MIAMI—Three years after entering the Miami market, McDonald Hopkins is expanding at the tower that many of the area's law firms call home. McDonald inked a new lease deal for 12,600 square feet of office space at the Southeast Financial Center, growing its footprint in Downtown Miami office tower by 8,700 square feet.

Southeast Financial Center has posted strong leasing gains in the past 12 months, forcing current tenants to lock in additional office space for future growth before it leases up. The tower has over 1 million of its 1.225 million square feet of office space. The building is home to 26 law firms, 14 of which are listed on the 2013 National Law Journal list of top 350 law firms.

“The last couple of years have not only provided an economic stabilization but a resurgence within the area, and professional services firms have benefited greatly from this increase,” says Donald Cartwright, senior vice president with JLL. Cartwright and JLL vice president Nicole Vassilaros are the exclusive leasing agents for Southeast Financial Center.

When McDonald first arrived in Miami, the firm pointed to a strong boost in company revenues and the region's economic strength as factors in its decision to open an office here. McDonald leased just shy of 4,000 square feet with the full intention of expanding over time. Jeb Bush Jr. represented McDonald in the lease negotiations.