Two former directors at JER Partners have established Resolute, a new firm to offer specialist asset management and consultancy services focussed on distressed debt and equity positions underpinned by real estate portfolios in European and former CIS countries.

The asset manager will work with lenders, investors and institutions who own distressed real estate related financial assets that present significant complexity or geographical complications. In particular, Resolute said it will assist when clients do not have sufficient specialised resources to manage their positions.

The team is led by ex-Credit Suisse banker Bill Hancock and Robert Kingsmill, a former real estate lawyer with Allen & Overy and Clifford Chance. Most recently, the pair garnered pan-European and CIS experience with private equity real estate manager JER Partners. Resolute has also appointed an Advisory Board, including Baron Paul Buysse, Thom Wernink and Brian Wilson, which will provide strategic support and advice to the business.

Hancock, managing partner of Resolute, said: 'We see a significant market need for an independent asset management business, with expertise in understanding the full value chain of indirect real estate exposures. We are focussed on providing these specialised services to lenders and investors who do not have the internal resources to monitor and manage investments outside their core markets, and therefore complementing their existing team.

'We aim to combine unparalleled distressed restructuring skills with intense asset management of the underlying real estate assets. Our blend of professional backgrounds and market experience means we are well placed to offer clients the greatest possible asset recovery expertise.'