BROWNSTONE CAPITAL - Key Persons


Kenneth J. Cusick

Job Titles:
  • Principal
  • Brownstone As a Principal
Experience: Ken Cusick joined Brownstone as a principal in 2009. He has worked nearly 30 years in commercial real estate, having restructured or originated over $2.4 billion of commercial mortgage debt. He has managed underwriting departments for two major lenders and acquired non-performing debt and equity real estate. For CRIIMI MAE he managed 13 loan professionals in three regional offices. Mr. Cusick also supervised the disposition of a $1 billion RTC loan portfolio in the 1990s, where he was responsible for the complete sales process from advertising, to negotiations, to closings. Mr. Cusick's foundation in commercial real estate began with G.A. Partners/Arthur Andersen and then The Rouse Company where he worked on large retail, office, and planned community developments throughout the country. Education: Mr. Cusick holds a master's degree in Management with a concentration in finance from the University of Maryland University College. He received two bachelor's degrees: a B.S. in Business & Accounting and a B. A. in Economics, both also from the University of Maryland. Mr. Cusick can be reached at 301.654.7400 x106, or kcusick@brownstonecapital.com

M. Shawn Krantz

Job Titles:
  • Founding Partner
  • Principal
Experience: Mr Krantz is a founding partner of Brownstone Capital, LLC (dba Brownstone) and has devoted his 25 year career to commercial real estate. Brownstone focuses on representing borrowers nationwide involved in distressed debt situations. Current and recent workout assignments handled by Mr. Krantz for Brownstone total 43 loans aggregating $898 million. Originally organized in 2000 to acquire investment properties, Brownstone sold a majority of its portfolio in 2007-08, allowing it to dedicate itself entirely to advisory work of debt and equity restructures. Prior to co-founding Brownstone, Mr. Krantz worked for 14 years with Bank of America and Banc of America Securities (predecessor banks). In 1994, he was part of the start-up team within NationsBank (later BOA) originating, structuring and securitizing CMBS. In the early years of CMBS, he managed the CMBS origination team for the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions. During the early ‘90s, Mr. Krantz managed a team of debt workout specialists within the bank. His team successfully resolved $450 million of troubled debt (1990 valuations). During the late 1980s, he was manager of a group originating, underwriting, closing and syndicating real estate acquisition and construction loans for both commercial and residential properties. Mr. Krantz has served as a CMBS expert witness for six special servicers in nine different bankruptcies. Teaching & Education: From 1995 to the Spring of 2010, Mr. Krantz was a practitioner faculty member at Johns Hopkins University's Real Estate Institute in the M.S. in Real Estate program, where he taught graduate-level courses including Real Estate Finance and Real Estate Investment. Mr. Krantz then became a Capstone Advisor for Georgetown University's Masters of Professional Studies in Real Estate program in the Summer of 2010 and joined the program as an adjunct faculty member in the Spring of 2011, where he continues to teach the program's Real Estate Investments course. Mr. Krantz has a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from Hamline University and an M.B.A. in Finance from Loyola University. Mr. Krantz can be reached at 301.654.7400 x103, or skrantz@brownstonecapital.com