Strategic Financial Group's new space is in the 515 S. FlowerSt. portion of City National Plaza, one of two 51-story officetowers at the 2.7-million-sf complex. Kerrigan says that StrategicFinancial sought the new space to help accommodate long-term growthfor the 40-year-old Northwestern Mutual unit, which providesfinancial services and products such as life insurance, disabilityinsurance, long-term care, investments, estate analysis andemployee benefits.

Some 200 Strategic Financial staffers will occupy two and a halffloors at the 515 S. Flower St. offices. In addition to itsDowntown expansion, Strategic Financial plans to open a new officein West Los Angeles this summer and has expanded in other westernmarkets as well in recent years, including growth in Irvine and LasVegas.

The first Northwestern Mutual office opened in Los Angeles in1900, and SFG/Los Angeles today is one of the largest of the 350Northwestern Mutual offices across the country. Northwestern MutualFinancial Network is the marketing name for the sales anddistribution arm of the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co.