for providing operational and strategic leadership for both property management and brokerage divisions in the firm’s nine offices in California, and one in Phoenix.
Walter Conn, who formerly held the position of CEO, will remain as Chairman of the firm. “The move to bring Cooper to Charles Dunn provides the leadership to further integrate the company service groups, to heighten the level of service to our clients, and to move the company forward,†said Conn.
“The Charles Dunn Company and I have had a long-term relationship with Chris as a client when he was an attorney, as well as on a personal level,†said Conn. “His credentials as a real estate attorney and his wide-ranging experience in managing and providing strategic leadership on all fronts of our industry will give us the tools to navigate the company into the future.â€
Day-to-day responsibilities will shift to Cooper, who will be working out of the downtown office. Darrell Levonian and Patrick Conn continue to head the brokerage and property management divisions as president of their respective divisions.
“I’ve known Walter for a long time, and my deep respect for this legendary company goes way back,†said Cooper. “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to help leverage the company’s long-standing reputation and history within the real estate community. I look forward to contributing in helping Charles Dunn grow.â€
Cooper, who also holds a law degree, was with Cushman & Wakefield since 2005. Prior to Cushman, Cooper was an executive vice president with Jones Lang LaSalle, where he started in 1997. Before joining Jones Lang LaSalle, he worked for 11 years practicing real estate law and representing public and private sector clients in different areas of commercial real estate and finance law.
Cooper comes to Charles Dunn with a wide range of expertise in leasing, construction, acquisitions, sales, development, and finance, as well as the management and delivery of integrated corporate real estate services to many of the Fortune 500 Companies. In addition, he has acted as lead real estate counsel on large transactions, including the development, leasing, acquisition and financing of major health care facilities. With an impressive track record that includes the closing of a wide range of commercial real estate transactions valued in excess of $3.5 billion, his client list is a who’s who of publicly and privately held clients.
Cooper holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from the University of California at Berkeley and a Juris Doctorate from Loyola University. He is a licensed real estate broker in California and a member of the State Bar of California.
