THE ASSOCIATION FOR LEGAL CAREER PROFESSIONALS
Dear John [Duffy],
Now that we are more than six months comfortably settled into our wonderful new office space, I am writing to thank you for the invaluable role you played in making this possible.
We interviewed a lot of commercial real estate brokers before selecting you and Summit Commercial Real Estate to represent us. True to your word, you were our partner in our relocation project from beginning to end. You educated us about the market, raised issues that we would not have been aware of, and were our advocate during the deal-making process. You fought hard to ensure that we received the best deal available in a changing marketplace. You were also an excellent source of expert referrals, from movers to architects to telecommunications sourcing. I would recommend you and Summit Commercial Real Estate to anyone who was contemplating an office move in Washington, DC.
Please do not hesitate to use us as a reference in the future!
Sincerely,
Executive Director
PEPCO ENTERPRISES, INC.
The purpose of this letter is to commend Paul DeFilippes for the professional representation he provided us with throughout our search for Pepco Enterprises, Inc's new corporate offices. We are certainly pleased with the terms and conditions of our sublease. We are now in first class space at below market rates which is very pleasing to all of us.
I will be happy to recommend Paul to my colleagues in the business community.
Sincerely,
President & Chief Executive Officer
SCREEN ACTORS GUILD-AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TELEVISION AND RADIO ARTISTS
Now that we have settled into our new offices, I just wanted to drop you a line and let you know how very pleased we were with the services provided by your firm, especially by Paul DeFilippes.
We had outgrown our space in Chevy Chase after 15 years, and we sought your help in identifying more suitable quarters. Little did I know that you and your staff would provide so much assistance! Not only did you locate several properties for us to consider (all with adequate space and within budget), but you also helped us negotiate our lease, and assisted us through many meetings with the architects for the design work. You also recommended which movers we should use, and they did a great job.
Paul took the time to understand our needs, he always displayed the utmost professionalism and concern for us. We are very well satisfied with the final results, and we would not hesitate to recommend your firm to anyone requiring office space. I do not anticipate needing to move again for many years, but if we do, you can bet that my first call will be to Mr. DeFilippes. If any of your prospective clients ever want a recommendation, please ask them to call me. Thanks again for all your help; we couldn't have done it without you.
Sincerely Yours,
Executive Director
GLOBAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS INC.
I am submitting this letter to express my appreciation for the services provided by Paul DeFilippes. He provided us with highly professional and thorough representation throughout our search for GMSI's new corporate headquarters.
We are very pleased with terms and conditions Paul was able to negotiate because we are not in first class space at below market rates which certainly helps our "bottom line".
I will certainly recommend Paul and your firm to my colleagues in the business community.
Sincerely,
President
AT&T
The purpose of this letter is to share my appreciation for the excellent service received from 2 members of your staff. It was through the efforts of Paul DeFilippes and John Duffy that AT&T was able to sublease all of our vacant surplus space at 1100 Wayne Avenue in Silver Spring. Considering the large amount of space (approximately 80,000 square feet) and the depressed market conditions, this was quite an accomplishment.
The thoroughness and speed in which they brought our space to the attention of the brokerage community was impressive. Not only did they represent AT&T's interests in a very professional manner, they negotiated the most favorable terms possible. They quickly became proficient in their knowledge of AT&T's financial and business policies and incorporated them in any upfront discussions with prospective subtenants. As a result of their constant attention to detail and intercessions on our behalf during the entire process, many potential setbacks were avoided and each of the eight individual subleases premises was delivered on schedule.
Sincerely,
Transaction Manager – Real Estate
PROJECT HOPE
As I believe you know, two members of your group – John Duffy and Paul DeFilippes recently represented Project HOPE in a transaction at 7500 Old Georgetown Road in Bethesda. This letter is to tell you of their outstanding efforts on our behalf and that I would recommend them without hesitation.
When we sought leasing agents to help us relocate I believe that we created a selection process that was more arduous that most. John and Paul clearly won that selection process over teams representing most of the other major leasing groups in town because of the directness, veracity and detail of the responses which they made to our inquiries.
These same qualities characterized their work throughout the leasing process. They made sure that they understood what was important to us in a lease and in a building. They also made sure that we understood what was important to notice in comparing buildings and what were important terms to concentrate upon in negotiation a lease. They also always made themselves available if we had a question. Perhaps more importantly, when we finally targeted a building they demonstrated an excellent knowledge of "what the market would bear". To my knowledge we have obtained by a substantial margin the most competitive deal in this building significantly reducing our lease obligations.
On top of all of this I can say that John and Paul were a pleasure to work with and actually made a sometimes very frustrating process fun.
Very truly yours,
General Counsel
SHELL OIL COMPANY
This letter is intended to highly compliment Paul DeFilippes and John Duffy for their outstanding achievement in relocating Shell Oil Company's Retail Marketing District office from Rockville, Maryland to Reston, Virginia.
