Heading up the division is Victor Ivry of Ivry Retail Group, a real estate consultancy for growing retailers that he formed in 1987. His clients include Expressly Portraits, Site for Sore Eyes, Game Gallery, Naturally Yogurt, Pacific Pipe Co., Pictures Plus and Loard's Ice Cream. In 2001, he also did a stint as an executive of President Tuxedo, helping the retailer open 35 new stores in the Bay Area.

Mohr's Palo Alto-based managing partner Robin Leamy tells GlobeSt.com that the launching of a retail division is partly driven by some client requests and "also driven by the fact that there's a niche that we feel we can exploit that has been under serviced."

Given that, Leamy says that although Ivry brings clients to the table, "we view it as more of a start-up operation with a good running start from Victor's background." Indeed, although Ivry will be working out of the Palo Alto office and starting with a regional focus, Leamy says there is "a national agenda" at play.