In The News

March 29, 2004
For Immediate Release

HINKLE ELKOURI LAW FIRM
RELOCATING EAST OFFICE T0
WILSON ESTATES OFFICE PARK

Move Represents Major Expansion for 2nd Largest Wichita Law Firm

(WICHITA, KS) – Hinkle Elkouri Law Firm has announced it will relocate the firm’s east Wichita office to the Candlewood Hotel building at 8621 East 21st Street in Wilson Estates Office Park, which will be renamed the Hinkle Elkouri Law Firm building. The announcement is made jointly by Paul Jackson, president of Vantage Point Properties, Inc. and developer of Wilson Estates Office Park, and David Elkouri, co-managing director of Hinkle Elkouri. The new office will open mid-summer.

Currently located at Building I in the Polo Club Office Park, Hinkle Elkouri’s east office will more than double its space, increasing from 5,000 to nearly 12,400-sq. ft. The firm will occupy the north wing of the second floor of the Wilson Estates Office Park building. According to David Elkouri, the new space will accommodate the Real Estate and Bankruptcy groups moving from the current east office, as well as the Trust & Family Business Planning group moving from the firm’s downtown location in the Epic Center at 301 North Main. “We are excited to be able to provide our wealth management clients walk-up parking at the premier east side location for office, retail and housing,” Elkouri stated. “Given our firm’s heavy involvement in the entire Wilson Estates development, it is only natural that we expand our east office in this location.”

A total of ten attorneys and five support staff will office at the new location. Attorneys currently officing east and moving to the new location include Michael Herd, Jack Stallings, J. Scott Pohl, John Pearson and Trevor Wohlford. Attorneys moving from Hinkle Elkouri’s Epic Center office include Dan Peare, Hugh Gill, Donna Bohn and Kari Coultis of the Trust & Family Business Planning group, and Dale Ward of the firm’s Corporate group. Elkouri added that the firm anticipates continued growth for both the east and downtown offices.

While the move represents a major expansion and increased presence for Hinkle Elkouri on the east side of town, Elkouri stated that they remain firmly committed to the core area. “Downtown will continue to be our main office and we want to underscore our long standing commitment to the Epic Center and downtown Wichita,” he said. “The core area offers excellent proximity to key legal and business resources and we look forward to a continued strong presence there. In addition, we think having a vital downtown is important to any community and we look forward to playing a continued role in the resurgence of Wichita’s core area,” Elkouri added. Practice groups remaining downtown are Corporate, Municipal Finance, Employee Benefits, Taxation and Litigation. Hinkle Elkouri leases the 20th, 21st and 22nd floors of the city’s tallest building. The firm has been located there since 1989 and recently executed a fifteen year extension to its lease as well as completed extensive remodeling.

According to Paul Jackson, Hinkle Elkouri is viewed as an anchor tenant for the Class A office park. “This is a firm with an outstanding reputation and significant client base,” Jackson said. “Their presence at Wilson Estates Office Park will add a new service dimension and enhance our position as east Wichita’s premier office park.” Lease negotiations were handled by Jackson and Marty Gilchrist of J.P. Weigand & Sons.

Hinkle Elkouri was founded in 1987 and has been the fastest growing major firm in the city for the last 15 years. The firm represents a diverse client base including private and publicly-held businesses, major financial institutions, municipal governments and administrative bodies throughout Kansas and the southwest. Hinkle Elkouri currently has 34 lawyers and a support staff of approximately 60 including legal assistants and accountants.

A development of Vantage Point Properties, Wilson Estates Office Park is a 25-acre campus-style office park located on 21st Street just east of Bradley Fair Parkway. Ground was broken for the project in 1997. Since that time, the park has grown rapidly, offering 216,000 sq. ft. of office space that is 91% leased. The park is home to more than 30 businesses including Columbian Title Company, Capitol Federal Savings, Central Bank & Trust, World Savings, Morgan Stanley, New England Financial, Smith Barney, Charles Schwab, Martin & Churchill, Kutak Rock, Cozen O’Connor and Preferred Health Systems. Wilson Estates Office Park features more than 10 acres of landscaped lakes, walkways and water features, and is located just steps from Wichita’s premier lifestyle shopping center, Bradley Fair. For more information on Wilson Estates Office Park and other Vantage Point Properties visit www.vantagepointproperties.com.