Lawyers Sign $22-Million Lease in Wilshire Tower

A Los Angeles law firm has signed a $22-million lease for office space in The Tower, a 23-story building nearing completion at 10940 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood.

Brokers in the deal say it’s the biggest lease signed for office space in Westwood this decade.

The 10-year lease calls for Hill Wynne Troop & Meisinger to occupy 51,681 square feet of space in the first five years of the agreement, and expand to 64,000 in the remaining five years.

Opening ceremonies for the 207,000-square-foot building are set for April 28. The law firm will move in September.

The building’s owner, Wilshire Westwood Associates, was represented in the transaction by the West Los Angeles office of Grubb & Ellis Commercial Brokerage Services. Cushman & Wakefield of California Inc.’s Century City office represented the law firm.

Hill Wynne is the first tenant to sign up for space in the structure. However, a Grubb & Ellis spokesman said deals are being negotiated that could bring occupancy up to the 50% level before the opening.

The complex, designed by Helmut Jahn of Chicago-based Murphy/Jahn, combines a pair of octagonal towers in a rectangular block.

The exterior is sheathed in buff-colored limestone and green granite. The interior has a 35-foot entrance with a marble fountain.