James E. Walker III joined Fir Tree in 2008 and is a Managing Partner, member of the Real Estate Investment Committee and Chairman of the Risk Committee.  Mr. Walker co-founded Fir Tree’s real estate opportunity funds and most recently has co-led the development of Fir Tree’s real estate effort.   Mr. Walker also manages the day-to-day business operations of the firm, identifies new areas of investment opportunity and leads certain investment activist efforts with portfolio company management teams.  Mr. Walker is an industry veteran in the real estate finance and securitization market, where he pioneered numerous innovative transactions throughout his career.  Prior to joining Fir Tree in 2008, Mr. Walker was a co-founder and Managing Partner of Black Diamond Capital Management, LLC, a privately held investment management firm specializing in both performing and non-performing senior secured debt.  Prior to Black Diamond, he was a senior member of Kidder, Peabody & Co. Inc.’s Structured Finance Group where he managed a proprietary investment vehicle for both residential mortgage loans and non-mortgage assets.  Mr. Walker began his career in structured finance at Bear Stearns & Co., Inc. in the Asset-Backed Securities Group.  He holds a B.S. in Economics from Boston College’s Carroll School of Management.