Chris Christies administration, when Blueprint developed a proposal, called FAIR, that detailed a new investment strategy for the state pension fund that the firm said would save New Jersey money on high fees charged by hedge funds. The radiocentric structure of Argentina has its apex in Buenos Aires. In a 100-page complaint filed in federal court last year, Blueprint alleges that the defendants have openly retaliated against his firm as they promised they would if he pursued litigation to resolve the matter. For photocopy permission, back issues and At its founding, Blueprint developed an innovative investment tool to save public pension funds millions on fees paid to money managers. 1962(d), Count Eleven: Racketeering in Violation of N.J.S.A. and have provided over $2 billion in construction financing. TRENTON, N.J. Blueprint Capital Advisors (Blueprint) is New Jerseys only Black asset manager firm. New York, NY 10010. Developing residential assets for our portfolio produces attractive cash flow and creates stockholder value.In the Seattle area, we develop high-quality studio apartments close to transit, shopping, and entertainment. According to the lawsuit, Blueprint had turned over to the state agency and its outside consultant Cliffwater confidential business information from meetings, emails and conference calls as part of an investment proposal. November 25, 2020 Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Blueprint Capital Advisors, one of the few investment firms founded by an African American executive, charged in a lawsuit that DOI officials told its CEO, Jacob Walthour Jr., that the agency had an aversion to choosing a Black- or female-owned money management firm. Counsel information for the defendants was not available. The letter states, "We believe that this is yet another example of the administration saying one thing for election purposes but conducting the people's business in ways completely inconsistent with those public election pledges.". It had also been brought to the New Jersey Teachers Union's (NJEA) attention by Blueprint's attorneys that Amon approved a $120 million investment in a fund partially owned by former Trump Education Secretary Betsy Devos. The 55-page original complaint was filed back on June 23, 2020. Blueprint Capital Advisors, based in Newark, filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against the state and six current and former state officials alleging racial discrimination, retaliation and the theft of confidential business information. In separate statements, all three defendants denied the charges from Blueprint. But, this is not only a case about a past abuse, it is a case about a wrong that continues today, and will continue every day Governor Murphy does nothing. It continued: We will defend this matter vigorously and believe that the claims against Cliffwater have no merit., Corporations Are Agreeing More to CalPERS Diversity Demands, Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Boost Diversity at Asset Management Firms, Diversity Not a Priority for Asset Managers, Tags: BlackRock, Blueprint Capital Advisors, Division of Investment, Governor of New Jersey, Lawsuit, New Jersey, Phil Murphy, racial discrimination, Pennsylvania Fund Debates How Best to Invest in Todays Environment, 702 King Farm Boulevard, Suite 400, Rockville, MD 20850 / +1 212-944-4455 /. Kelly Heyboer may be reached at kheyboer@njadvancemedia.com. Blueprint alleged that state agency officials had said the agency would accept Blueprint's proposal, but did a similar deal with BlackRock instead. The Newark firm said in court documents Tuesday that New Jersey's pension office "usurped" its. It has been registered with the SEC as an adviser since 2016 and has operated in the jurisdiction of New York. A representative in the state's attorney general office declined to give a comment to Bloomberg News. The lawsuit also said that DOI, which oversees the state pension fund, and its consultant, Cliffwater, handed over confidential information that Blueprint had given them about its proposal to BlackRock. Ensure you aren't missing business leads that your competitors are seeing. 1962(d)(Against the DOI, McDonough, Rosenstock, Ajmani, Walsh, and BlackRock), Count Eleven: Racketeering in Violation of N.J.S.A. https://www.wsj.com/articles/black-owned-investment-firm-sues-new-jersey-for-racial-bias-11592957026. Our projects generally have fewer than 100 units with rent levels targeted at people making 60-80% of the area median income, which is a common definition of affordable workforce housing.Our real estate development activities in the Phoenix area are focused on urban multi-family and build-to-rent communities. Sadly, even today, a Black-owned firm like Blueprint has no voice and to get justice from the powerful Murphy Administration, Wall Streets biggest firm and one of its more influential institutional consultants. