$36B Blackstone-EOP Deal is Tops

NEW YORK CITY-In the past 10 years, Globest.com has reported on a host of mega-sized M&A deals. In a close race, Blackstone’s $36-billion purchase of Equity Office Properties in February 2007 took the top spot. That deal scored 47% of respondents. Finishing close behind were the Trammell Crow-CB Richard Ellis merger in 2006 at 40% and the Staubach Co. merger with Jones Lang LaSalle in 2008 at 35%.

In gauging the significance of the EOP/Blackstone transaction, one respondent simply called it “the bellwether deal.” Another respondent praised “Samuel Zell. Amazing how Zell knows just the right time to max out his office investment.” However, another respondent, while putting EOP/Blackstone at the top of his list, was critical of the result, calling it, “A quick dissolving of the biggest portfolio of properties to insignificant status.”