Paul and John were well verses in the quality process and demonstrated this discipline by making sure that they clearly defined my clients geographic, budgetary and timing requirements before initiating the search for new office space.
Their market knowledge was instrumental in assisting Shell's Marketing District Manager through the process of selecting an office facility that closely modeled the initially established requirements.
During every phase of the relocation process Paul and John were totally committed advocates of Shell's primary objective of acquiring outstanding office space on time and within budget.
Shell's Retail District Manager, Don Demumbrum, is exceptionally pleased with his new office in Reston Town Center and, quite frankly, that reflects very favorably on Shell's Manager of Office Leasing.
Thanks Paul and John – Mission accomplished!
Very truly yours,
Manager Office Leasing – Shell Oil Company
HUGHES LAN SYSTEMS
I am writing this letter to express my appreciation for the outstanding professional real estate consulting services provided by Paul DeFilippes and John Duffy throughout the Hughes LAN Systems lease transaction at Bethesda Metro Center.
Paul and John spent a tremendous amount of time assisting us with our search for the right location and negotiated on our behalf what we believe to be a much "better than market" deal in an aggressive but always professional manner. They provided us with objective information on market conditions and negotiated for the necessary protections on our lease to ensure there will be no hidden surprises in the future. Their attention to detail and commitment to our satisfaction with every aspect of the transaction was critical to getting the necessary corporate endorsement from Hughes Aircraft.
I will not hesitate to recommend Paul and John to my business associates and look forward to working with them in the future.
Sincerely,
Eastern Regional Manager
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SUPPORT, INC.
Our company has been settled in our new headquarters for a few months now, and I want to express my belated appreciation for the professionalism, patience, and expert advice we received from John Duffy and Paul DeFilippes.
While we had been in Silver Spring for several years, John and Paul were extremely thorough in re-educating us to the current Silver Spring market. Their hard work, local knowledge, market data, and diligence enabled us to obtain very favorable lease terms and a highly satisfactory "deal."
I would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone interested in relocation.
Very truly yours,
President
EASON, ALIBRANDO & JOLMA
I am writing this letter to express my appreciation for the excellent aid provided by Paul DeFilippes during the recent extensive search and subsequent negotiations for our new office space.
Paul's help in all phases of this effort have aided us in obtaining what we believe to be the best possible deal in a first class office building. He put in many long hours during our extended search and even more extended negotiations, providing us with a fairly extensive education on commercial real estate availability in our area of search as well as updating us on the practices of landlords in the current market. With this invaluable aid, our task would have been undoubtedly tougher and we would not have come to as good a result in the lease we did.
Sincerely,
Partner
GOODMAN & McALLISTER
I would like to commend Mr. Paul DeFilippes for the professional job he performed on our behalf in successfully negotiating the lease for our new space at the Apex Building in Bethesda.
His dedication to finding us suitable space, at excellent terms, is greatly appreciated by everyone in our firm as we get settled into our new offices.
We will certainly look forward to working with him again when we need to services of a leasing agent.
Very truly yours,
Partner
SIMPSON & EHRLICH, P.A.
We recently signed a lease on new office space in the Bethesda Hampden Square Building. Paul DeFilippes of your office represented us in the lease transaction. He also enabled us to cut through the market to find the building we liked the most in the least amount of time.
Paul has all the prerequisites of a top-notch real estate agent. He is smart, diligent, knows the market; and is always available. But what I really liked about Paul goes beyond the usual prerequisites: He is a real person, not a salesperson. I do not mean to criticize salespeople – let's face it, we all have something to sell – but Paul never tried to "sell" us. He represented us, and frankly we really appreciate what he did for us.
I would not hesitate to recommend Paul or your group to anyone looking for office space in the area.
Sincerely,
Partner
RMG TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
I am writing this letter to express my appreciation to John Duffy for the services provided in connection with the sale of the McCormick Drive property. In particular, to convey to you my highest regard for the efforts put forth by John Duffy during the sale of the property and leasing of Forbes Blvd. I found John Duffy's ability to negotiate key business contract terms to be especially helpful throughout the process.
I look forward to working with you firm in the future.
Sincerely,
Vice President of Finance
USER TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATES, INC.
I have written you in regards to one of your associates. It is on his behalf that I would like to take a couple minutes of your time to express UTA's appreciation as well as my own.
John Duffy has been instrumental in UTA's lease negotiations for the better part of two years. He has spent a tremendous amount of time education those involved at UTA in the basics of commercial real estate and the current market conditions. He provided the information necessary to make sound decisions that will protect UTA's future. John has sat with us and dogmatically taken every aspect of each deal and formed strategies and tactics that would enable us to reach our goals. With his understanding of what is takes to do business in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and his innovative thinking, John has on many occasions provided the solutions to our more perplexing problems. He has never failed to protect our interest and continually alerts us to potential problem areas or deals in the market place that might be beneficial to UTA. He has reacted to our short-fused problems immediately, and more importantly, he has been very successful at satisfying our demands in these limited time frames. It has been John who has volunteered to be the buffer whenever there might be contention, or just a sensitive situation that required an experience negotiator. John's genuine interest in our projects even found him walking our office spaces with me during the construction stage to ensure that things were proceeding according to plans. In cost savings alone, our relationship with John has been a rich and rewarding one.
