Our Team

The only firm built with both

Corporate Finance Pedigree Behind Every Sale Leaseback Transaction

Our senior team comes out of leading investment banks, corporate development seats and institutional real estate, providing essential backgrounds to navigate the complex sale leaseback transaction.

$2B+

Sale Leaseback & Real Estate Transaction Volume

$140B+

Capital Markets Transactions

$24B+

M&A Transactions

500+

aggregate transactions

Team

Senior roster, corporate finance pedigree

Bulge bracket corporate finance and M&A experience, paired with deep real estate expertise, applied to every mandate

Work directly with our senior team.

Every mandate is led by the partners themselves.

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Managing Partner

Scott provides strategic direction, cultivates new and existing client relationships, and oversees execution of transactions for SLB Capital Advisors

Scott Merkle

Details

  • Extensive 25+ year real estate background across a wide range of areas including sale leasebacks, build-to-suit capital raising, capital markets, strategic advisory, principal investment and development
  • Prior to co-founding SLB, Scott focused on sale leasebacks at Stan Johnson Company, a leading firm in the single tenant real estate space
  • Previously, Scott was a Managing Director at RBC Capital Markets in the Investment Banking department responsible for capital raises and advisory mandates for public REITs and private real estate clients across the U.S.
  • Scott's earlier work experience includes five years in real estate development along with two years in real estate investment banking at First Union Securities, a predecessor to Wells Fargo
  • University of Virginia, B.S. in Commerce

Partner

Matt cultivates new and existing client relationships, provides advisory services to operating owners of real estate, and facilitates execution of transactions for SLB Capital Advisors

Matt Wrobleski

Details

  • Experienced M&A and corporate development professional with over 20 years of sale leaseback, real estate brokerage, capital markets and M&A experience
  • Most recently at Stan Johnson Company, with a specific focus on sale leasebacks relying heavily upon his M&A and corporate development background
  • Prior to joining SJC, Matt was a member of the Mergers, Acquisitions, and Strategic Planning Group for Leggett & Platt, Inc. (NYSE: LEG) responsible for all facets of acquisition, disposition and corporate development activity for the company
  • University of Tulsa, M.B.A.
  • Missouri Southern State University, B.S. in Computational Mathematics

Partner

Responsible for origination and execution of commercial real estate transactions for owners, operators and investors, with focus on sale leasebacks and advisory

Stephen Cheng

Details

  • More than 21 years of experience in the real estate markets, including execution of sale leasebacks, capital raising, joint ventures and M&A
  • Most recently a Director at Stan Johnson Company, a leading firm in the single tenant real estate space, dedicated to origination and execution of sale leasebacks
  • Previously Executive Director of Real Estate Investment Banking at Oppenheimer & Co, where he was responsible for origination and execution of capital raising for both public and private real estate owners and operators
  • Stephen started his real estate career at RBC Capital Markets, where he rose to be a Vice President in Real Estate Investment Banking, focused on capital raising and M&A for public and private real estate firms
  • Harvard University, B.S. in Economics and Applied Mathematics

Partner

20+ years in real estate and healthcare investment banking · RBC · Banc of America Securities

Malik H. Franklin

Details

  • More than 20 years of experience in real estate, health care and technology investment banking and 5 years as an advisor and independent sponsor in real estate PE, notably serving as an advisor to Fortune 100 companies in over $275 million of sale leaseback transactions
  • Most recently served as VP of Corporate Development for Solaria, raising capital, leading M&A and IPO-readiness efforts
  • Former CFO of First Capital Real Estate Trust, a diversified non-traded REIT
  • Previously Director of Real Estate Investment Banking at RBC Capital Markets and Vice President at Banc of America Securities where he was responsible for origination and execution of capital raising for both public and private real estate owners and operators
  • Malik started his career at Salomon Smith Barney with a focus on health care investment banking, moving on to Wit Soundview, a technology focused investment bank, where he rose to be a Vice President in M&A
  • Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, M.B.A.
  • Dartmouth College, B.A. in Economics and Computer Science

