James (Jim) Haft is the managing principal of Haft Holdings, Inc., a real estate investment and development company with offices in Illinois and Florida.
Prior to forming his own company, Mr. Haft was a partner in various joint ventures with MCZ Development, Centrum Properties and MCZ/Jameson, focusing primarily on condominium conversions and developments, as well as opportunistic office, industrial and retail projects. Mr. Haft also served as general counsel to MCZ and MCZ/Jameson. Previously, Mr. Haft had practiced commercial real estate law at the Chicago firms of Holland & Knight LLP, McBride, Baker & Coles and Holleb & Coff.
Mr. Haft is a 1984 graduate of Georgetown University Law Center. He earned an MS in real estate and BBA in marketing from the School of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is a past national president of the Wisconsin Real Estate Alumni Association, has served on the Deans’ Advisory Board of the UW School of Business, and currently is a director of the UW Real Estate Policy Advisory Committee and the James A. Graaskamp Center for Real Estate. In 2008, Mr. Haft was the recipient of the UW Distinguished Real Estate Alumni Award. Mr. Haft has been active in numerous professional and civic organizations.