PRESS RELEASES

William Blair & Company Signs Lease for New Headquarters in Hines' River Point (444 West Lake Street) Tower

3/19/08

(CHICAGO) — The Chicago office of Hines, the international real estate firm, this week announced the signing of a lease for River Point, 444 West Lake Street, with investment firm William Blair & Company, which will be the anchor tenant. The lease was signed by John R. Ettelson, president and CEO of William Blair & Company. Upon building completion in mid-2011, William Blair & Company is expected to occupy more than 340,000 square feet of the 52-story, 1.1 million-square-foot tower.  Groundbreaking is scheduled for late 2008.

“This development encompasses a vast improvement to the Chicago riverfront and the park system in a growing commercial and residential neighborhood.  Having William Blair & Company anchor this project shows their continued commitment to Chicago and their desire to be associated with the Chicago River, one of the city’s most important assets.  Hines is honored to be the developer and owner of the building,” said Hines Senior Vice President Greg Van Schaack.

William Blair & Company is making the move to its third headquarters site in Chicago since the firm’s founding in 1935 due to business expansion and steady growth. In 1994, when the firm moved to its present location on West Adams Street, there were 555 employees and revenues of $166 million. At the end of 2007, William Blair & Company had more than 975 employees and revenues approaching $700 million, a firm record.

Among the many reasons William Blair & Company was attracted to this project are the architectural integrity of the building, its unique position on the Chicago River and the shoreline public park to be created, and the opportunity to move into a state-of-the-art building with LEED certification for sustainability, efficiency and environmental responsibility.

William Blair & Company was represented by The Staubach Company in the site selection and lease negotiations.

About William Blair & Company

William Blair & Company, L.L.C. is a Chicago-based investment firm offering investment banking, asset management, equity research, institutional and private brokerage, and private capital to individual, institutional, and issuing clients. Since 1935, we have been committed to helping clients achieve their financial objectives. As an independent, employee-owned firm, our philosophy is to serve our clients' interests first and foremost. We place a high value on the enduring nature of our client relationships, the quality of our products and services, and the continuity and integrity of our people. William Blair & Company’s offices include Chicago, Boston, London, New York, San Francisco, Shanghai, Tokyo and Zurich. For more information, please visit www.williamblair.com

About Hines

Hines is a privately owned real estate firm involved in real estate investment, development and property management worldwide. The Hines portfolio of projects underway, completed, acquired and managed for third parties includes more than 1,000 properties representing approximately 416 million square feet of office, residential, mixed-use, industrial, hotel, medical and sports facilities, as well as large, master-planned communities and land developments. With offices in 68 U.S. cities and 15 foreign countries, and controlled assets valued at approximately $19.9 billion, Hines is one of the largest real estate organizations in the world. Visit www.hines.com for more information.