Our Work

Delivering Great
Real Estate Strategies & Results for Our
Life Science Clients

At HM Science, we evaluate the distinct needs of your organization to develop a successful real estate strategy that suits your objectives.

With over three decades of experience in the life science sector, we are solely dedicated to serve biotech companies in all aspects of commercial real estate, from needs assessment and lab planning, leasing, renewing, expanding, subleasing, buying a building, or building a lab space or biotech campus from the ground-up.

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Delivering Excellence

HM Science Case Studies

We are proud to have represented a vast number of diverse life science clients, including pharmaceutical developers and manufacturers, pathology specialists, research scientists, and many more. The following case studies illustrate a small sampling of our work.

BioLegend

Client Situation

As a global developer and manufacturer of antibodies and regents used in biomed research, BioLegend was rapidly growing rapidly, with operations in multiple countries and needed to expand their corporate headquarters and increase research labs, office space and order fulfillment beyond its original footprint

HM Science Results

Our team was able to identify a new 8-acre location for their new campus in a highly coveted area, and represented BioLegend in the purchase of a four building campus
The four-year build-to-suit project was completed in several phases
The campus includes a 70-foot tall atrium, a pedestrian bridge, event space, creative landscaping, a 500-person multi-purpose room and a seven story parking garage

Project Details

CLIENT
BioLegend

INDUSTRY
Biotech

SQUARE FEET
250,000

SERVICES PROVIDED

Owner-User Representation
Build-to-Suit
Site Selection
Strategic Planning
Program, Project & Construction Management

From project inception to our grand opening celebration, Hughes Marino was with us every step of the way. The on-time/on-budget result was a magnificent state-of-the-art campus that now enables legendary discovery to scientists around the globe.

Bill Kullback

CFO, BioLegend

Excellos

Client Situation

Excellos had just raised significant capital and had immediate expansion requirements for both office and specialized labs, clean room research and production facilities

HM Science Results

Our life science specialists were able to quickly identify existing lab space that could be repurposed and negotiated free occupancy and immediate utilization of temporary space while the tenant improvements were being constructed
Our team put the former space on the market for sublease and was able to advise Excellos on a very low-cost termination of the prior 5-year 35,000 SF lease
The HM Science team negotiated the most cost-effective lab solution in the region while keeping Excellos within their preferred geography

Project Details

CLIENT
Excellos

INDUSTRY
Biotech

SQUARE FEET
36,383

SERVICES PROVIDED

Tenant Representation
Site Selection
Financial Analysis
Budget & Value Engineering
Program, Project & Construction Management

Hughes Marino helped us clarify our requirements and surveyed all of our options. Through their robust process, their team negotiated the building of our choice and preferred location to become the low-cost leader. In addition to covering most of our tenant improvement costs, they were able to negotiate the credit enhancement requirements down to a favorable level. They also negotiated a year of free occupancy so we could move into a portion of the premises now in order to meet our immediate expansion requirements. Hughes Marino provided guidance on the schedules and cost evaluations to refine our tenant improvement scope and will oversee the remodel of the new facility. We could not have pulled it all together without their collaboration and tireless support.

David Wellis

CEO, Excellos

Cellnetix

Client Situation

Cellnetix realized their existing facility could no longer accommodate their projected growth and wanted to relocate to a headquarters that would house their team all in one facility

HM Science Results

Our team of life science experts helped dispose of Cellnetix’s outdated space which had several years of term remaining and subsequently sought out a new state of the art headquarter facility that was more in line with the firm’s current and anticipated needs
The end result was a facility that housed all of CellNetix’s local operations under one roof, maximizing recruitment from within the industry and meeting all of the unique facility requirements
The HM Science team successfully negotiated one of the lowest lease rates of any lab user in Greater Seattle, and CellNetix saw a substantial reduction in rent obligation despite increasing their rentable square footage.

Project Details

CLIENT
Cellnetix

INDUSTRY
Biotech

SQUARE FEET
46,000

SERVICES PROVIDED

Tenant Representation
Relocation
Financial Analysis
Budget & Value Engineering

Hughes Marino has talented real estate negotiators, strategists and advisors and they are a pleasure to work with. They understand our future laboratory goals and objectives while keeping an eye on all of the details associated with a complex relocation assignment. We remain a loyal client of Hughes Marino and highly recommend them to anyone looking for a great tenant broker firm.

