TActorCharlieSheen MartySinger bySalemPHotographyhe Beverly Hills Bar Association, currently celebrating its 80th Anniversary and renowned as a leader the legal profession and an advocate for justice in the community, has leased 9,500 square feet of office space in the iconic Rolex building, one of the most prestigious addresses in Beverly Hills, located at 9420 Wilshire Boulevard on the corner of Canon Drive.

See pix to right by Lee Salem Photography: Actor Charlie Sheen was one of many celebrities honoring attorney Marty Singer, who was named 2012 Entertainment Lawyer of the Year by the Beverly Hills Bar Association at a dinner on April 18, at the Beverly Hills Hotel

The bar association, which recently moved into new headquarters after signing an 11-year lease with extension options, occupies the building’s entire 7,500-square-foot second floor as well as 2,000 square feet in the basement, where the organization has set up its printing and video operations. A ribbon cutting at the new office is set for Wednesday, June 27, 2012, at 4 pm, followed by its “80th Anniversary Celebration Party in the Park” at 5:30 pm at the Beverly Canon Gardens in Beverly Hills, featuring food, fun, music in honor of this milestone in the BHBA’s history.

6.27 BHBA LeeSalemPhotographyThis marks the organization’s first move in 42 years, during which time it was located on South Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills. The new space, which features state-of-the-art technology and is considerably larger the bar’s previous location, represents a transformational next step for the reputation, image and work of the Beverly Hills Bar Association and Bar Foundation. It offers a private members’ lounge, flexible meeting rooms guest offices, conference room rentals and much more.

“It has been a landmark year for the Beverly Hills Bar Association with our 80th anniversary and the move to our new office,” states BHBA President Lawrence Jacobson. “We are celebrating 80 years of dedicated service to our members and the community, during which time the organization has grown from humble roots to become one of the preeminent bar associations in the nation with members from around the globe.”

“We are particularly pleased to move into beautiful and spacious new headquarters during this anniversary year,” says BHBA Executive Director Marc Staenberg, who spearheaded efforts over the past five years to locate new office space. “The Beverly Hills Bar Association outgrew its old office physically and technologically years ago. But our members were adamant that the organization remain in Beverly Hills, as opposed to move to another Westside location. So we concentrated on finding affordable space there that would meet our needs.

WSharon Stone-Marty Singer-KellyPreston andJohn Travolta byLeeSalemPhotographye were very fortunate to lock in an extremely favorable rate for the space in the Rolex Building, which satisfied every condition we had and also has convenient and affordable parking nearby for our members, who regularly frequent the offices. Our members are among the top in their fields and the BHBA can now provide them with facilities that reflect that. There has always been great pride among our membership in the Beverly Hills Bar Association and its good works, and this further enhances it.”

See photo by Lee Salem photography: Sharon Stone; Marty Singer, 2012 Entertainment Lawyer of the Year; Kelly Preston; and John Travolta.

The urgent need for expanded space was the result of the BHBA’s extraordinary growth in recent years. Over the past eight years alone, its membership increased from 2,000 to 5,400, the number of programs it presents both for its members and the community at large doubled from 100 to 200 annually, and its staff grew from 14 to 18 people.

Of particular importance in the new space are large flexible meeting rooms with capacity to accommodate the growing audiences at the Beverly Hills Bar Association’s numerous Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) programs, which are a major part of the BHBA’s membership benefits. The California State Bar Association mandates that all attorneys licensed in the state take 36 hours of approved continuing legal education classes every three years. The Beverly Hills Bar Association currently offers members more than 200 symposiums, lectures and panel discussions each year on up-to-the-moment issues in more than 15 fields of law that members can take to fulfill this requirement.

6.27 BHBA9420 Wilshire BlvdPreviously the BHBA held two-thirds of its MCLE programs off site, substantially increasing the meetings’ costs for the association and its members. That figure is projected to now flip with two-thirds of the MCLA programs slated to be on-site in the association’s sizable new meeting room, which features cutting edge video and audio equipment. A kitchen facility, lacking in the old space, also enables meetings to be catered in house.

“Thanks to our forward thinking leadership and the commitment of our members, the Beverly Hills Bar Association has the space to continue growing as it heads into the next eight decades,” notes Staenberg.

Tickets to the “80th Anniversary Celebration Party in the Park” are $80. Beverly Canon Gardens is located at 241 North Canon Drive in Beverly Hills. Proceeds from the event support the Beverly Hills Bar Association’s education and community outreach programs. For tickets and information, please call (310) 601-2422 or visit www.bhba.org.

NEW BHBA ADDRESS/PHONE NUMBER:
Beverly Hills Bar Association
9420 Wilshire Boulevard, 2nd Floor
Beverly Hills, CA 90212-3169
(310) 601-2422 (phone number did not change)
www.bhba.org