Established in 1898, McLaughlin & Stern, LLP is one of the oldest law firms in New York. Through its offices in New York City, Millbrook, NY and West Palm Beach, the firm provides a diverse range of legal services with expertise in investment advisory and hedge fund matters; private equity matters; sophisticated commercial, securities and estate litigations; corporate transactions; real estate; intellectual property; and trusts and estates.

 “We have established a critical mass in south Florida in the areas of trusts and estates, real estate and litigation, and many of our New York clients have important Florida connections. We intend to increase our Florida presence and capitalize on our strategic alliances. We are confident that our new location will facilitate this, in addition to providing our clients and visitors with convenient access to the CityPlace amenities,” stated the firm’s managing partner, Geoffry R. Handler.

Located on the northwest corner of Okeechobee and South Quadrille boulevards, CityPlace Office Tower anchors the south entrance to the county’s leading visitor destination – CityPlace. Direct, covered access to the mixed-use complex puts tenants within steps of the popular shops and restaurants. The location is viewed as one of the best commercial sites in Palm Beach County, anchoring the “gateway” to Palm Beach, less than 10 minutes from Palm Beach International Airport, a quarter of a mile from I-95 and directly across the street from the Palm Beach County Convention Center.

With $4 million in back-up generators — more power than any other office building in the state — tenants are assured that normal business operations will continue with minimal interruption if a major storm should occur. The tower features hurricane-resistant construction and advanced technology, including high-impact windows throughout and multiple telecommunications providers for uninterrupted power, which protects access to electronic data in all offices.

Designed by Elkus/Manfredi Architects of Boston, the same firm that designed CityPlace, the tower’s iconic architecture has added a striking new dimension to the
Downtown skyline and created a new landmark that has re-shaped the City’s status within Florida’s business community. The spectacular exterior concepts were carried inside and realized through luxurious, contemporary finishes and appointments, and expansive views of the Atlantic Ocean, city lights and Intracoastal Waterway. Four floors of parking and gated, direct-to-suite access from the garage for senior executives via private elevator make the building the most user-friendly and efficient in the region. The ground floor offers a mix of retail options including a Regions Bank with drive-through teller,

Cleveland Clinic’s Florida Health and Wellness Center and valet and concierge services, all monitored with the most advanced building security systems in all of South Florida, many of the same used in New York’s Time Warner Center, also developed by Related Companies.

The building is anchored by the fast-growing institutional money management firm, INTECH, formerly based in Palm Beach Gardens. The firm has leased the top two floors, totaling more than 50,000 square feet. Other major tenants besides McLaughlin & Stern, LLP include Cleveland Clinic Florida; the West Palm Beach office of Carlton Fields, P.A., one of the largest law firms in the southeast; intellectual property law firm Novak Druce + Quigg; the global law firm of Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge; Regions Financial Corporation, a full-service provider of consumer and commercial banking; Shutts & Bowen LLP, a full-service, Florida- based law firm; The Comvest Group, a private investment firm; RBC Wealth Management, a leading investment specialist; Raymond James & Associates, a national leader in financial planning for individuals, corporations and municipalities; Goodrich, LLC, a Massachusetts-based management company; Neuberger Berman, a New York-based money management firm; Carey O’Donnell Public Relations Group, a full-service corporate communications company in West Palm Beach and on Madison Avenue; Callisto Partners LLC, an independent investment banking boutique; and Barry & Company, CPA.

For leasing or more information, please call Jon Blunk at (561) 650-0904 email jblunk@crockerpartners.com.

About Crocker Partners
Crocker Partners LLC is headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida with a focus on acquiring and developing Class A office properties in the southeastern United States and Texas. The company’s principals have developed more than 1.9 million square feet, including 1.6 million square feet of Class A office space; acquired 17 million square feet; and managed portfolios as large as 16 million square feet concurrently in major markets such as Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, South Florida and suburban Washington, D.C. CEO Thomas J. Crocker has been a commercial real estate leader in the Southeast and South Florida markets, where he and many of the company’s senior managers have directed major projects including Boca Raton’s Mizner Park.