David Keihn

SVP & CFO, Cellnetix

JenaValve

Client Situation

Having raised additional capital, outgrowing the building, and not yet having FDA approval, JenaValve needed a solution to support its future without taking excess risk
The company had a few years remaining on its lease, and was looking for a solution that did not incur double rent, and had clean room and other unique operating requirements

HM Science Results

Hughes Marino identified a building with the same landlord that would allow the company to double their footprint
Hughes Marino negotiated most of the required tenant improvement capital into the new lease, as well as an early no-cost termination of the existing lease
Negotiated in 2020 during the peak of COVID, Hughes Marino was able to lock in a long-term rent structure, whereby this highly improved medical device facility now leases at prices less than warehouse tenants are paying in the area

Project Details

CLIENT
JenaValve

INDUSTRY
Medical Device

SQUARE FEET
56,900

SERVICES PROVIDED

Brokerage

Hughes Marino has represented me at multiple medical device companies where I’ve been CEO and they have been an instrumental partner in supporting our growth and understanding our requirements. They have spent the time to get to know our operational requirements and our financial goals, executing as fierce advocates on our behalf. Hughes Marino is the go-to firm in representing medical device and health care companies that have specialized requirements like ours.

John Kilcoyne

CEO, JenaValve

Vyaire Medical

Client Situation

Vyaire owned a mission critical facility for the R&D, manufacturing, repair and distribution of its ventilator product line and was looking to get liquidity from the facility sale

HM Science Results

The HM Science team did thorough research to put together an Offering Memorandum that was sent out to its extensive national network
Our team advised Vyaire on the market and pricing strategies for a sale-leaseback of the asset after a national marketing campaign
As a result of our team’s insight, vast network and successful marketing campaign, Vyaire received over 40 inquiries and a dozen offers to purchase
HM Science’s pricing recommendations were well received by the market, and Vyaire was successful in realizing the time critical proceeds from the building sale which went to other vital business uses

Project Details

CLIENT
Vyaire Medical

INDUSTRY
Medical Device

SQUARE FEET
141,181

SERVICES PROVIDED

Market Analysis & Pricing Recommendations
Sale-Leaseback
National Marketing of the Investment Opportunity
Purchase & Sale Negotiations
Due Diligence & Escrow Management
Lease Administration

Hughes Marino has proven to be our trusted partner globally for all of our real estate acquisition, disposition, renewal and lease administration services. Supporting the company in over a dozen projects throughout the United States and Europe, the leadership and support we’ve received around all of our corporate real estate has been exceptional. Their team is proactive, insightful and provides tremendous coaching for our entire senior leadership team. Their advice has always been direct and creative, always with our best interests in mind.

Martin Hales

Director, Real Estate and Facilities, Vyaire Medical

Axonics, Inc.

Client Situation

The Hughes Marino team represented Axonics in their first significant lease in 2017 for 12,000 SF
Over the course of seven years, Hughes Marino helped Axonics with a dozen expansions, renewals and relocations, matching Axonics’ real estate strategy to its operational needs as the company grew
This process ultimately led to a new 146,000 SF headquarters, physician training, research lab, FDA validated cleanroom, and a raw materials/finished goods facility
The Hughes Marino team assisted with the relocation and consolidation of four different sites into one new campus, and also led the negotiation of Axonics out of the remaining lease term at one of its locations

HM Science Results

Ever since Axonics became a 60,000 SF tenant, obtaining the right facility functionality has always been a balancing act, as the market is tight for suitable medical device space for implantable R&D and manufacturing
The Hughes Marino team was able to source options that had the landlord paying for all of the tenant improvements at critical junctures, including its specialized cleanrooms
The ultimate facility was the result of consolidating four sites together in a new campus and overseeing a $15M remodel to build Axonics’ mission critical infrastructure of labs and cleanrooms

Project Details

CLIENT
Axonics, Inc.

