Hospitality Boom

A 20-year veteran to the luxury hospitality industry, Bill provides Viceroy Hotel Group with a truly global perspective, bringing extensive senior management experience with leading international hospitality companies, including Jumeirah Group, The Doyle Collection and Kempinski Hotels and Resorts. As the CEO of the Doyle Collection, Bill led the brand through its reinvention into a modern luxury urban hotel group that includes eleven hotels in the USA and Europe. Prior to The Doyle Collection, he served as Chief Marketing Officer for Dubai based Jumeirah Group at a time of tremendous growth for the international luxury hospitality group. Bill's international experience and recognition as a leader within the industry will enable him to lead the continued growth and development of Viceroy Hotel Group.

Lee J. Eulgen is co-chair of Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP’s Hospitality & Leisure practice group. Lee has handled many sophisticated hospitality industry arrangements, including hotel management agreements, operating agreements, marketing license agreements, joint ventures and other transactions. Lee’s practice focuses primarily on protecting and enforcing intellectual property. He has significant experience in intellectual property litigation, negotiation and counseling, including trademark, copyright, right of publicity, trade secret, trade dress, domain name, and privacy-related matters. In particular, he is well-versed in strategic global trademark portfolio management including worldwide trademark clearance, prosecution and enforcement matters for hospitality industry clients. Lee also has experience in complex and international intellectual property-driven licensing transactions, including hospitality transactions involving parties located in mainland China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the P.R.C. Lee has handled hundreds of domain name matters, and has litigated countless domain name ownership disputes and matters arising under the U.S. Federal Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act and the Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP). In addition, Lee routinely advises clients concerning privacy and security matters and policy, and regularly partners with the Neal Gerber Eisenberg real estate team and other firms on all manner of hospitality industry matters.

John is the Founder, President and CEO of Oxford Capital Group, LLC, a national real estate investment and development firm focusing on large scale hospitality, mixed-use, senior housing, multifamily, urban retail, parking, and other operationally intensive forms of real estate. Oxford Hotels & Resorts, LLC, its wholly owned management affiliate, specializes in developing, operating and branding distinctive, high design lifestyle hotels, rooftops and other food & beverage venues around the country. Oxford, its affiliates and principals have been involved in approximately $3 billion of transactions, including approximately 13,000 hotel rooms. Noted national projects include Godfrey Hotel-Hollywood, Godfrey Hotel-Boston, Metropolitan Hotel and Lexington Hotel – New York City, National Conference Center-Lansdowne, VA, Residence Inn and Spring Hill Suites in Charleston, SC, and Godfrey Hotel & Cabanas-Tampa Bay. Included in his 17 Chicago area projects (13 of which are hotels) are the recently topped off 56 story Essex on the Park luxury apartment building, and his soon to open Hotel Julian-Millennium Park. Other Chicago projects include Langham Chicago, LondonHouse Chicago, Godfrey Chicago, Hotel Essex, Hotel Felix, Hotel Cass, Hotel Versey, Claridge House, Hyatt Magnificent Mile, Renaissance North Shore, Doubletree North Shore, and Hyatt House Northwest. Additional rooftop and food and beverage venues include IO, LH, SX-Sky Bar, ALK, WTR and Spa Boutique. John and/or Oxford have been nominated for and/or won numerous awards including: Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Arthur Rubloff Humanitarian Award, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Crain’s “40 under 40” and Who’s Who, Developer of the Year, Development of the Year, Redevelopment of the Year, National Hotel Transaction of the Year, Historic Redevelopment of the Year and the Top Hotel in the Continental US. He earned a BA from The University of Michigan and an MBA from University of Chicago. He also studied at Northwestern University, Harvard Business School (YPO’s Presidents’ Program) and Oxford University (Christ Church).

Mr. Michael W. Reschke founded The Prime Group, Inc. in 1982 and since inception, has directed and managed the development and acquisition of over $11.0 billion of institutional-quality real estate projects across the United States. Mr. Reschke continues to manage and direct the private real estate development and investment activities of Prime. During the 1990’s, Prime achieved the unique distinction of being the founding shareholder of four publicly-traded real estate companies, each one being the successor-in-interest to various operating divisions of Prime. In 1994, Prime organized two publicly-traded real estate companies – Prime Retail, Inc. and Ambassador Apartment, Inc. – which became successors-in-interest to Prime’s retail and multi-family divisions. In 1997, Prime again organized two publicly-traded real estate companies – Brookdale Living Communities, Inc. and Prime Group Realty Trust – which became successors-in-interest to Prime’s senior housing and office/industrial divisions. In 1997, Ambassador Apartments, Inc. was acquired by Apartment Investment and Management Company, Inc. (“AIMCO”) in a stock-for-stock merger. In 2000, Brookdale Living Communities, Inc. was acquired by Fortress Real Estate Investments following a friendly cash tender offer. Recently, Prime Retail, Inc. and Prime Group Realty Trust were separately sold in cash-for-stock merger transactions. From 2000 until 2003, Mr. Reschke served on the board of World Business Chicago – a public-private non-profit organization founded in 2000 to promote and market the City of Chicago on a national basis to business leaders looking for a place to start, expand or relocate their businesses. Currently, Mr. Reschke is a member of the Real Estate Roundtable in Washington, D.C., the Urban Land Institute, the Economic Club of Chicago, and the Chicago Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Reschke is a summa cum laude graduate from Northern Illinois University, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting with Honors in 1977. Mr. Reschke also is a summa cum laude graduate from the University of Illinois College of Law, receiving a Juris Doctorate degree in 1980. Mr. Reschke is licensed to practice law in the State

Paul De Santis is a principal and senior project designer at architecture firm Goettsch Partners. As such, he serves as the lead designer on many of the firm’s projects in the U.S. and China. Continually focused on developing the studio culture in both the Chicago and Shanghai offices, he directs designs for hotel, office and mixed-use developments. Recent work in the U.S. includes the LEED Platinum-certified Zurich North America Headquarters in Schaumburg, Illinois, and the 180-key Viceroy hotel in downtown Chicago. Recent hotel work in China spans 12 cities and totals more than 5,000 keys for such operators as Hyatt, IHG, Marriott and Shangri-La, among others. Mr. De Santis received a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and he is a registered LEED Accredited Professional.

