INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Simon, a global leader in retail real estate, announced today that James M. ("Jim") Barkley, General Counsel and Secretary, will retire from his current role with the Company effective January 1, 2017. Steven E. Fivel, currently Assistant General Counsel and Assistant Secretary, will assume the role of Simon's General Counsel and Secretary effective January 1, 2017.

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Jim will continue to be of counsel reporting directly to David Simon, Chairman and CEO. During Jim's 38-year career with Simon and outstanding service to our company, he has provided strategic counsel and wise business judgment to our senior management team and Board of Directors, including overseeing the legal and regulatory aspects of Simon's many strategic transactions, property financings, debt issuances, and our public company responsibilities.

Steven Fivel rejoined Simon in March 2011 as Assistant General Counsel and Assistant Secretary and has been with the Company for a combined 14 years. From February 1988 until December 1996, Fivel served Simon in various legal capacities including real estate development, joint ventures, shopping center finance and corporate transactions. From January 1997 through February 2011, Fivel served as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of BrightPoint, Inc., a global leader in providing end-to-end supply chain solutions to the wireless industry. He is a graduate of the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University and earned his J.D. from The John Marshall Law School. We are fortunate to have been placed in a position to have Steve succeed Jim Barkley in what will be a smooth transition in leadership. Steve's expertise and knowledge are invaluable to the Company.

Alexander Snyder has been named Assistant General Counsel and Assistant Secretary for the Company. Snyder joined Simon's legal group in May 2016 as Senior Deputy General Counsel. Prior to joining Simon, Snyder served as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Beechcraft Corporation as well as Chief Counsel Mergers and Acquisitions for Koch Industries, Inc. Prior to his role as in-house counsel, Snyder spent ten years in private practice, where he focused on mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance. Snyder is a graduate of Harvard College and earned his J.D. from Columbia University School of Law.

About Simon
Simon is a global leader in retail real estate ownership, management and development and an S&P100 company (Simon Property Group) (NYSE:SPG). Our industry-leading retail properties and investments across North America, Europe and Asia provide shopping experiences for millions of consumers every day and generate billions in annual retail sales. For more information, visit simon.com.

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