CalPERS Sued for Details About $100 Million in Failed Property Investments

Under the Public Records Act, the First Amendment Coalition (FAC) filed the suit against the pension demanding access to records revealing factors influencing CalPERS' financial commitment in 2006 to the Page Mill Properties II project.

(July 20, 2010) — A nonprofit public interest organization has sued the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) for documents related to a failed $100 million investment.

The suit targets the pension fund’s controversial residential property firm investment in Page Mill Properties, a real estate fund that defaulted on a $50 million payment last year. The First Amendment Coalition (FAC), based in San Rafael, CA, filed the suit in San Francisco Superior Court claiming CalPERS’ investment in the now-bankrupt Page Mill Properties faced allegations by community groups that the real estate investment fund’s management tried to drive out low-rent tenants to finance its growing debts. The nonprofit firm demanded under the Public Records Act that CalPERS reveal the details and events leading up to its failed property investment in 2006 to the Page Mill Properties II project.

“At a time when CalPERS is under close scrutiny because of inflated payments to “placement agents” who steered CalPERS money to disastrous investments, CalPERS has taken the position that it will not disclose records related to this investment,” states the lawsuit filed Friday by the First Amendment Coalition. “CalPERS’ investment of $100 million in a project that has yielded nothing raises significant questions.”

According to the FAC, CalPERS was a major investor in other real estate developments that involved the displacement of low-rent tenants, including the $5.4 billion Peter Cooper Village and Stuyvesant Town apartment complex in lower Manhattan. CalPERS invested $500 million into that venture.

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“The public has an overriding interest in learning how CalPERS could have determined that Page Mill, despite the ouster of poor tenants, the high debt levels and other risks, was an appropriate investment for CalPERS’ assets,” said FAC executive director Peter Scheer in a statement. “Only by understanding how the investment was made can the public be confident that CalPERS has made sufficient changes to prevent this from happening again.”

Karl Olson, the lawyer representing FAC in the CalPERS case, added: “Socially responsible investors aim to do good and to do well. In its disastrous Page Mill investment, CalPERS did bad–by funding the ouster of poor tenants from rent-regulated apartments–and did very badly.”



To contact the <em>aiCIO</em> editor of this story: Paula Vasan at <a href='mailto:pvasan@assetinternational.com'>pvasan@assetinternational.com</a>; 646-308-2742

BlackRock Takes Over Equitable Life Mandate to Manage Risk

Equitable Life's new outsourcing deal with BlackRock is one of the largest European asset management mandates of the year.

(July 19, 2010) — Equitable Life Assurance Society appointed BlackRock Inc. to manage its 5.7 billion-pound ($8.7 billion) fund and provide investment and risk management services for its 400,000 policyholders.

The deal highlights how insurance funds are following the lead of pensions in their outsourcing push as funds rethink how they manage capital and risk following the credit crunch in 2007. Other large asset management deals signed so far this year include Franklin Templeton’s mandate, announced in February, to manage $3.4 billion of assets from the Fondul Proprietatea, a Romanian sovereign wealth fund, along with the $1 billion mandate awarded to hedge fund manager Man Group by the Universities Superannuation Scheme.

The appointment by the London-based life-insurer marks the beginning of a multi-billion deal with BlackRock, which beat three rivals to take on one of the largest European asset management mandates of the year, and the end of a decade-long relationship with Insight Investment, which managed the assets since March 2001, according to Equitable Life’s web site.

Under the deal, according to a statement issued by Equitable, BlackRock will assume the management of assets for the life insurer’s policyholders and group plan members starting in October. BlackRock will take on $8.9 billion (€6.9 billion) of assets, a majority of which are invested in fixed-income, with the goal of maximizing returns while staying within Equitable Life’s regulatory solvency ratios.

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“Maximising returns on policyholder investments is one of the Society’s three key strategic priorities,” said Chris Wiscarson, Equitable Life’s chief executive, in a statement. “Today, we have taken another important step forward by appointing BlackRock, a great new partner by any standard.”

As of March 31, 2010, BlackRock’s assets under management totalled $3.36 trillion across equity, fixed income, cash management, alternative investment, real estate and advisory strategies.



To contact the <em>aiCIO</em> editor of this story: Paula Vasan at <a href='mailto:pvasan@assetinternational.com'>pvasan@assetinternational.com</a>; 646-308-2742

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