Palm Beach, FL – (April 22, 2010) — BB&T has leased 13,800 square feet at 125 Worth Avenue for its Palm Beach retail branch and offices, according to Jon Blunk, Senior Vice President Leasing for Crocker Partners, building owners and managers.

The transaction is an expansion for BB&T, which has occupied a portion of the space since acquiring tenant Colonial Bank. The lease includes a ground floor retail space and offices. BB&T was represented by John Jaspert a Tenant Representative with CB Richard Ellis.

“With this lease, BB&T will enjoy one of Palm Beach’s most visible locations, the first retail space that people see when arriving on Worth Avenue from the east,” said Blunk. “While BB&T could have opted out of the existing Colonial Bank lease, they chose instead to expand operations here with a long-term commitment, recognizing the importance of the Palm Beach market.” 

Crocker Partners is currently marketing two other high-profile Palm Beach properties. The Company owns 400 Worth Avenue and has been named to lease and manage 204 Royal Palm Way, a new Class A green office building being developed by a third-party owner.

Crocker Partners is a real estate investment firm headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, active in the commercial real estate business for over 25 years. The Crocker team has established a reputation as a premier owner, operator, and developer of office and mixed-use projects throughout the Eastern United States and since 1993, has acquired and developed over $4.5 billion of real estate. The Company’s third-party services include leasing, property management and capital improvement financing. 

For more information, contact Jon Blunk, jblunk@crockerpartners.com;  561-889-4285, www.crockerpartners.com.

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Boca Raton, Fla. – (December 17, 2009) — Crocker Partners Senior Vice President Angelo Bianco today announced new leases and renewals totaling 23,000 square feet at the Bank of America Tower in downtown Boca Raton. The 110,000-square-foot building, located at 150 East Palmetto Park Road and Mizner Boulevard, is leased and managed by Crocker Partners for owner ING.  

These latest  transactions bring the building to 92 percent leased, up from 76 percent when Crocker took on the assignment eight months ago, according to Jon Blunk, Senior Vice President Leasing for Crocker Partners.  

New tenants include:   

*Interface Worldwide, a talent marketing company that promotes talent to industry professionals, is leasing 8,000 square feet on the building’s 1st floor, space being converted from restaurant use.

*Dickenson Rex Sloan P.A., a long-established Boca Raton-based law firm, leased 4,000 square feet.

*Smart Money Management Group, an independent financial services firm with a client roster that includes professional football, baseball and hockey players, leased 2,557 square feet of ground floor lobby space to accommodate its growing practice.

*Charles Schwab expanded, renewing its 5,000-square-foot space and leasing an additional 3,000 square feet.

“Tenants are responding to the opportunity to lock in Class A space in a prime location while the market is favorable,” said Blunk. “Bank of America Tower gives companies a notable downtown address and amenities, and the convenience of dining and shopping choices within walking distance.” 

Crocker Partners is a real estate investment firm headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, active in the commercial real estate business for over 25 years. The Crocker team has established a reputation as a premier owner, operator, and developer of office and mixed-use projects throughout the Eastern United States and since 1993, has acquired and developed over $4.5 billion of real estate. The Company’s third-party services include leasing, property management and capital improvement financing.  

For more information, contact Jon Blunk, Crocker Partners, jblunk@crockerpartners.com;  561-889-4285.

“This location presents a rare opportunity in the highly coveted Banker’s Row area of Palm Beach. It combines one of the Town’s most important locations with the advantages of new, green construction and floor plans that can be tailored to a company’s needs,” said Jon Blunk, Crocker Partners’ Senior Vice President responsible for leasing. “While the ideal scenario offers building naming rights for a single signature tenant to create a distinct identity, the floor plans are flexible enough to accommodate multiple tenants.”

“Demolition of the existing buildings, one vacant for over 15 years, will finally give this premier site the attention it deserves, and will positively contribute to the quality of the street, ” Blunk added.