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Weve built Blueprint specifically to help independent, merchant builders be more successful. For photocopy permission, back issues and The conduct of the DOI and its representatives is unlawful and inexcusable, and they must cease and desist from these and similar actions immediately. Blueprint, through our sponsored real estate investment trusts, provides construction financing to independent in-fill builders and develops income producing property for long-term value. The complaint also accused named defendants of conspiring to give to the plan to another firm, BlackRock Capital Investment Corporation, which is also named in the complaint. 02.01.23 News MassPRIM Releases Emerging, Diverse Program Report Market Intelligence Whether you are interested in selling your land to Blueprint, connecting about development services, or just reaching out to say hi, please complete the form below: Do you have land you think Blueprint would be interested in? Last Name. !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)? in any form other than as permitted by agreement with FIN is prohibited and may constitute copyright 2C:41-2(c) and (d), Count 20: Tortious Interference with Prospective Economic Advantage. Slumping tech and property activity arent yet pushing the broader economy into recession. Your submission has been received! NextMed said most of its customers are satisfied. A Black-owned firm with an innovative solution to New Jerseys pension fund crisis, was shamefully exploited by the DOIs entrenched old-boys network of political patronage and Wall Street money, said attorney Michael Bowe. 1983, Count Seven: Discrimination In Violation of the New Jersey Civil Rights Act, Count Eight: Retaliation in Violation of the New Jersey Civil Rights Act, Count Nine: Racketeering Violation of 18 U.S.C. 1983(Against McDonough, Amon, Ajmani, and Helmy in their individual capacities), Count Six: Violation of 42 U.S.C. Batteries are the single most expensive element of an EV. Blueprint Capital is a leader in residential development. Murphy's administration has stalled on document production for over 18 months. 0. LLC. Name * First Name. Blueprint Capital Advisors (Blueprint) is New Jerseys only Black asset manager firm. The conspirators did not even bother to change the purloined programs name, the lawsuit said. 2C:41-2(c) and (d)(Against Cliffwater and Owl Rock), Count 14: Fraud(Against McDonough, MacDonald, Rosenstock, Amon, Cliffwater, and Walsh), Count 15: Aiding and Abetting Fraud(Against BlackRock and Owl Rock), Count 16: Unfair Competition(Against BlackRock, Cliffwater, and Owl Rock), Count 17: Breach of Contract(Against Cliffwater), Count 18: Breach of Contract(Against Walsh), Count 19: Breach of Fiduciary Duty(Against Walsh), Count 20: Tortious Interference with Prospective Economic Advantage(Against McDonough, MacDonald, Rosenstock, Amon, Ajmani, Greene and Platkin in theirindividual capacities), Count 21: Commercial Disparagement(Against Rosenstock, Green, Platkin, and Cliffwater), Count 22: Civil Conspiracy(Against McDonough, MacDonald, Rosenstock, Amon, Ajmani, Cliffwater, Walsh, and OwlRock), Murphy abandons travel advisory metrics, warns N.J. to avoid interstate travel this Thanksgiving. But theres much more that can be done. Oops! Helmy sent a direct message through a politically connected, Democratic party lawyer that if Blueprint didn't cease its agitation the state would terminate the company's services. NEWARK, N.J., March 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- "Blueprint Capital Advisors stands solidly behind Pastor David Jefferson Sr. Esq.," according to Blueprint CEO Jacob Walthour, Jr. Pastor Jefferson of . The Department of the Treasury Division of Investment (Division) unequivocally denies all of Blueprints material allegations and will defend the case vigorously, read the statement. infringement subject to liability up to $100,000 per infringement. The case is Blueprint Capital Advisors LLC v. State of New Jersey, Department of the Treasury, Division of Investment et al., case number 2:20-cv-07663 , in the U.S. District Court for the . The investment firm is also suing Wall Street giant BlackRock, a money management firm that the state ultimately hired, and Cliffwater, a consulting firm that advised the state on the deal. "Its time to stop delaying justice," said Walthour. latest-news-headlines Blueprint is represented by Tanvir H. Rahman, Lawrence M. Pearson, Renan F. Varghese and Taylor J. Crabill of Wigdor LLP. BlackRock, one of the worlds largest money management firms, was ultimately chosen to implement a version of the investment strategy for New Jersey using the same program name -- FAIR, short for Fund Alignment and Incentive Reform. From project sourcing, design and permitting right through to sale, we are with our builders every step of the way. Black-owned investment firm Blueprint Capital Advisors L.L.C. NEWARK, N.J., Jan. 