LA-based Lee & Associates is setting up shop in Seattle, with local industry vet Jim Bowles (center) leading its new office here. Joining Bowles in the office are Richard Peterson (left) and his son, Chris Peterson. The goal will be to build a broad-based regional operation doing office, industrial, retail leasing and sales, and multifamily and investment sales.

Bowles will be president of Northwest Lee & Associates. Over the course of his career, he's worked for Cushman & Wakefield, CBRE and Kidder Mathews. Richard Peterson founded Puget Sound Properties, eventually building the firm to more than 40 brokers in three offices. He also previously worked for Kidder.

Lee & Associates has been in an expansion mode recently. In the last two years, the company opened offices in Walnut Creek, CA; Minneapolis; Pasadena, CA; Vancouver, BC; Eastern Pennsylvania; Cleveland and Columbus, OH; and Houston.