Lawrence Eppley is a partner in the Corporate Practice Group and Office Managing Partner of the firm's Chicago office. He is also Leader of the firm's Hospitality Team. Areas of Practice Lawrence concentrates his practice on acquisitions, real estate finance, development, public and private finance, joint ventures and raising equity, particularly in the hospitality sector. Previously, Lawrence was general counsel at Potbelly Sandwich Works, one of Chicago's fastest growing companies, and his clients rely on him as their principal outside legal counsel. He often works with middle-market and emerging growth companies, including those in the hospitality and restaurant sectors, and with structured and institutional finance. Lawrence was named as one of Law360's Hospitality MVPs in both 2013 and 2016 for his extensive work in major transactions geared towards hotel development.

Mr. Liebling joined Waterton in 2011 and serves as chief investment officer of hospitality. In his role, Mr. Liebling is responsible for hotel investment activity, including setting strategy, identifying target markets, sourcing JV capital, transaction and disposition opportunities and other key strategic projects. Mr. Liebling participates on Waterton’s management committee. Since 2003, Mr. Liebling executed on over $2 billion in luxury, full service and limited service lodging acquisitions in major U.S. markets and with many prominent international brands on behalf of both private investors and institutions. Prior to joining Waterton, Mr. Liebling was senior vice president of acquisitions for Chartres Lodging where he oversaw more than $200 million in equity joint venture transactions alongside prominent institutional partners and was also responsible for the firm’s disposition and financing activities. In previous roles, Mr. Liebling served with CNL Hotels & Resorts where he was involved in acquisitions and dispositions as well as with Ernst and Young’s Real Estate Advisory Services practice where he was involved in the due diligence and underwriting of over $1 billion in real estate transactions. Mr. Liebling graduated magna cum laude from the University of Miami, holds a Master’s degree from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Eric Nordness is a Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer of Hickory Street Capital. Hickory Street Capital, LLC (“HSC”) is an investment vehicle founded in 2010 by the Ricketts family, owners of the Chicago Cubs baseball club. The Ricketts family purchased a controlling interest in the Chicago Cubs in October 2009 and has embarked on the transformation of the franchise, including the restoration of Wrigley Field. In conjunction with their investment into the club and ballpark, the Ricketts family has the vision for the transformation of the Wrigleyville neighborhood. HSC was formed and capitalized to advance the Ricketts family real estate development goals outside of Wrigley Field. Mr. Nordness leads real estate development for the Ricketts family. HSC is in the process of developing the land directly west of Wrigley Field and creating a unique entertainment destination centered around an approximately 45,000 square foot open area event space (“plaza”). The mixed-used development encapsulates the plaza and two six-story buildings that will house a 175-room boutique hotel, approximately 100,000 square feet of retail space and 75,000 square feet of office space. Designed to fit seamlessly into the urban neighborhood environment this new destination will be a year round entertainment destination serving as the new town center of Chicago’s iconic Wrigleville neighborhood. Prior to joining HSC, Mr. Nordness was the Managing Member for Salita Development, a boutique hospitality development firm focusing on hotels and restaurants. Eric started his career at Robertson, Stephens & Co, a San Francisco headquartered full-service investment banking firm. Mr. Nordness has experience in real estate development, institutional finance and asset management. He received his B.B.A. in finance from the University of Iowa and a M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, with concentrations in both finance and economics.

Steven Kisielica is one of the founding Principals of Lodging Capital Partners, LLC. Mr. Kisielica’s primary role at LCP is to manage the company’s acquisition and disposition program. Prior to starting LCP, Steve was Senior Vice President, Acquisitions and Development of Strategic Hotel Capital Inc. (“SHC”). SHC is an owner and asset manager of luxury hotels and resorts on a global basis. Steve helped build this company from the ground up in 1997, and it quickly became a multi-billion dollar, internationally recognized organization. The company completed an initial public offering in June 2004, and Mr. Kisielica was one of the executive officers of this public company. Steve was responsible for all acquisition and development functions for the company. His primary responsibilities included sourcing and negotiating potential acquisitions, management contracts, closing documents, and property dispositions. Additionally, he oversaw the underwriting process, including market studies and financial analysis for all potential transactions. In his tenure at SHC, Steve has been directly involved in the acquisition of over thirty hotel transactions totaling nearly $3.5 billion located in the United States, Mexico and Europe. Prior to forming SHC, Mr. Kisielica held senior positions at Geller & Co., Kenneth Leventhal & Co. and Hospitality Valuation Services. Steve is a graduate of Michigan State University’s School of Business with an emphasis in finance and hotel, restaurant and institutional Management. Steve has recently been awarded the Alumni Achievement Award from the Michigan State University Eli Broad College of Business. Steve was also included as one of 2009’s “40 under 40” in Crain’s Chicago Business. Steve has been a guest lecturer at various industry functions and educational facilities, including the American Lodging Investment Summit, NYU Hospitality Investment Conference, New York, Denver, Cornell and Michigan State Universities. Additionally, Steve is an active member of the Urban Land Institute and the Lodging Industry Investment Council.