Highwoods Properties Expands Relationship With INC Research

Highwoods Properties, Inc. (NYSE: HIW), the largest owner and operator of suburban office properties in the Southeast, today announced that it has expanded its relationship with INC Research ^®, Inc., a therapeutically focused contract research organization that conducts global clinical development programs. INC Research, which currently has 58,000 square feet under a long-term lease at 4800 North Park, another Highwoods owned property in Raleigh, has signed a second long-term lease for an additional 60,000 square feet at Highwoods Tower II.

Ed Fritsch, President and CEO of Highwoods stated, “We are pleased INC Research has chosen to expand its relationship with Highwoods and relocate a significant piece of its operations into another one of our properties. We value our relationship with INC Research and their distinguished management team and look forward to serving them for many years to come. Also, congratulations to our Raleigh team for their hard work in strengthening our relationship with INC Research.”

Jim Ogle, CEO of INC Research said, “We remain committed to the state of North Carolina as the location of our global headquarters and look forward to continued growth not only in Raleigh but across our worldwide footprint at a rate that is supported by our customers’ requirements. We are pleased to have worked with the Highwoods team to find a property that effectively meets the business needs of our organization.”

About INC Research ^® Inc.

INC Research is a therapeutically focused contract research organization with a high performance reputation for conducting global clinical development programs of the highest integrity. Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies look to INC Research for a complete range of customized Phase I through Phase IV programs in therapeutic areas of specialty, and in innovative pediatric and women’s health trials. The company’s The Trusted Process ^® methodology and therapeutic foresight leads customers to more confident, better-informed drug and device development decisions. INC Research is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina. For more information please visit www.incresearch.com.

About Highwoods Properties

Highwoods Properties, Inc., a member of the S&P MidCap 400 Index, is a fully integrated, self-administered real estate investment trust (“REIT”) that provides leasing, management, development, construction and other customer-related services for its properties and for third parties. At March 31, 2010, the Company owned or had an interest in 378 in-service office, industrial and retail properties encompassing approximately 35.7 million square feet. Highwoods also owned 581 acres of development land. Highwoods is based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and its properties and development land are located in Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. For more information about Highwoods Properties, please visit our Web site at www.highwoods.com.