Los Angeles, California – Watson Land Company (Watson), a trailblazer in masterplanned industrial real estate development throughout the United States, has selected attorney Stefanie L. Forsey as Vice President, General Counsel for the company. Forsey assumed the role on March 1, 2020, succeeding Bradley D. Frazier as the company’s General Counsel.
Forsey’s comprehensive legal background in corporate real estate will support Watson’s future growth and stability. Her responsibilities include oversight of Watson’s legal department and its legal activities related to a wide array of enterprises comprising development, investments, finance, and other general corporate matters.
“Stefanie has deep experience and brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to this role. Her outstanding track record will serve Watson well as we continue to drive our overall performance and focus on the success of our portfolio of assets,” said Jeffrey R. Jennison, Watson’s CEO and President. “She’ll be an excellent leader of our legal team.”
Forsey brings more than a quarter century of proficiency as a trusted legal and business advisor to multibillion-dollar global public companies. Most recently, she served as Deputy General Counsel of a Los Angeles based real estate investment management firm with $10.0B in assets under management and as Senior Real Estate and Corporate Counsel for Public Storage, a publicly traded REIT.
“I initially admired Watson Land Company for its long and unique history dating back to the 1784 Spanish land grant, its commitment to high-caliber performance, and its vision for future expansion,” said Forsey. “But what most attracted me is Watson’s culture: its ethical perspective, the company’s dedication to the community, and its overall commitment to every employee. This is demonstrated by Watson’s remarkably long employee tenure and the collective passion each staff member has for the Watson brand.”
Forsey received her Juris Doctor degree from Boston University and her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature, with a minor in Business from the University of California at Los Angeles. She has been active in the Southern California Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel and has held several volunteer and board positions in her local school district and in the National Charity League while raising her three children with her husband, Stephen Smerek, a litigation partner at Foley Lardner.
“Watson’s talented team of professionals have an unprecedented record of achievement and are well positioned to continue to drive Watson’s tremendous momentum,” Forsey said. “I am honored to join the team and support Watson’s employee-centric, customer-focused business model.”
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The Watson vision continues to unfold in Chino, California: This past month, we achieved a major milestone with one of our flagship industrial parks when the City Council officially voted to accept public improvements for Watson Industrial Park Chino Phases 2, 3, and 4.
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