David Brown

President & CEO
Prior to co-founding Somera Capital Management with Mr. Firestone as the successor to Somera Real Estate Group, Mr. Brown was Executive Vice President of Pacifica Real Estate Group, a private equity manager specializing in value-add investments. During this seven-year period, Pacifica tripled the value of its real estate portfolio and became a dominant regional investment firm focused on suburban office and hospitality assets. Prior to 1991, Mr. Brown served as Vice President of Auerbach Financial, Inc., a division of The Auerbach Companies, where he acquired properties for the Auerbach portfolio and developed an institutional investment program. Before joining Auerbach, Mr. Brown spent the initial six years of his career with Invest West Financial Corporation, a real estate investment and development firm, where he began as an analyst and was later elevated to a transactional role as a Vice President.
Mr. Brown has been an active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers and the Real Estate Investment Advisory Council, has spoken at many real estate industry and investment symposiums, and is an active sponsor of charitable organizations and foundations. Mr. Brown is a member of Somera’s Executive Committee.
Steve Firestone

Sr. Managing Partner
Mr. Firestone’s success and leadership story started at age 17 when he captained a crew of 11 teenagers on an 18-month circumnavigation of the globe in an 85-foot sailing schooner. Upon his return, Mr. Firestone started an entrepreneurial career in the computer industry that, over the next 15 years, created a significant net worth for himself and for his family.
During the course of his career, Mr. Firestone and his family have accomplished a number of notable business achievements. When they decided to invest their wealth in real estate, Mr. Firestone formed Somera Real Estate Group, Inc. to provide a platform from which to manage the real estate investment activities of Mr. Firestone’s family and business associates.
Since 1994, Mr. Firestone has served in many capacities while leading Somera’s growth from a family office operation to a nationally-recognized real estate investment firm. From inception, Mr. Firestone identified, analyzed and closed the first series of transactions while establishing Somera’s initial operating partner relationships, including the relationship with Pacifica Real Estate Group, where he met David Brown. Mr. Firestone designed the partnership structure when he and Mr. Brown co-founded Somera Capital Management in 1998 as the successor to Somera Real Estate Group, Inc. Mr. Firestone then continued his active participation in the investment process while turning his focus to the company’s financial and business management and recruitment of talent as Somera’s business prospered and grew. Mr. Firestone is a member of Somera’s Executive Committee.
Julie Lubin

Corporate Finance
Jake Farver

Senior Managing Director
TJ Gamble

Senior Managing Director
During T.J.’s previous time at Somera he was a Managing Director, overseeing West Coast acquisitions and asset management. While at Somera he oversaw multiple investments (equity, preferred equity and debt) in all asset classes including, hospitality, retail and office.
T.J. graduated from Colgate University in 2003 and started his career at Los Angeles based Wilson Commercial Real Estate (acquired by JLL in 2015) as a retail leasing specialist. He lives in Newport Beach, CA with his wife and three young children. He is a member of the board of directors of the First Tee of Orange County sits on the Southern California Golf Association’s Scholarship Committee.
Chris Hahs

Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Hahs rejoined Somera in January of 2013. Prior to rejoining Somera, he was the President of Hahs Real Estate Group, a real estate development company specializing in self storage. From the period of 1999 to 2006 he served as Vice President – Asset Management for Somera, managing over $500 million of real assets, including retail, office, industrial, hospitality and multi-family. Prior to this Mr. Hahs served as Assistant Treasurer for Newhall Land and Farming Company. Mr. Hahs began his career and spent four years with Kenneth Leventhal & Company, a leading Public Accounting Firm specializing in the real estate industry. While at Kenneth Leventhal , he served in various capacities including Senior Accountant and Real Estate Consultant.
Mr. Hahs received a Bachelor of Arts in Business Economics from Westmont College. He also holds an inactive CPA License.
Eric Gittleman

Managing Director
Natalia Ford

Investor Relations
George Short

General Counsel
A shareholder in the law firm of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP, Mr. Short’s law practice includes business and corporate advisory, tax, and trust and estates services.
Mr. Short has more than 40 years of experience advising pension and welfare benefit funds, nonprofit organizations, private companies, private investors and family offices on real estate, tax, ERISA, business and corporate matters. He is a recognized authority in tax law, having lectured for the USC Tax Institute, the American Bar Association Section on Real Property, Probate and Trust Law, the Employee Benefits Committee of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and the Northern Trust Bank of California Trust and Tax Forum, among others. His articles have been published in the Journal of Taxation, Duke Law School’s Law and Contemporary Problems, USC Law School’s Major Tax Planning, and other legal and trade journals.