Forchelli, Curto, Crowe, Deegan, Schwartz, Mineo & Cohn has signed a 35,000-square-foot lease at The Omni, 333 Earle Ovington Blvd. in Uniondale, Long Island.

The lease covers the top floor of the 10-story, 575,000-square-foot building, where the asking price per square foot is $38.

Approximately 50 attorneys and 50 staff members will be relocated to the new space, beginning in late spring. Name partner Jeffrey Forchelli said the 10,000-square-foot expansion from the current office at 330 Old Country Rd. is expected to accommodate about 10 new hires in the next two years. The firm handles real estate, litigation, employment, banking and financial matters.

The landlord was represented internally by executive vice president David Frank and by Lazer, Aptheker, Rosella & Yedid partners James Devine and Lou Fiore.

The law firm was represented internally by partners Barbara Alesi and Brian Sahn.

Mr. Forchelli said The Omni’s offices will give the firm a “clean slate,” with new phones, computers and video conferencing.

“We think we’re pretty up to date on our technology now, but these are things that make your life in terms of record-keeping,” he said. “Every once in a while it’s good to move like this without having to change and break walls.”

He added that the firm will continue to rent a 2,000-square-foot office in Melville for meetings and conferences with Suffolk County clients.

Executive vice president of leasing Ken Bauer and vice president Jason Forte served internally as the landlord’s brokers.

Ted Stratigos, senior director of Cushman & Wakefield’s Long Island office, who served as the broker for the tenant, said that vacancy rates in Long Island are around 12 percent and could go higher.


Watson, Farley & Williams, an international law firm based in London, has relocated its New York office to subleased space on the 11th floor of 1133 Avenue of the Americas from 100 Park Ave.

The firm has begun its seven-year lease for its banking, M&A, litigation and financial practices.

Solo practitioner Alan Michigan represented the subtenant.

Loeb & Loeb associate Nichole D. Cortese represented the sublandlord, Triton Media Group.

Thirty-two people, including 17 attorneys, will be based in the new Manhattan office, which is 8,000 square feet larger than the Park Avenue quarters.

“We had completely filled it,” Alfred Yudes, a partner in the international litigation group and head of the New York office, said of the old space. “We had people in cubicles who should have been in offices and needed room for expansion. We were looking for shorter leases for potential flexibility.”

Located between 43rd and 44th streets, the 45-story, 971,000-square-foot building is owned by the Durst Organization. Other tenants include Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler and ACE USA. The landlord’s Web site lists nearby space in the building at $78 per square foot.

Mr. Yudes said he hopes to recruit five more attorneys in the next three years and that he would consider negotiating a direct lease with the landlord after the sublease expires.

He said the firm has modest goals for its new quarters.

“We want nice-looking space and want clients to feel that it’s a pleasant area. We don’t need to have anything extraordinary. No Oriental carpets or things like that,” he said. “Some would say that’s cutting a corner, but we don’t think that’s a necessity.”

A CB Richard Ellis team comprised of Mark Ravelsloot, William Iacovelli and Michael Wellen served as brokers for Watson Farley & Williams.

Newmark Knight Frank executive managing director Chris Mongeluzo served as broker for Triton.


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