Our Southfield office opened in January of 1997 to serve our existing clients with operations in Southeast Michigan and to expand our practice into that area's growing international market. The Southfield office is staffed by more 25 attorneys with broad experience in automotive, corporate transactions, international, tax, trusts and estates, real estate, securities and litigation.
The office is technologically linked with our other four offices to take advantage of the intellectual capital of the entire firm. The Southfield office is convenient to both suburban living and the commercial and cultural opportunities of the City of Detroit. We are actively seeking associates and summer associates to practice in our Southfield office.
Southfield is full of opportunity. General Motors' recent move to the downtown Renaissance Center, the stadiums and casinos planned for downtown Detroit and the opportunities presented by Detroit's federal Empowerment Zone designation have all created renewed optimism and activity in the downtown area, while growth and development continue to be strong in the surrounding suburbs. New interest in global markets by suppliers of both goods and services makes the metropolitan Detroit area a natural outlet for the extension of our international practice. We are uniquely positioned to bring the professional and technical resources of the entire firm to bear for client service of this area, while maintaining the collegial atmosphere and values that have been our hallmark.
The continuing cultural rebirth of Detroit, which includes a world class symphony and the Michigan Opera Theater in its newly renovated opera house, as well as a wide variety of museums, theaters, sporting events and restaurants, provides the advantages of a major metropolitan area while still in reasonable proximity to affordable housing in a variety of communities.