WEST*GROUP is one of the leading owners and developers of office properties in Tyson's Corner, Virginia, a market which it pioneered in the 1960s.

In the late 1990s, the founders of WEST*GROUP combined their individual holdings and formed a partnership with a leading global investor in real estate. This institutional partner provided substantial new capital and the promise of a long-term relationship, thus dramatically enhancing the platform for growth. WEST*GROUP's performance following this capital infusion was superior, an already strong management team was expanded, significant new development was successfully undertaken, and results were substantially better than projected.

Several years later, however, a change in the institutional partner's global investment strategy resulted in its need to sell. Because the timing of this situation had not been anticipated, it introduced complex valuation issues and conflicting objectives to the relationship. The founders retained Wells Hill to advise them in addressing these challenges. In the course of its engagement, Wells Hill worked with all of the constituents to structure a framework that appropriately allocated value among the parties, maintained the integrity of the business, retained control for the founders, and facilitated a transaction that provided liquidity for the institutional investor on a basis that was attractive to the individual partners.