Avison Young Expands Life Sciences Reach in Boston

Boston skyline. Image courtesy of Avison Young

Avison Young is expanding its life sciences expertise and accelerating its project management platform growth in the Greater Boston area with the strategic acquisition of Dowling Houy, a Boston boutique firm that specializes in life sciences and project management services.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Jeanne MacLellan, a longtime principal with Dowling Houy who has more than 20 years of project management experience, will join Avison Young as principal. Also joining Avison Young’s Boston team are Amanda Randall Capobianco as associate director and Senior Project Managers Angela Ciramella and Jennifer Perrault.

Sheila Botting, principal & president, Americas Professional Services at Avison Young, said in a prepared statement the addition of Dowling Houy will help Toronto-based Avison Young provide its New England clients solid guidance throughout the real estate life cycle, from initial strategy and decision-making through project management and implementation.

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Patrick Schmidt, principal, project management, in Avison Young’s Boston office, noted the life sciences industry is booming in New England. He said in prepared remarks the acquisition will expand the firm’s life science project management capabilities with a broader unified platform to meet the rising demand.

Jeanne MacLellan, Principal, Avison Young. Image courtesy of Avison Young

Dowling Houy was founded in 2010 by Richard Dowling and Charles Houy. MacLellan took ownership in 2015 and was granted Women-Owned Business status by 2018. Considered one of the most respected full-service project management firms in the Greater Boston area, it has a long history of representing top-tier corporate clients in an array of industries, including life sciences and health care, higher-education and non-profits.

Calling it a global company with a small company feel, MacLellan said in prepared remarks that Avison Young’s culture was a perfect fit for Dowling Houy. She said the acquisition will enable them to be part of a bigger company backed by market intelligence and they will help broaden the life science brand for Avison Young.

Boosting Professional Services

Avison Young said the firm focused this year on expanding its client experience and professional services teams to best help occupiers, owners and investors navigate increasingly complex and accelerating market needs around the future of work and city resiliency.

In September, Avison Young expanded its debt and equity finance services presence in New York City with the acquisition of The Singer & Bassuk Organization LLC, a boutique real estate finance brokerage and advisory firm and its powerhouse team of five commercial real estate finance veterans. SBO founders Andrew and Scott Singer joined Avison Young as principals in New York and co-leads of the Tri-State Debt & Equity Finance Group. Kathleen McSharry, Jeffrey Moroch and Alan Schwartz also joined as senior directors.

Earlier in the year, John Eichler joined Avison Young as principal & regional head of its Southern California Agency Leasing department while Tyler Stark came on board as senior vice president in the downtown Los Angeles office. Both men, who were previously at Cushman & Wakefield, were brought on to assist office and mixed-use institutional property owners in the leasing, sale and marketing of their assets.