Although in the 1980s, many of the acquisitions made were unsolicited and unwelcome, private equity firms in the 1990s focused on making buyouts attractive propositions for management and shareholders.
In keeping with the mania of the era, banks lowered their lending standards as they competed fiercely to make buyout loans.
As long as downsizing tenants continue to pay rent, make buyout deals with their landlords or sublease space when they need to dispose of disused square footage, brokers believe the office market will ride out this choppy economic sea.
The private bank at Citigroup offers clients the chance to make buyout investments of $250,000 or more.
While there's been a declining interest in venture capital deals worldwide, current market conditions make buyout investments in more mature companies with strong cash flow, good management teams and large market shares attractive in Europe.
Many private equity firms struggled in 2011, as a weak financial sector made buyouts harder to finance and execute, and lower performance fees hampered profitability.
Blackstone would pay $48.50 a share to acquire Equity Office, making the buyout the biggest in history.
Right now, they added, the licensee is returning $15 million to Phat Farm -- potentially making the buyout a very good deal indeed.
