LOS ANGELES-Former Thomas Properties Group co-COO Paul Rutter has returned to commercial real estate and business law firm Gilchrist & Rutter PC as of counsel. He will focus on business and real estate transactions and advise clients on joint ventures, acquisitions, debt financing and both public market and private equity investments.

Rutter has a strong history with Gilchrist & Rutter. In 1983, he co-founded the firm and served as managing shareholder until 2006. "I am thrilled to return to the firm that I helped co-found and see how it has evolved," Rutter says. "It's gratifying to again be among such accomplished attorneys and have the opportunity to work with some of the clients I helped cultivate over the years."

After leaving in 2006, Rutter joined the public REIT Maguire Properties as EVP of major transactions and served on the company's executive management committee. During this time, he aided in purchasing $2.88 billion of assets in Downtown Los Angeles and Orange County from the Blackstone Group, which it acquired during its merger with Equity Office Properties Trust. Rutter went on from there to join Thomas Properties Group as co-COO and general counsel, where he led negotiations of the company's stock-for-stock merger with Parkway Properties.

"Paul is a highly-respected prominent figure in the real estate, legal and business community," says Jonathan Gross, the firm's managing partner. "We're very fortunate to have him back with us."

While Rutter returned to the firm he co-founded, other Thomas Properties Group executives have gone on to form a joint venture since the merger. Senior managers Thomas Ricci, Randall Scott and John Sischo have joined Oak Pass Capital founder Charles Toppino to form Coretrust Capital Partners LLC. The joint venture will focus on fiduciary investment services and asset management for institutional clients.