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Newark, New Jersey -based Blueprint Capital Advisors, the prominent Black-owned asset manager with $1.6 billion in assets, announced today it will. Get started by completing the form below and a member of our team will follow up with you. Emerging manager reports including quarterly performance and annual manager-of-manager supplement. document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 - Spotlight PR - All Rights Reserved The build-to-rent communities we develop generally have upwards of 300 units and combine the convenience of renting with the perks of a single-family home. Nor have we found any evidence that BlackRock improperly received any materials or other information regarding Blueprints plans or proposal as alleged, said Mark McCombe, BlackRocks chief client officer. LLC. Finding reliable financing is only one challenge facing builders. The department maintains that there is no factual basis for Blueprints allegations and the claims of racial discrimination, retaliation and misappropriation of proprietary information are without merit, the statement said. Blueprint claimed that an official of the state agency said New Jersey was "not a fan of investing with women- and minority-owned firms," according to the news outlet. BlackRock and Cliffwater also released statements denying any wrongdoing. Nor have we found any evidence that BlackRock improperly received any materials or other information regarding Blueprints plans or proposal as alleged, Mark McCombe, senior managing director and chief client officer at the firm, said in the statement. The dispute began in 2015, under Gov. Governor Murphy was quoted as saying, "justice delayed is justice denied" in a recent public address. Through its award winning monthly newsletter and resource-centric web site, Emerging Manager Monthly delivers all the industry news and intelligence emerging managers and institutional investors need to stay informed and ahead of the curve on this exciting sector of the asset management industry. When typing in this field, a list of search results will appear and be automatically updated as you type. All rights reserved. McDonough also said, If the SIC knew Blueprint was a minority-owned firm, they would not approve the deal, the lawsuit said. The legal action named the DOI, BlackRock, and Cliffwater as defendants. Blueprint Capital Advisors LLC is a large advisory firm based in New York. Blueprint Capital Advisors sues New Jersey, 2 firms for bias, theft Bloomberg, Banking Essentials Newsletter: Feb 22nd Edition, Wells Fargo Securities Now Available in S&P Globals Aftermarket Research Collection, According to Market Intelligence, February 2023, A Central Bank Gains Market Intelligence to Support its Supervision and Stability Roles. A review of Blueprints allegations by BlackRock and an outside law firm has found nothing inconsistent with our standards nor anything suggesting any wrongdoing by BlackRock. Required fields are marked *. NEWARK, N.J., Oct. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Blueprint Capital Advisors CEO & Co-Founder Jacob Walthour, Jr. has been named to ROI NJ's People of Color Influencers for 2021. Thank you! Global Economies in Flux: Drive Decisions with the Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) Data, Staying Strong in Volatile Markets: How Banks Can Overcome Challenges to Funding and Lending, The Rising Importance of Sustainability in Credit Risk, 10:00 - 11:00 am EST | 4:00 - 5:00 pm CET. Photocopy permission is available solely through GRLM, LLC, Financial Investment document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); You have a question, and we have an answer.Your answer is only a click away. Blueprint Capital 2023. Blueprint Capital Advisors, one of the few investment firms founded by an African American executive, charged in a lawsuit that DOI officials told its CEO, Jacob Walthour Jr., that the agency had "an aversion" to choosing a Black- or female-owned money management firm. However, Blueprint alleges that the state's attorneys have consistently tried to prevent the release of public information in the matter of Blueprint. Blueprint alleges pension staff made efforts to block it from investing state money and turned against the firm after it spoke up about being treated unfairly. Cision Distribution 888-776-0942 'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs'); Follow @MattRooneyNJ
