Jefferies & Co. (JEF) named John Ockerbloom as managing director of its US real estate investment banking unit. The securities and investment-banking firm today said Ockerbloom had been head of real estate and lodging investment banking at privately held Morgan Keegan prior to accepting this newly created position. Benjamin Lorello, global head of investment banking and capital markets at Jefferies, said providing the firm’s “financing, M&A, and distribution capabilities to corporate real estate clients and real estate private equity firms represents one of our largest opportunities in investment banking.” Ockerbloom will oversee the firm’s domestic operations for this endeavor. Write to Jason Philyaw.