INDUSTRY
Medical Device

SQUARE FEET
4,000 - 146,000

SERVICES PROVIDED

Tenant Representation
Expansion Planning
Strategic Planning
Relocation Planning
Financial Analysis
Contract Negotiations
Construction Project Management
Lease Renewals

Hughes Marino has played a pivotal role in supporting Axonics with our leasing relocations, renewals and expansions for almost a decade, providing invaluable expertise and guidance, solving big and small problems. Their involvement doesn’t stop at real estate transactions, as they are actively working to reduce overall construction costs for a 146,000 SF expansion/consolidation. Their project management team has been an exceptional asset, both as a project manager and a mentor to me, ensuring that we continue to receive top-tier service and support from Hughes Marino as we embark on our next level of growth and development.

Jason Del Pilar

Facility Manager, Axonics, Inc.

La Jolla Pharmaceutical

Client Situation

Hughes Marino had represented LJPC in a number of office and lab subleases/leases for the previous five years, helping the company incrementally rebuild after a prior clinical trial failure many years before
After growing LJPC into two separate lab and office subleases, whereby LJPC was growing out of each, Hughes Marino expanded the company into a new 3-story state-of-the-art lab and office facility, with a mix of chemistry, biology and vivarium spaces

HM Science Results

Hughes Marino provided all of the site selection, negotiations, financial analysis and lease structuring services to negotiate a lease that quickly became $2.00 per square foot under market
Hughes Marino provided project management services for the design and construction to get LJPC into the new facility on time and on budget
Three years into the lease, LJPC had a change in business strategy whereby the company was sold off and Hughes Marino was able to negotiate a lease termination with BioMed Realty, through which LJPC did not have to pay any termination costs or have any contingent ongoing liability
Savings were in excess of $200,000, additionally, due to the aggressive nature of the schedule, Hughes Marino completed this very technical and complicated project on time and under budget

Project Details

CLIENT
La Jolla Pharmaceutical

INDUSTRY
Biotech / Life Science

SQUARE FEET
78,000

SERVICES PROVIDED

Location Analysis & Site Selection
Financial Analysis
Lease Buyout/Termination
Contract Negotiations
Construction Management
Relocation

Acutus Medical

Client Situation

Acutus Medical was rapidly expanding in 2021 and had a specialized 7,000 SF, FDA validated catheter manufacturing lab, making relocation difficult and expensive
Acutus Medical was also outgrowing its facility and new developments looked promising whereby they realized the possibility of doubling their footprint

HM Science Results

Hughes Marino went to market looking for alternative relocation sites, while on a parallel path of renewing and expanding in the area in order to fully develop leverage and optionality
At the end of the process, it was significantly more cost effective to renew the lease and reconfigure the office area to support additional headcount growth versus expanding
Significant free rent and tenant improvements were also negotiated on the renewal
The solution turned out to be very strategic, as the company sold its main product line to Medtronic, removing the need for expansion requirements
Combined with remote working due to COVID, the facility suited the company’s needs and ultimately, Acutus Medical discontinued its ongoing new product development
Hughes Marino helped the company sublease its excess space to two other medical device companies procured by the Hughes Marino team, resulting in all three companies being able to cost effectively share the building as Acutus Medical wound down operations

Project Details

CLIENT
Acutus Medical

INDUSTRY
Medical Device

SQUARE FEET
50,777

SERVICES PROVIDED

Needs Assessment Programming
Space Planning
Site Selection
Tenant Representation
Lease Amendment Negotiation
Subleasing

Delivering Great Real Estate Strategies & Results for Our Life Science Clients

At HM Science, we evaluate the distinct needs of your organization to develop a successful real estate strategy that suits your objectives.

HM Science Case Studies

BioLegend

Client Situation

HM Science Results

Project Details

Bill Kullback

Excellos

Client Situation

HM Science Results

Project Details

David Wellis

Cellnetix

Client Situation

HM Science Results

Project Details

David Keihn

JenaValve

Client Situation

HM Science Results

Project Details

John Kilcoyne

Vyaire Medical

Client Situation

HM Science Results

Project Details

Martin Hales

Axonics, Inc.

Client Situation

HM Science Results

Project Details

Jason Del Pilar

La Jolla Pharmaceutical

Client Situation

HM Science Results

Project Details

Acutus Medical

Client Situation

HM Science Results

Project Details

Our HM Science team has dozens of case studies and references available upon request.

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Delivering Great
Real Estate Strategies & Results for Our
Life Science Clients