The NAACP, National Urban League, New Jersey National Action Network and Chair of the New Jersey Legislative Black Caucus have called on Murphy to investigate the matter. GCM Grosvenor Looks To Elevate Emerging, Diverse PE Firms, Emerging Mgrs. 2C:41-2(c)(Against the DOI, McDonough, Rosenstock, Ajmani, Walsh, and BlackRock), Count Twelve: Racketeering in Violation of N.J.S.A. Distribution and use of this material are governed by esgSubNav, Discover more about S&P Globals offerings. McCombe added: BlackRock participated in a competitive selection process run by the New Jersey State Division of Investment in 2016. Ensure you aren't missing business leads that your competitors are seeing. It accused members of New Jerseys Division of Investment of a hatching a conspiracy to steal a plan devised by Blueprint to reduce the states pension investment fees. Cliffwater also released a statement saying the consulting firm did nothing wrong. All rights reserved. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact When Blueprint protested, New Jersey officials allegedly told the company that the State wasnt a fan of doing business with Black-owned or women-owned companies. On Monday, the investment firm amended its summer 2020 discrimination complaint against the State of New Jersey to add the Governor, some of his top aides, and even bombshell federal racketeering . Are Defined Benefit Pension Funds Still Useful Recruiting, Retention Tools? Connect Amon attempted to take matters into his own hands and contacted Blueprint's client relationships prompting the issuance of a "cease a desist letter" against him by Blueprint's attorneys. What happened to Blueprint and Mr. Walthour, over the course of the last four years, appears to be a modern-day lynching and is a stain and a black eye on the State of New Jersey, Rice said. On June 23, Blueprint Capital Advisors, a Black-owned asset management firm, sued the state of New Jersey, BlackRock Alternative Advisors and Cliffwater LLC alleging racial discrimination, retaliation and fraud. content Your $499/year EMM subscription includes: Monthly newsletters with the most pertinent headlines of the month. Approach Services Leadership Impact Press Contact Approach Services Leadership. from 8 AM - 9 PM ET. Get up-to-date investment manager search leads, industry trends and investor profiles. A Black-owned asset manager has accused the New Jersey Division of Investment (DOI) of favoring giant investment firm BlackRock in a competition for a contract to run state pension money. Buenos Aires is the capital city of Argentina and is located in the province of Buenos Aires. No Reproduction Without Prior Authorizations. This is his second . Black-Owned Asset Manager Sues NJ Pension Fund, BlackRock for Racial Bias, Pennsylvania Fund Debates How Best to Invest in Todays Environment. We hope that Amon's departure signifies that Murphy, and his AG will allow truth and justice to prevail," said Blueprint CEO Jacob Walthour. The Secure Act 2.0 will help a lot. This month, we take our annual look at historically Black colleges and universities. Please stay up to date with what we are up to by liking our Facebook page: Blueprint Capital Advisors LLC. Designed and Managed by Loebig Ink. 1962(c), Count Ten: Racketeering in Violation of 18 U.S.C. Contact: Jennifer Farmer, jennifer@spotlightpr.org, Your email address will not be published. Copyright 2023 Asset International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Interested in selling your land? In 2015, Jacob co-founded Blueprint Capital Advisors which became one of the fastest growing Black-owned asset management firms in the nation and today oversees in excess of $1 billion on behalf of wealthy individuals and institutional investors. The case is. New York, NY 10010. Blueprint brought FAIR, its highly researched investment tool, to the State of New Jersey. At one point, though, Blueprint said DOI had promised that the state agency would be investing $500 million in pension money with the Black-run investment operation and that approval was a formality. Get Started Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023).