2020 Ones to Watch: Andrew Liebhard, Meridian Capital Group

Name: Andrew Liebhard

Company: Meridian Capital Group

Title: Managing Director

Education: Bachelor of Science in liberal arts from Excelsior College

Which project, deal, or transaction was the “game-changer” in the advancement of your career?
The deal that I feel was the biggest “game changer” of my career was a $180 million multifamily loan I worked on when I was a CMBS loan originator at Rialto Mortgage Finance. At the time, it was a fairly young company, and we were trying to put ourselves on the map by doing larger deals. Meridian was marketing the deal, which was the purchase of a 2,200 unit property in Michigan for one of the firm’s largest clients. We won the deal because we came up with an extremely creative structure that allowed us to offer terms that no other lender could match. Additionally, we had complete confidence in the operator, which also allowed us to go above and beyond what any other lender would typically offer. Three years later, Meridian refinanced the same deal, producing incredible returns for the borrower and their investors.