third-quarterclosing.

"The first order of business is to try to get people doingbusiness together," John A. Gates, JLL's soon-to-be president ofbrokerage for the Americas, tells GlobeSt.com. "It's a spread-sheetexercise. It will be months in the making, but it's important toget people working together." Dallas-based Staubach has 600 localmarket brokers in more than 70 offices in the US, Canada and Mexicowhile Chicago-based JLL has 100 local market brokers in its 54offices in the US, Canada and Latin America.

In terms of space, Staubach leases 475,000 sf in its markets andJLL, 720,000 sf. When the shifting is done, Gates says "the neteffect on net absorption should be pretty neutral." Local markettenant rep teams will be pulled together based on theirspecialties. But, the logistics decision also will weigh leaseexpirations, expansion capabilities and locations.