Irvine... the city where it all started. The first Lee & Associates office opened in Irvine in 1979, setting a commercial real estate precedent of proven success and an unsurpassed track record. Entrepreneurialism, unmatched expertise and solid experience are the founding principals of Lee & Associates - Irvine.Today, the Lee & Associates group of companies is one of the largest commercial real estate providers with regional expertise in the United States. As a group of independently owned and operated companies, the firm currently has 55 locations across the nation.