Newmark has arranged a 169,664-square-foot office lease at 51 West 52nd Street on behalf of ownership affiliates of Harbor Group International (HGI), bringing the Midtown Manhattan office tower to full occupancy. The transaction involves international law firm Alston & Bird LLP, which has committed to a long-term presence at the property as it consolidates and relocates its New York offices.
Alston & Bird has signed a 15-year lease and will move from its current New York location at 90 Park Avenue. Under the new agreement, the firm is slated to occupy floors nine through 15 at 51W52, positioning its New York office operations within the fully leased tower. The deal underscores the ongoing leasing activity by large professional services tenants in Midtown Manhattan trophy assets.
The leasing effort at 51W52 was led by a Newmark team that serves as the building’s agency representatives. Executive vice chairman Howard Hersch, vice chairmen Greg Conen and Scott Klau, executive managing director Erik Harris and managing directors Jennifer Schreiber and Zach Weil represented the ownership affiliates of HGI in negotiations for the transaction. Their assignment covered marketing the space and securing a tenant for the multi-floor block that Alston & Bird will now occupy.
On the tenant side, Savills advised Alston & Bird throughout the leasing process. Savills professionals Brad Walk, Matthew Barlow, David Goldstein, Joseph Learner, Matthew Brainard and Laura Whelan represented the law firm in structuring and finalizing the 15-year commitment at 51W52. The dual-agency structure highlighted the role of brokerage firms in matching institutional ownership with global professional tenants in Midtown’s office market.
HGI chairman and CEO Jordan E. Slone noted that the lease brings the firm’s flagship property, 51W52, to a fully leased status and emphasized the quality of the tenant roster at the tower. He characterized the tenancy profile as a group of prominent users aligned with the building’s prestige. Slone also cited the building’s performance as support for HGI’s confidence in the resilience of the New York office market, particularly for top-tier trophy properties in prime locations.
With Alston & Bird committing to multiple floors on a long-term basis, 51W52 now stands as a fully occupied Midtown Manhattan office tower. The completed lease-up, achieved through agency representation by Newmark and tenant advisory services by Savills, underlines continued demand from major law firms and other professional organizations for space in high-profile Manhattan office assets.
