The firm is also the first to prelease at the building. Orrick Herrington, relying on the representation of Newmark Knight Frank's Pat Nalls and Aaron Katz, signed a 15-year commitment with property owner MR Post LLC, which was represented by project developer Monument Realty. Financial details of the deal and the going rate for space in the building are not being disclosed. According to Cushman & Wakefield's Year-End 2005 MarketBeat Series report, the average rental rate for class A office space in the city's central business district is $46.71 per sf.

With the address of 1152 15th St., Columbia Center will sit next to the Washington Post building and just a few blocks from the White House. The 12-story, freestanding tower was designed by Hickok Cole Architects and features 4,500 sf of ground-level retail space and a fitness facility; the property will also offer a three-level underground parking structure.

For Orrick Herrington, the lease will allow the company to relocate from its current Georgetown locale in the Washington Harbour office and retail complex. Speaking about Columbia Center and the firm's impending relocation, Orrick Herrington partner-in-charge Felicia Graham says, "It is in the exact center of the business districts and will be a catalyst for the renewal." James G. Davis Construction Corp. is serving as the general contractor on the $140-million project, which is scheduled to reach completion around the end of the summer of 2007.