Commercial real estate services firm Lee & Associates has hired Joe Vargas as national adviser for its investment services group.

Vargas was formerly a West Region President at Cushman & Wakefield, where he held several executive positions over the past 17 years.

Vargas was previously employed by Lee in 1991, as the president of its South Bay office in Los Angeles. Before that, he was a vice president at Grubb & Ellis in its South Bay office.

Lee & Associates is headquartered in Los Angeles, with 45 locations nationwide.