Jones Lang LaSalle was formed by the 1999 merger of LaSalle Partners Incorporated and Jones Lang Wootton. Building on Jones Lang Wootton’s international strengths in Europe and Asia Pacific and LaSalle’s depth in North America and its position as a leader in real estate investment management services, Jones Lang LaSalle brings together two organizations with rich histories of client service.

The former Jones Lang Wootton (JLW) had its beginning in 1783, when Richard Winstanley established business as an auctioneer in Paternoster Row. In 1806, Winstanley was joined by his son James, who continued the practice.

By 1840, James Winstanley had formed a partnership with James Jones, who moved the business to King Street hard by Guildhall in 1860. The firm that became Jones Lang Wootton retained a presence in that street for over a hundred years. James Jones' son, Frederick, took over the King Street practice, on his father’s retirement renaming the firm Frederick Jones and Co. With Frederick Jones’ retirement in 1872, the firm became Jones Lang and Co with C.A. Lang as the sole partner and the first of three generations of Langs to serve the firm. In 1939 this firm merged with Wootton and Son (founded 1892) to become Jones Lang Wootton and Sons.

In 1945 the City of London remained devastated by the bombing and fires of World War II. With records destroyed and confusion over boundaries and ownership, JLW set about the complex task of locating the owners of small land parcels. By combining these small parcels of land and securing contracts for leasing and/or purchase, JLW was able to secure licenses for development. At the same time, it was also achieving agency appointments for large tracts of the City.

Agreements were reached allowing Jones Lang Wootton to take responsibility for any subsequent development and leasing. Thus when London started to be rebuilt in 1954, Jones Lang Wootton found itself in a unique position. Its first big success came with Barrington House in Gresham Street, followed by much of all the new speculative development across the City of London and key locations in the West End.

Jones Lang Wootton began its global expansion in 1957, when Ronald Collier who had emigrated to Australia, visited London and asked Jack Hughes if the partnership would support him. “Outlook favorable but problems formidable,” the senior partner reported. Although there was no investment market in Australia, the potential was clearly enormous. Jones Lang Wootton established offices in Sydney and Melbourne in 1958. Six years later, there were 22 partners and a staff of 300 in Australia. Working from this base, the firm opened offices in New Zealand, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong and Tokyo and continued to spread across the Southeast Asian and Pacific regions.

In a logical next step JLW extended its activities into Scotland in 1962, into Ireland in 1965 and into continental Europe from its secure and influential position in Great Britain. The first office on the continent opened in Brussels in 1965, followed by other key European business centers including Holland, France and Germany. In addition, quick to recognize the potential opportunities provided by political changes in central and eastern Europe, JLW opened offices in Budapest, Prague and Warsaw and extended its services across the whole region.

While Jones Lang Wootton was expanding into Europe, LaSalle Partners was founded in 1968 as IDC Real Estate in El Paso, Texas. From the start, IDC’s founders believed they could do business more effectively than competitors by serving clients more professionally than was customary at the time. This strategy remained the key factor behind the success and growth of LaSalle Partners.

Driven by its vision, IDC quickly outgrew its local and regional markets for commercial real estate transactions and investment services. In 1972 its headquarters were relocated to Chicago and in 1977 IDC changed its name to LaSalle Partners.

LaSalle Partners grew rapidly during the 1970s and 1980s by expanding both its client base and its range of activities as circumstances and market opportunities presented themselves. In expanding each of its businesses, the company followed a similar pattern—identify a client need, tackle it aggressively and more professionally than anyone else, and build an initial relationship or assignment into an ongoing business.

During this time, Jones Lang Wootton continued its expansion by tapping into the enormous potential of North America, where it opened a New York office in 1975. Early growth came through the successful penetration of Midtown and Downtown New York, where thorough analysis of the market paid handsome dividends to those who followed its forecasts. The increasing flow of British, Middle Eastern and Asian money into the United States opened up opportunities for JLW to meet the needs of many foreign investors in coming to terms with different market practices and methods, valuation techniques, management functions and professional standards.

A strong foundation enabled both LaSalle Partners and Jones Lang Wootton to withstand change while providing new opportunities during the 1990s for expansion and growth. LaSalle completed five strategic acquisitions in the late 1990s including: Alex Brown Kleinwort Benson Realty Advisors Corporation, a real estate investment advisor, in November 1994; CIN Property Management Limited, a London-based investment advisor, in October 1996; the Galbreath Company, a property and development management company, in April 1997; and the project management business of the Satulah Group Inc., a project management/facilities conversion company, in January 1998. In October 1998 LaSalle acquired COMPASS Management and Leasing, Inc., the fourth-largest management services firm in the industry and a recognized leader in the facility management business, and the U.S. retail property management business of Lend Lease Real Estate Investments, Inc. In addition, in July 1997 LaSalle Partners Incorporated completed its initial public offering of the company’s common stock.