05.24.2022
Global real estate firm Harwood International announced a new lease at its latest and tallest office tower, Harwood No. 14, in the 19-city block Harwood District. Acclaimed international law firm O’Melveny & Myers LLP has signed a lease to triple its space and occupy 75,000 square feet in the new tower. O’Melveny’s lease will bring Harwood No. 14 to approximately 70 percent pre-leased after breaking ground just over a year ago.
Phil Puckett and Harlan Davis from Dallas CBRE along with Jeff Welch and Lynn Williams from Los Angeles CBRE negotiated the deal with Kelly Whaley and Hannah Mesh of Harwood International.
O’Melveny is a leading law firm with more than 800 lawyers in 18 offices across the globe. The firm expanded into Texas in June 2021, opening offices in Austin and Dallas. In May 2022, the firm opened an office in Houston. Now, O’Melveny’s Texas roster includes upwards of 50 lawyers—with more than 30 in Dallas.
“We go where our clients need us, and right now, that is Texas. O’Melveny is fully committed to expanding our presence in the Lone Star State. And in Dallas, our positive experience with the Harwood team over the past year—including their dedicated, concierge level of service—helped seal the deal for us as we examined long term opportunities within their portfolio. We are confident that Harwood No. 14 will be the perfect fit for our lawyers and staff as we continue to grow in Dallas,” said Teresa Doremus, O’Melveny’s Managing Director of Global Operations and Real Estate.
O’Melveny will be joining Haynes and Boone and S2 Capital in the tower. Harwood International has seen continued growth into 2022 with over 122,000 square feet of leases signed since the start of the year. As Dallas continues to see bullish demand for office space, Harwood looks at the future with strong optimism. The firm’s emphasis on providing hospitality level customer service within their developments, has set them apart and have proven effective in tenant retention and growth.
“Harwood is poised as the ideal spot for opening new offices in Dallas and for existing companies seeking a flight to quality,” said Whaley. “Location is key, and Harwood will have the most visibility in terms of signage and architectural brilliance. We pride ourselves on an over 90 percent tenant retention rate due to our ability to provide room for growth and our exceptional level of service.”
Harwood No. 14 contains 360,000 RSF, stands 27 floors tall, and will deliver in 2023. The Class AA tower’s design is heavily influenced by nature, featuring a two-story lobby with monumental stairs blending indoor/outdoor features, a landscaped plateau, a finned curtainwall system that is the first in Dallas, open air pocket gardens, and a spectacular 17,000 SF rooftop and sky garden. As in all of Harwood’s office buildings, the 17,000 SF of retail at the base of the building will expand upon Harwood Hospitality Group’s notable restaurant, café, and bar collection.
The design and architecture teams behind Harwood No. 14 are Dallas-based HDF (architect of record), Dallas-based Corgan (associate architect), and Tokyo-based starchitect Kengo Kuma & Associates (design architect).