Subject: Executive Changes (EXEC)

Denny Meikleham, who most recently was managing director and ran the day-to-day operations of hotel consultant Pinnacle Realty investments, has joined HFF as managing director in its Boston office and will serve in the firm's national hotel group. Meikleham, who ...

George Kok, the co-head of real estate structured finance at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, has joined Ladder Capital Finance Holdings as head of underwriting, effective immediately. Kok, a 23-year lending industry veteran, reports to Greta Guggenheim, chief investment officer ...

Devin I. Murphy, vice chairman of investment banking at Morgan Stanley, has joined real estate investment manager Phillips Edison & Co. as principal and chief financial officer. Murphy, a 28-year industry veteran, is also joining the Cincinnati company's advisory board. ...

Wall Street Journal Malkin Holdings has received enough votes from investors to proceed with the initial public offering for Empire State Realty Trust. The REIT would include Manhattan's Empire State Building, along with 17 other properties.

Hotelier Robert Riley has formed a venture with ScanlanKemperBard Cos. to provide advisory services for hotels and provide capital for buying and developing properties. Riley, who for the past five years ran his own advisory and development company, has served ...

Christie B. Kelly is stepping down as chief financial officer at Duke Realty Corp. to assume the same title at Jones Lang LaSalle. Upon joining JLL in July, she will lighten the workload for LauraLee Martin, who retained responsibilities as ...

Walker & Dunlop Inc. has hired Brian Casey, a senior lending executive with MetLife, to oversee two lending funds it is developing. Casey has been with MetLife for 15 years, most recently as managing director and head of real estate ...

UBS has hired Christopher LaBianca as head of commercial mortgage originations, according to a report on Dow Jones Newswires. LaBianca, a seasoned industry veteran, has been with investment manager RCG Longview since 2008, overseeing originations, loan structuring and asset management. ...

John Zielke, the former chief underwriter for Credit Suisse's Column Financial lending unit, has been hired by Situs as head of underwriting. Zielke had been with Column and Walker & Dunlop, in which Credit Suisse owned a stake, for the ...

Michael Blum has joined Brean Capital as vice president in its CMBS trading unit. Blum, a long-time player in the CMBS sector, most recently was with Davidson Kempner Capital Management and before that was with Nomura Securities' CMBS operation. He ...