CoStar Group appoints two top leaders to its already robust executive team

CoStar Group, one of the leading providers of commercial real estate information, analytics and online marketplaces recently announced the promotion of Jaye Campbell to General Counsel and Secretary and Jeannette C. Koonce to Chief Compliance Officer.

Campbell is responsible for leading CoStar Group’s legal team and overseeing legal affairs. She joined CoStar Group in 2013 and has held various positions in CoStar Group’s legal department, most recently, Head of Litigation.

Prior to joining CoStar Group, Campbell practiced at the law firm Drinker, Biddle & Reath, where she specialized in intellectual property and technology law. She received her Juris Doctor degree from The George Washington University Law School and holds a bachelor’s degree in foreign service from Georgetown University.

Of Campbell’s accomplishments at CoStar Group, she is most proud of the team she has helped build to meet the needs of a company that is still growing. Campbell describes her team as “talented, hard-working, and diverse” – a mix of talent from inside CoStar Group, attorneys from law firms, and lawyers from other in-house roles.

“We're the legal team that helps CoStar Group get to 'yes' in business matters,” Campbell said. “We have a track record of identifying legal cases to bring forward to protect CoStar content for customers, shareholders, and our employees who have invested in that content.”

Campbell's work at CoStar Group led to a half-billion dollar judgment in the company's favor, the largest judgment for infringement of copyrighted images in history. "The case had spectacular twists and turns," Campbell said, including her team unearthing evidence that ultimately was used to indict a third party on criminal charges related to child sex trafficking. "When I left private practice in 2013," Campbell said, "I would have laughed if you said that in my role at CoStar, I would train the FBI on how to process terabytes of electronic evidence."

As for the legal team's future challenges, Campbell believes CoStar Group is "at a size and scale where we need to focus on risk management, and there is no one better to lead that effort than Jeannette [Koonce].”

Koonce joined the CoStar Group team in January 2006 as Deputy General Counsel. She oversees and makes recommendations with respect to risk management and corporate governance.

Prior to joining CoStar Group, Koonce was an associate at Venable LLP, where she practiced securities, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate law. Koonce received her Juris Doctor from the College of William and Mary and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Boston College. Koonce is a graduate of the KPMG Executive Leadership Institute for Women, a year-long program that provided her with a comprehensive understanding of the principles and practical skills necessary to be an excellent leader.

Over the past 14 years, Koonce has played an active role in CoStar Group’s robust mergers and acquisitions activity, completing more than 25 domestic and international acquisitions, including the company’s acquisition of Apartments.com, which introduced CoStar Group to the apartments listings business. During her tenure, CoStar Group’s market cap has increased from approximately $750 million to over $25 billion. Koonce also handles CoStar Group’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including equity offerings and periodic reports.

During her time at CoStar Group, Koonce has also been a valuable contributor and advisor to the company's philanthropic arm, CoStar Group Builds, for nearly five years and previously served on the board of Mentors, Inc., one of the organizations CoStar Group Builds supports, for more than four years. Koonce was instrumental in guiding the merger of Mentors, Inc. with Kid Power in July 2019.

“I look forward to overseeing CoStar Group’s international risk management and corporate governance in my new role,” Koonce said. She will continue to be involved with the company’s mergers and acquisitions growth strategy.

“Both Jaye and Jeannette possess remarkable expertise and leadership that is invaluable to the continued growth and success of our organization,” said Founder and CEO Andrew Florance. “We are incredibly proud of their accomplishments and appreciate the dedication and commitment they bring to their new roles. I know they will continue to play an integral role in the company’s achievements.”

Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Washington, DC, CoStar conducts expansive, ongoing research to produce and maintain one of the largest and most comprehensive databases of commercial real estate information. Its suite of online services enables clients to analyze, interpret and gain unmatched insight on commercial property values, market conditions and current availabilities.

CoStar maintains offices throughout the U.S. and in Europe, Canada and Asia with a staff of over 4,300 worldwide, including the industry’s largest professional research organization.

SOURCE CoStar
Edited by Gordana Davila