Niche Asset Classes

Discussion Leaders Profiles:

Brian Chinappi
Partner, Head of Asia Real Estate
Actis

Brian has been working in the growth markets of Asia for over two decades. He joined Actis in 2018 through the sale of Standard Chartered Bank’s Principal Finance Real Estate group, a business he founded in 2010. Under his leadership, this business invested over USD 1 billion in opportunistic real estate throughout China, Korea, India and Southeast Asia. The business was successful in forming over 20 joint venture partnerships with high quality partners throughout its markets.

Before joining Standard Chartered Bank, Brian spent sixteen years at RREEF, the real estate investment management arm of Deutsche Bank, almost all of the time based in Asia. Brian started his career with Bankers Trust’s real estate banking group based in New York. He holds a degree in economics from Georgetown University.

Brian manages Actis’ real estate investing in Asia, including an opportunistic real estate fund and related special managed accounts.

Brandon Li
Principal, Shanghai
Warburg Pincus

Brandon Li is based in Shanghai, joined Warburg Pincus in 2015, and focuses on Real Estate investments. Prior to joining Warburg Pincus, Mr. Brandon Li was an Assistant Vice President, Business Development and Asset Management at The Ascott Limited (Member of CapitaLand Limited). He holds a B.S.E. in Civil Engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Susheela Rivers
Office Managing Partner, Co-Chair,
Global Real Estate Sector and
Head of Real Estate Asia Pacific
DLA Piper

Susheela Rivers is the Office Managing Partner of DLA Piper Hong Kong, Co-Chair for the Global Real Estate Sector, Head of the Real Estate Group and the Hospitality & Leisure Group for DLA Piper in Asia Pacific. She is a solicitor of England and Wales and also admitted in Hong Kong. With 27 years’ experience in real estate investments and developments, hotel, retail and mixed use sectors, Susheela has been instrumental in advising on landmark developments throughout the region including China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Macau, Malaysia, Korea, India, Vietnam and Indonesia.

With a focus in real estate acquisitions/disposals, financings, developments, leases, hotels and private funding initiatives, Susheela advises international and regional property companies, hotel groups, retailers, private equity real estate funds, investment banks and hospitals on aspects of real estate transactions from structuring the investments, developments, project and investment management, real estate operation to the exit strategies. She transacts also on deals in England.

Susheela is Chair of the Leadership Alliance for Women (LAW), DLA Piper’s global gender balance network that aims to support gender balance at all levels by strengthening the influence, leadership and voice of women within DLA Piper and the wider community to effect change.

Susheela has been acknowledged as Who’s Who of Hospitality Lawyers 2020 and Best in Real Estate by the Euromoney Legal Media Group Asia Women in Business Law Awards 2014 & 2019. She was also named as a leading individual in the area of Real Estate by Asia Pacific Legal 500. Asia Pacific Legal 500 went on to note that Susheela “is great in distilling complex issues and providing workable solutions”. In addition, she was acknowledged as a leading lawyer in the area of Real Estate by The International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers and Chambers Asia Pacific. Under Susheela’s leadership, DLA Piper’s Real Estate group is ranked as Tier 1 for Real Estate in China, Hong Kong and Thailand by Asia Pacific Chambers and Partners and Legal 500 and Tier 1 for Real Estate Funds in Hong Kong by IFLR1000.

Skip Schwartz
Managing Director
Private Real Estate Equity, Asia Pacific
Heitman

Skip Schwartz  is the Managing Director of Heitman’s Asia-Pacific Private Real Estate Equity group, a member of Heitman’s Asia-Pacific Private Equity Investment Committee, and an equity owner of the firm. He is responsible for creating the firm’s investment platform in the Asia-Pacific region and manages the regional team as it sources new real estate investments and joint venture partnerships across Asia-Pacific. Since arriving in the region in 2008, he has grown the regional AUM to nearly $1.5 billion. He moved to Heitman’s Hong Kong office in 2013, after spending five years in Tokyo. Prior to relocating to Tokyo, Skip was in Heitman’s London and Frankfurt offices for a total of seven years and was involved in numerous investment, joint venture, and development transactions across Central Europe and Germany. During his initial five years in the company’s Chicago headquarters, he was involved in transactions and joint ventures of all property types across the US. Skip received his BA with honors in International Relations and his MA in Organizational Behavior from Stanford University. He received his MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University.