Designed by the award-winning firm of Oliver Design Group Architects, 204 Royal Palm Way’s classical architecture reflects Palm Beach’s heritage, while incorporating the latest energy efficient green building principles. While consistent with the scale and design context of neighboring buildings, 204 Royal Palm Way will be distinctive, according to Ed Oliver, whose firm also designed the nearby Brown Brothers Harriman and Fidelity Investments buildings. Oliver also designed the Pavilion at the Colony Hotel.

Design highlights include meaningful outdoor spaces for tenants including a landscaped private terrace and office balconies on the building’s second floor, and a terrace wrapping the third floor’s north side and a southern oriented loggia also on the 3rd floor . The first floor features a well appointed entry lobby and the convenience of full-time covered valet parking. The main entry is accented by an “arched” beam and architectural columns. Arches are also featured at the vehicle access point, and on a 3rd floor tower element adding to the building’s identity.

The project has received formal approval from ARCOM and the Town Council. Construction is projected to begin in 2010 and completion will take approximately 12 months.

Blunk said that Crocker Partners welcomes the opportunity to market 204 Royal Palm Way. The Company already is active in Palm Beach as owner of 400 Royal Palm Way and of 125 Worth Avenue, which also is poised to take on a higher profile this season. After relocating tenants to free up 3,000 square feet on the ground floor fronting Worth Avenue, Crocker Partners is rebranding that space as one of Worth Avenue’s premier destination retail locations, he said.

Mathews Consulting, a Florida-based civil engineering consulting firm, leased approximately 4,800 sq. ft. of space on the third floor of the building. Established in 1998, the firm offers a wide array of engineering services, including infrastructure improvements, facilities planning and construction administration. The firm will relocate from 1475 Centrepark Blvd. to its new quarters in March, 2010.

“We feel there’s great value to the building’s convenient CityPlace location, which will provide our clients and employees access to a number of nearby amenities, including restaurants, shops, cultural and entertainment options,” said Rene Mathews, president of Mathews Consulting, Inc. “But we were equally impressed with the contemporary design and creative office space layout, as well as the recent upgrades made throughout the building.”

More than $250,000 was spent on capital improvements to The Offices at CityPlace North, including a major refurbishment to the two elevators that service both floors of offices, upgraded lighting fixtures, new hardware, tenant signage and fresh paint throughout.

Practicing law for nearly 12 years, Christian Scholin signed a five-year lease for more than 2,000 sq. ft. of space on the third floor of the building. The firm focuses its practice on matters related to trusts and estate planning, estate and trust administration, estate and gift taxation, asset protection, probate law, partnership law, and real estate law. The firm relocated from 630 Fern Street to The Offices at CityPlace North earlier this month.

The Offices at CityPlace North are located at the north end of Palm Beach County’s leading visitor destination – CityPlace. It’s less than 10 minutes from Palm Beach International Airport, a quarter-mile from I-95, less than one mile to Palm Beach and in close proximity to the Palm Beach County Courthouse to the north and the Convention Center to the south. The prime CityPlace location, competitive price point, efficient floor plans, convenient parking in an adjacent garage, tall windows and wrought-iron balconies are just a few of the features that have attracted other major tenants like WRMF Radio and Urban Design Kilday Studio.

“Most people think of CityPlace and its 100 shops and restaurants as a place for dining and entertainment, but it’s also one of Florida’s biggest commercial real estate leasing success stories,” said Kenneth A. Himmel, president and CEO of Related Urban, the mixed-use division of Related Companies. “The fact that we’re continuing to attract new tenants in today’s economic climate speaks volumes about the types of office space we have presented to the market.”

Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge will relocate to its new quarters in May 2010. Jonathan Satter of WGCompass Realty Companies represented the law firm in the lease negotiations. CityPlace Tower was represented by Jon Blunk, Crocker Partners senior vice president, and Kevin Probel, Related Companies general manager.

“We are very pleased to be moving into CityPlace Tower. The firm will be well-served by this new space in a terrific building,” said Gregory E. Young, Partner-In-Charge of Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge’s Florida offices. “The decision to move came after many months of reviewing what made the most sense – financially and otherwise, over the near and long-term for the firm’s continued commitment to and strategic needs in the south Florida marketplace. We appreciate what CityPlace Tower has to offer and feel that it is the best place for the firm.”

Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge has been in Florida for nearly 30 years, currently with offices in West Palm Beach and Ft. Lauderdale. The firm’s Florida offices include the following areas of practice: Business Law; Insurance/Reinsurance; Intellectual Property; Litigation; Private Client; Public Finance; and Real Estate. With over 525 lawyers worldwide, the firm offers a full array of legal services to clients. Its mission is to create value by providing superior legal advice and business counsel that protects clients’ interests and advances their goals. In addition to Florida, the firm has ten other offices located in Boston, Hartford, Madison (NJ), Newport Beach, New York, Providence, Stamford, Washington D.C., Wilmington, London and an associated office in Hong Kong.

Kenneth A. Himmel, President, Chief Executive Officer and founder of Related Urban Development, a division of Related Companies, said that the addition of a firm of the stature of Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge is a fitting conclusion to the list of anchor tenants in the building. Even though smaller offices ranging from 1,500 to 15,000 square feet are still available, the building now has a fully coherent brand of prestigious companies, and is regarded as the catalyst that has shifted the central business hub in West Palm Beach to the CityPlace district.

“This success story is magnified many times when viewed in the context of the current state of commercial real estate in all markets,” said Himmel. “It substantiates our vision that top-tier businesses still demand a premier office environment, with the latest features and amenities. CityPlace Office Tower has many of the features we incorporated into the Time Warner Center in New York, and its direct access to CityPlace is cited repeatedly by our tenants as a bonus that many underestimated when they made the choice to lease space in the building.” Located on the northwest corner of Okeechobee and South Quadrille boulevards, CityPlace Office Tower anchors the south entrance to the county’s leading visitor destination – CityPlace.

Direct, covered access to the mixed-use complex puts tenants within steps of the popular shops and restaurants. The location is viewed as one of the best commercial sites in Palm Beach County, anchoring the “gateway” to Palm Beach, less than 10 minutes from Palm Beach International Airport, a quarter of a mile from I-95 and directly across the street from the Palm Beach County Convention Center.

With $4 million in back-up generators — more power than any other office building in the state — tenants are assured that normal business operations will continue with minimal interruption if a major storm should occur. The tower features hurricane-resistant construction and advanced technology, including high-impact windows throughout and multiple telecommunications providers for uninterrupted power, which protects access to electronic data in all offices.

Designed by Elkus/Manfredi Architects of Boston, the same firm that designed CityPlace, the tower’s iconic architecture has added a striking new dimension to the Downtown skyline and created a new landmark that has re-shaped the City’s status within Florida’s business community. The spectacular exterior concepts were carried inside and realized through luxurious, contemporary finishes and appointments, and expansive views of the Atlantic Ocean, city lights and Intracoastal Waterway. Four floors of parking and gated, direct-to-suite access from the garage for senior executives via private elevator make the building the most user-friendly and efficient in the region. The ground floor offers a mix of retail options including a Regions Bank with drive-through teller, Cleveland Clinic’s Florida Health and Wellness Center and valet and concierge services, all monitored with the most advanced building security systems in all of South Florida, many of the same used in New York’s Time Warner Center, also developed by Related Companies.

The building is anchored by the fast-growing institutional money management firm, INTECH, formerly based in Palm Beach Gardens. The firm has leased the top two floors, totaling more than 50,000 square feet. Other major tenants besides Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge include the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic in Florida; the West Palm Beach office of Carlton Fields, P.A., one of the largest law firms in the southeast; intellectual property law firm Novak Druce + Quigg; Regions Financial Corporation, a full-service provider of consumer and commercial banking; Shutts & Bowen LLP, a full-service, Florida- based law firm; The ComVest Group, a private investment firm; JBHanauer & Co., a leading investment specialist for wealth management; Raymond James & Associates, a national leader in financial planning for individuals, corporations and municipalities; Goodrich, LLC, a Massachusetts-based management company; Neuberger Berman, a New York-based money management firm; Carey O’Donnell Public Relations Group, a full-service corporate communications company in West Palm Beach and on Madison Avenue; Callisto Partners, an independent investment banking boutique; and Barry & Company, CPA.