Jim co-founded Paragon to capitalize on retail real estate investment opportunities resulting from the GFC market dislocation. Prior to founding Paragon, Jim was a real estate and finance attorney with Latham & Watkins LLP where he represented developers, equity investors and lenders in capital structuring, acquisitions, dispositions, leasing and entitlements throughout the United States.
Since the founding of Paragon Jim has been honored by the Urban Land Institute as one of the “Top 40 Under 40” land use and real estate professionals in the United States, by the Los Angeles Business Journal as one of the top 5 retail real estate professionals in Los Angeles and twice recognized by the Los Angeles Times as a Commercial Real Estate Visionary.
Jim currently serves in various industry leadership capacities including the Executive Committee of the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate, Executive Committee of the SMU Folsom Institute for Real Estate, UC Berkeley Fisher Center for Real Estate & Urban Economics Advisory Board, past Chairman of the Urban Land Institute's Small Scale Development Council, and regular lecturer at the USC, SMU and Berkeley graduate real estate programs.
Jim’s civic involvements include his current service as the Chairman of the Planning Commission for the City of Manhattan Beach, California, Advisory Board Member of the Talisker Club in Park City, Utah, and member of the Investment Committee for the SMU Cox School of Business Real Estate Impact Investment Fund, a student-driven investment vehicle focused on impact investing in underserved communities.