According to John Sabourin, senior managing director withStudley in the brokerage firm's Downtown Los Angeles office, Markelrequired the additional space to accommodate its growing businessand planned growth through acquisition. Sabourin and Scott Katcher,corporate managing director in the Studley's Downtown office,represented Markel.

Sabourin says that Markel also chose the space for its locationnear the Ventura Freeway and the Westfield Promenade shoppingcenter. In addition, the space is in Tower I of the Warner CenterTowers, which recently was upgraded and renovated.

The insurance firm, which had previously occupied 15,000 sf inthe Warner Gateway in Woodland Hills, is a subsidiary of publiclyheld Markel Corp., an international property and casualty insuranceholding company headquartered in Richmond, VA. Markel sellsspecialty insurance products and programs to a variety of nichemarkets such as children's camps, bed and breakfasts, smallmuseums, private schools, child care centers, social serviceagencies and martial arts schools.