My appreciation for John is only surpassed by my respect for him as a true professional in his field. You have done well to surround yourself with associates like John. Because of this, I continue, without reservation, to recommend John Duffy to all my colleagues. We at UTA look forward to a long and prosperous relationship for both our companies.
Sincerely,
Manager, Purchasing/Facilities Department
SMOLEN & PLEVY P.C.
John Duffy - Now that our negotiations have finally come to a conclusion, and we have in fact signed a lease for the Fairfax Square Complex, I wanted to write you a brief note of thanks.
Although the commercial real estate market has opened up quite a bit over the last several months and there has been ample commercial space for lease, it was only through your assistance and presentations that we were able to make sense out of all of the options and proposals. After receipt of all letters of proposals from prospective lessors, it was only upon consultation with yourself that we were able to compare apples to apples. There is no doubt that your contribution was significant. Although our spaces needs might have seemed small in comparison to larger tenants to the lessors, your insistence, negotiating skills, and assistance was always there as if we were the largest tenant for any particular building, or for that matter, your only client. We sincerely appreciate the quality of your help.
Please feel free to provide my name and phone number to any prospective clients as a referral. I sincerely hope that the New Year brings you many successful negotiations in the future.
Very truly yours,
Partner
COMPDATA SERVICES CORPORATION
Mr. Duffy – Now that we have had a chance to settle into our new location, I wanted to take the opportunity to thank you for your efforts. With your help, Compdata was able to relocate to its new locations under terms that were agreeable to both us and our new landlord. You took the time to understand our needs, which were somewhat unconventional, and also understand our decision-making criteria. I believe your effectiveness in a communicating our negotiable and non-negotiable points with our landlord was instrumental in "closing the deal" in the limited time available. I know you worked long and hard on our account and I appreciate that.
I also want to thank you for your forthrightness and evenhandedness throughout all of our dealings. I always felt that you were looking out for our interests but at the same time being totally objective as to what was reasonable and was not. I believe that was also critical to success of this transaction. It sure would be nice if more people in the commercial real estate business had your long term perspective.
Good luck in your future business dealings. The next time that I make a facility transaction, you can count on a call from me.
Sincerely,
President
DBA SYSTEMS, INC.
Now that our lease negotiations with Equitable have been successfully concluded, I wanted to take a moment to thank John Duffy and Bob Priest for their assistance and wise counsel. Without question, the lease terms they were able to persuade Equitable to accept were far better than we would have obtained on our own. It was also an educational as well as a pleasant experience for me to work with two real professionals and great guys. When the need again arises for commercial estate services, be assured that I will be in touch.
I wish you continued success as you go forward. Please feel free to use DBA Systems, Inc. or me as a reference should it suit your purpose.
Best personal regards,
Director of Security
MAGINNIS AND ASSOCIATES
Mr. Duffy – I just returned from our new Bethesda, Maryland office where we held an open house for our client, the National Association for Retired Federal Employees. The executive staff of NARFE was just as impressed as we were with how well our new space turned out. While there was never really an doubt, it was certainly confirmed this week that we made the right decision in choosing the Hampton Square building.
I personally appreciated the time and energies you exhibited in helping us analyze the various locations. It wasn't always easy particularly since we had quite a distance between us and had to rely on the telephone and Fax machines for the majority of our communications.
While I certainly don't anticipate our real estate needs to change over the next few years, you can be assured that if they do we will be in touch.
Sincerely,
Vice President
CGI SYSTEMS, INC.
Mr. Duffy – This is to express the gratitude of CGI Systems, Inc., for the outstanding service which you have provided to us over the past year. I personally appreciate your integrity and professionalism, your valuable, experienced knowledge of commercial office leasing in general and the Washington market in particular, your attention to detail and your excellent follow-up during the past year on the multitude of issues which affected our relocation.
From the point last year when you began patiently to help us understand our requirements and the alternatives available to us, through looking at property all over northern Virginia, dealing effectively with our formed landlord, space planning, lease negotiations, walk-throughs and many other issues, we found ourselves two weeks ago relocated to completely satisfactory new office space at an ideal location, and virtually without problems. It is remarkable to me that any business event as complicated and disruptive as office relocation – involving so many parties and potential pitfalls – could have turned out to be such a positive experience and to have successfully taken place without problems. I attribute this directly to the quality of your service.
The project manager for the new Oliver Carr building to which we have just relocated mentioned to me recently how unusual you are in the leasing business – noting how conscientiously you had stayed close to every detail until after we had actually taken occupancy of our space. My observation is that your excellence and integrity would be unusual in any business. It would be a personal pleasure for me to recommend your services without qualification to anyone with a commercial real estate requirement. Thank you again for your invaluable assistance.
Sincerely yours,
Manager, Federal Region