As part of an office renovation, the well-established law firm Khani & Auerbach sought to create a “boutique setting” for its clients, emphasizing the firm’s values of personal service, focus, and long-term engagement, while also expanding its engagement with the thriving arts scene in its Hollywood, Florida, community.

“A majority of our work is residential real estate law, and clients come here, daily, for transactions,” explains attorney Khila L. Khani, who owns the firm with partner Jay E. Auerbach and is herself a digital photographic artist.

“In addition to just enjoying the art on the walls, we recognized that some of the folks will need art for their newly purchased homes, and realized we had an opportunity not only to put my pieces on the wall, but to pull in other artists.

"We’d been here over 20 years and had only done minimal changes to the interior design; we figured it was time to do what we’ve been dreaming of doing.”

As they considered their options, the partners realized that several areas and corridors in their office had walls that could potentially serve as gallery areas.

Lighting in those areas was an issue, however, as was the need to ensure that works could be switched easily — especially because, rather than having wholesale exhibit changeovers, the plan was to swap out individual works as they were sold.

These concerns were addressed with an Original Gallery System art hanging system, including integrated lighting. “The system is fantastic, the way it displays the art in such a clean fashion; we really liked having the flexibility of the lighting option,” noted Khani. “And, I’m able to put all the pictures up myself, with no one else there.”

At the same time, Khani & Auerbach's conference room (below) was updated with both a painting and surrounding wall graphics by noted South Florida artist Ruben Ubiera, whose mural work is featured in Hollywood’s downtown art district.

Khani & Auerbach’s renovated offices now proudly feature the Art of Law Gallery, as part of an “update with the future squarely in mind,” says Khani. The firm's home page makes it a differentiator: "We create a warm, welcoming environment — from our calming art-filled office to the way we advocate for our clients."

The gallery has hosted many successful events, including Metamorphosis 2024, which featured works by Khani and several other area artists, and the formal unveiling of "Sunlit Justice," a public art project on the office’s façade by Ivan Roque.

Roque’s work helps tie the office to Hollywood’s nearby culturally active downtown area, where the city’s ArtsPark and Art & Culture Center are focal points of ArtWalks on the third Saturday of each month. “We’re fortunate to have a downtown that supports the arts, and we’re trying pull it a little further west,” says Khani. “Building our community connection is a nice after-effect of having the displays.”

Khani’s own photography explores many different visual approaches, from highly detailed images of people and interiors to more abstract shots that evoke different moods. “Sometimes I’ll photograph reflections or shoot through a crystal ball; some are more like freeze frames,” she says. “I also enjoy creating something ethereal and different by layering and stitching different images and using processing techniques.”

She also recently published a book, War on War, based on photos taken over a 10-year period of series of soldier figurines strategically placed amidst diverse natural landscapes — “a poignant exploration of war and its powerful juxtaposition with nature.”

Photos by Khila L. Khani, copyright reserved