Edward D. Fox Jr.

CommonWealth Partners

Age: 50

Specialty: Commercial real estate operations and development

Recent Deal: Negotiated a deal under which CommonWealth will purchase commercial properties on behalf of Lazard Freres & Co.

Edward Fox, who goes by the name “Ned,” is a man driven.

It began when he left grad school at the University of Southern California with a master’s degree in accounting. The year was 1969, and California was heading into an explosive real estate market.

Fox, now 50 and co-founder of CommonWealth Partners, sees it happening again.

“I was driving in the car the other day and took time to make some calculations. I’ve been driven for 30 years to be the best in this industry,” he said. “And I’m not slowing down.”

Fox is responsible for all of CommonWealth’s operations including finance, asset management and leasing. He personally oversees major joint ventures, acquisitions and large leases.

“We started from scratch and basically have developed our own portfolio and a strong reputation,” he said.

His most significant deal these days involves CommonWealth buying commercial properties on behalf of Lazard Freres & Co. Fox recently negotiated the acquisition of the massive Potomac Yard development in Washington, D.C.

He was a senior partner at Maguire Thomas Partners for 15 years before branching out on his own in 1996. Fox is plugged into downtown through membership on the boards of the L.A. Convention & Visitors Bureau, L.A. Marketing Partnership and the Figueroa Corridor Committee.

He considers redevelopment of downtown pegged to an overhaul of the L.A. Memorial Coliseum and development of a new sports arena as key to the region’s commercial real estate market.

“Commercial real estate is changing. Locations are changing so that they are more multi-dimensional,” he said. “For downtowns to survive, they must be more than just office hubs. They must be a vibrant core for entertainment, retail and housing.”

Joe Bel Bruno