New York-Leading professional firms in such fields as law, accounting, advertising, public relations, investment banking and design know their clients well, and their workplaces show it. For Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher, an award-winning public relations firm specializing in strategic financial communications and investor relations, the commission it awarded to BR Design Associates was for its one-floor, 27,000-square-foot New York office. It functions as a dignified, serene, and well-tailored corporate setting where boards of directors could deal with activist investors or senior executives could map out M&A strategy. That is exactly what awaits employees and clients. In what could easily be a Fortune 500 company’s headquarters, BR Design has conceived a contemporary environment.The space comprises a reception area resembling a university club lounge, handsome perimeter offices and conference rooms enclosed in floor-to-ceiling glass, simple open workstations discreetly bordered by frosted-glass-topped partitions,and aninformal pantry suited to lively give and take conversations, all encircled by stunning views of the New York skyline. As could be expected, every design detail has received close attention. The careful zoning of activities, the selection of quality materials and classic modern furnishings ensure the facility can perform as flawlessly as the firm itself.