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3 9 T R E V O R D AY S C H O O L n SUMMER 2 0 1 5 – 2 0 1 6 of the marketing schemes that casino companies are allowed to utilize to entice gamblers to come to their casinos. e primary reason I left Las Vegas was that I was ready to move back to New York. I missed greenery, rain, clouds, weather, and all the other things you don't find in the desert. But most of all, I missed a sense of community. In Las Vegas, the most transient of cities, it was difficult to develop a strong sense of community. Most people visit only for a weekend, and many of my friends and colleagues moved into and out of the city within a few months. Trevor places a strong emphasis on the importance of giving back to your community. I believe you would be hard-pressed to find a Trevor student who does not believe that true fulfillment in life comes from helping and connecting with others. What does your current job entail? Lazard is different from most other investment banks: It does not lend money to companies or help companies raise money by selling shares (partial ownership interests) to the public. Lazard advises companies on mergers, acquisitions, restructurings, and general strategy. In the real estate group, we provide advice to many of the country's largest owners and operators of hotels, apartments, offices, malls, hospitals, senior living facilities, and distribution warehouses. What is the most exciting project you have worked on? Advising Starwood Hotels & Resorts on its merger with Marriott. In the beginning of 2015, Starwood realized that its collection of hotel brands (St. Regis, Sheraton, W, Westin, etc.) was underperforming relative to many competing brands. ey hired my team at Lazard to advise them. Starwood saw the merits in a potential combination—a more diverse collection of hotel brands, the opportunity to eliminate overlapping costs, the opportunity to capture more of travelers' hotel stays through a larger loyalty-rewards program, and perhaps most importantly, a company that would be stronger in the fight against Airbnb and travel websites. ough several companies were interested in combining with Starwood, Marriott ultimately emerged as the best partner based on its complementary portfolio of brands, strong track record, and most importantly, the value of the ownership interest in the combined company that it proposed Starwood could have. Just before the merger with Marriott was to go into effect, a fast-growing Chinese insurance company, Anbang, entered the mix with an attractive all-cash bid to acquire Starwood. Lazard helped Starwood evaluate the two offers. Starwood decided that Anbang's cash bid was superior to Marriott's. But when they told Marriott they intended to terminate the deal, Marriott returned with an improved bid. Ultimately, Marriott's new bid— which now comprised a significant cash payment to Starwood and still offered a large ownership interest in the combined company—surpassed Anbang's cash bid. Very exciting (and hair-raising)! Clockwise from top: In this 2008 Student Council group shot, Eric is fourth from the right in the back row; the High-Roller Observation Wheel in Las Vegas; playing baseball for Trevor; Right: Eric's yearbook page from senior year.

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