Company of the Month: East West Bank is a strong financial bridge to build success in New York City as one of the largest public banks in the U.S.

Long Island City is currently one of the fastest growing neighborhoods in New York for commercial real estate. New apartments, condominiums, and hotel developments are rising up almost every month. However, when developers started to set their eyes in Long Island City a few years ago, few banks were comfortable in financing these construction projects. In the fall of 2012, East West Bank made the decision to provide financing for a highly experienced developer on a ground-up branded hotel construction project. The bank issued a term sheet of $27 million and construction of the hotel kicked off. The project is slated for completion later this year. "We keep an open mind about opportunities. We always go above and beyond to come up with the appropriate financing solution for the right relationship," said Wendy Cai-Lee, executive vice president and head of Eastern and Texas regions at East West Bank. With $27.6 billion in assets and a market capitalization of $5 billion, East West Bank is now one of the 30 largest public banks in the U.S. East West Bank was confident and comfortable with the transaction in Long Island City because it has a team of seasoned commercial real estate bankers, who have an in-depth understanding of the local market and a pragmatic attitude toward new opportunities. "It is all about relationships," said Cai-Lee. "We take our time to cultivate relationships and build trust with our clients. What makes a bank different is not during good times, but during tough times. You want your banker to support you and help you make it through tough times." Speed and certainty are two of the greatest strengths of the East West Bank team that continues to contribute to its fiercely loyal client base. For example, the East West Bank team closed a financing deal involving a complex acquisition structure of an assemblage of two adjoining buildings in the Gramercy neighborhood from start to funding in less than 45 days. Seeing a rise in property market, East West Bank understands the importance of a timely execution for the borrower to seize opportunities. Last year, East West Bank successfully helped finance Continental Venture's land acquisition of 52-54 Wooster, a rare corner lot in SoHo. As a result of the successful acquisition, the bank now provides construction financing for this luxury mixed-use project. In addition to being a relationship-oriented domestic bank, East West Bank also has strong ties and capabilities with China and is one of the few U.S. banks with a full banking license in China. This enables the bank to truly connect the East and the West. It has a presence in all major cities in Greater China, and a new full-service branch is scheduled to open in Shenzhen by September. In most of East West Bank's key markets such as California, N.Y. and Texas, the real estate industry's growth has been boosted with the influx of Chinese investments. Chinese investors spent approximately $22 billion in U.S. real estate purchases, according to a report by the National Association of Realtors. Furthermore, Chinese investors have been attracted to all real estate investment classes including luxury single family residences, mixed-use properties, multifamily and commercial buildings. With its strong capability in the China market and local expertise in the U.S., East West Bank has the financial platform to support cross-border investments and offers flexible financing options to both Chinese and local clients. As such, East West Bank's cross-border cultural knowledge and track record of execution are key components in earning the trust of its clientele. The Bank's history of connecting customers with opportunities in and between the U.S. and China has never become so relevant. East West Bancorp is a publicly owned company with $27.6 billion in assets and is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol "EWBC." The company's wholly owned subsidiary, East West Bank, is one of the largest independent banks headquartered in California. East West is a premier bank focused exclusively on the U.S. and Greater China markets and operates over 130 locations worldwide, including in the United States markets of California, Georgia, Nevada, New York, Massachusetts, Texas and Washington. In Greater China, East West Bank's presence includes a full service branch in Hong Kong and representative offices in Beijing, Chongqing, Shenzhen, Taipei and Xiamen. Through a wholly-owned subsidiary bank, East West Bank's presence in Greater China also includes full-service branches in Shanghai and Shantou and a representative office in Guangzhou.