Partner

Stewart cultivates new and existing client relationships, provides advisory services to operating owners of real estate, and facilitates execution of transactions for SLB Capital Advisors

Stewart Riggs

Details

  • 17+ year real estate and advisory background across a wide range of areas including sale leasebacks, build-to-suit capital raising, strategic advisory, and corporate development
  • Most recently focused on sale leasebacks, single asset and portfolio dispositions, and advisory services at Stan Johnson Company, a leading firm in the single tenant real estate space
  • Prior to joining SJC, Stewart was in the TAS group at LBMC providing buy-side QoE services to strategic and private equity clients primarily in the healthcare sector
  • Stewart started his career with Ernst & Young in their Nashville office and is an active CPA. During his tenure at E&Y he served some of the largest for-profit health systems in the United States
  • Professional experience includes regulatory and reimbursement expertise in almost every type of provider in the healthcare continuum, allowing a deep understanding of any healthcare real estate transaction
  • Vanderbilt University, MAcc
  • Harding University, BBA in Accounting and Economics

Partner

Dave cultivates new and existing client relationships, provides advisory services to operating owners of real estate, and facilitates execution of transactions for SLB Capital Advisors

Dave Rosenberg, CFA

Details

  • Over 15 years of investment banking and real estate experience advising private and public companies in sale leasebacks, M&A transactions, capital raising, capital markets and capital structure
  • Most recently led the Technology, Media and Telecom industry vertical for Santander USA, focusing on Middle-Market clients and liaising across both international as well as capital markets product business units
  • Previously focused on sellside M&A at Janney Montgomery Scott, a full-service investment bank with $80bn+ AUM, where he advised and executed a large range of transactions and capital raises
  • Prior to Janney, Dave spent 5 years at RBC Capital Markets where he executed a range of corporate mandates in the Communications, Media and Entertainment sectors and collaborated with the Real Estate teams in select REIT sectors such as communications infrastructure and outdoor advertising
  • B.A. English, Davidson College; MBA, Duke University Fuqua School of Business; CFA Charterholder

Vice President

10+ years in real estate private equity and investment banking · Spear Street Capital · RBC

Rowland Yang

Details

  • More than 10 years of experience in real estate private equity, investment banking and real estate brokerage
  • Most recently was at Spear Street Capital, a real estate private equity firm, where his responsibilities included investments, asset management, and investor reporting
  • At Spear Street, managed more than 1 million square feet of class A real estate in the U.S. and Canada, and played integral roles in lease negotiations, capital projects, financings, marketing, and dispositions
  • Previously at Stan Johnson Company, where he helped build out the firm's corporate finance and sale leaseback platform
  • Started his career on the real estate investment banking team at RBC Capital Markets, where his experience included capital raising and strategic advisory for public REITs and private real estate companies
  • The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, M.B.A.
  • Columbia University, B.A. Economics

General Counsel

Brittany provides legal advisory services and oversight and serves as a trusted, strategic partner in the execution of transactions for SLB Capital Advisors

Brittany Clark

Details

  • 15+ years of legal experience in both transactional and litigation matters with a focus in real estate and corporate law
  • Prior to joining SLB Capital Advisors, Brittany was Corporate Counsel to the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) as well as Hersha Hospitality Management (HHM) where she handled a wide range of real estate related matters involving leases, licenses, easements, purchase agreements, stormwater management agreements, reimbursement agreements, subleases and right-of-entry agreements as well as service contracts
  • Previously, she also worked as an Associate Attorney with Musi, Malone & Daubenberger, L.L.P. where she was involved in zoning, condemnation and adverse possession matters among her other duties
  • Additionally, Brittany is a former prosecutor with the Delaware County District Attorney's Office and legal intern with the Chester County District Attorney's Office and Cook County State's Attorney's Office
  • Villanova University School of Law, J.D.
  • Northwestern University, B.A. in Psychology