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                                                                    EXHIBIT 10.8

                            MAGUIRE PROPERTIES, INC.
                        555 WEST FIFTH STREET, SUITE 5000
                       LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 90013-1010

                                November 7, 2002

Mr. W. Tom Allen
[Insert Address]

      RE: EMPLOYMENT TERMS

Dear Tom:

            Maguire Properties, Inc. (the "REIT") and Maguire Properties, L.P.
(the "Operating Partnership" and together with the REIT, the "Company") are
pleased to offer you the positions of Senior Vice President and Regional Chief
Operating Officer of the REIT and the Operating Partnership on the following
terms, effective as of the date of the closing of the initial public offering of
shares of the REIT's common stock (the "Effective Date"):

      1. POSITION, DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES. As of the Effective Date, you
will be employed as Senior Vice President and Regional Chief Operating Officer
of the REIT and the Operating Partnership. In the capacity of Senior Vice
President and Regional Chief Operating Officer, you will have such duties and
responsibilities as are normally associated with such positions, including,
without limitation, overall responsibility for the Company's Solana project.
Your duties may be changed from time to time by the Company, consistent with
your positions. You will report to the President of the REIT or the Operating
Partnership, as applicable, and will work at our principal offices located at
Solana in Westlake, Texas, except for travel to other locations as may be
necessary to fulfill your responsibilities. At the Company's request, you will
serve the Company and/or its subsidiaries and affiliates in other offices and
capacities in addition to the foregoing. In the event that you serve in any one
or more of such additional capacities, your compensation will not be increased
beyond that specified in this letter. In addition, in the event your service in
one or more of such additional capacities is terminated, your compensation, as
specified in this letter, will not be diminished or reduced in any manner as a
result of such termination for so long as you otherwise remain employed under
the terms of this letter.

      2. BASE COMPENSATION. During your employment with the Company, the Company
will pay you a base salary of $275,000 per year, less payroll deductions and all
required withholdings, payable in accordance with the Company's normal payroll
practices and prorated for any partial month of employment. Your base salary may
be subject to increase pursuant to the Company's policies as in effect from time
to time.

      3. ANNUAL BONUS. In addition to the base salary set forth above, you will
be eligible to participate in the Company's incentive bonus plan applicable to
similarly situated executives of


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the Company. The amount of your annual bonus will be based on the attainment of
performance criteria established and evaluated by the Company in accordance with
the terms of such bonus plan as in effect from time to time, provided that,
subject to the terms of such bonus plan, your target annual bonus will initially
be 70% of your annual base salary for such year, and your maximum annual bonus
will initially be 100% of your annual base salary for such year.

      4. BENEFITS AND VACATION. You will be entitled to participate in all
incentive, savings and retirement plans, practices, policies and programs
maintained or sponsored by the Company from time to time which are applicable to
other similarly situated executives of the Company, subject to the terms and
conditions thereof. You will also be eligible for standard benefits, such as
medical insurance, sick leave, vacations and holidays to the extent applicable
generally to other similarly situated executives of the Company.

      5. COMPENSATION GROSS-UP. The amount of compensation payable to you
pursuant to Sections 2 and 3 above will be "grossed up" as necessary (on an
after-tax basis) to compensate for any additional social security withholding
taxes due as a result of your shared employment by the Operating Partnership,
the REIT and, if applicable, any subsidiary and/or affiliate thereof.

      6. CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. As a condition of your
employment with the Company, you agree that during the term of such employment
and any time thereafter, you will not directly or indirectly disclose or
appropriate to your own use, or the use of any third party, any trade secret or
confidential information concerning the REIT, the Operating Partnership, Maguire
Services, Inc., a Maryland corporation, their respective subsidiaries or
affiliates (collectively, the "Maguire Group") or their businesses, whether or
not developed by you, except as it is required in connection with your services
rendered for the Company. You further agree that, upon termination of your
employment, you will not receive or remove from the files or offices of the
Maguire Group any originals or copies of documents or other materials maintained
in the ordinary course of business of the Maguire Group, and that you will
return any such documents or materials otherwise in your possession. You further
agree that, upon termination of your employment, you will maintain in strict
confidence the projects in which any member of the Maguire Group is involved or
contemplating.

      7. NON-SOLICITATION. You further agree that during the term of such
employment and for one year after your employment is terminated, you will not
directly or indirectly solicit, induce, or encourage any employee, consultant,
agent, customer, vendor, or other parties doing business with any member of the
Maguire Group to terminate their employment, agency, or other relationship with
the Maguire Group or such member or to render services for or transfer their
business from the Maguire Group or such member and you will not initiate
discussion with any such person for any such purpose or authorize or knowingly
cooperate with the taking of any such actions by any other individual or entity.

      8. AT-WILL EMPLOYMENT. Your employment with the Company is "at-will," and
either you or the Company may terminate your employment for any reason
whatsoever (or for no reason) by giving 30 days prior written notice of such
termination to the other party. This at-will employment relationship cannot be
changed except in a writing signed by you and an authorized representative of
the Company.


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      9. NON-CAUSE TERMINATION. Should the Company terminate your employment
without cause (as defined below), then, in addition to any other amounts payable
to you through the date of termination of your employment, the Company will pay
you a lump-sum cash severance payment equal to the greater of $315,000 or 100%
of your then current annual base salary, but in no event shall you or your
estate or beneficiaries be entitled to any such payment hereunder upon any
termination of your employment by reason of your total and permanent disability
or your death. Your right to receive the severance payments set forth herein is
conditioned on and subject to your execution and non-revocation of a general
release of claims against the Maguire Group, in a form reasonably acceptable to
the Company. For purposes of this letter, "cause" shall mean

            (i) your willful and continued failure to substantially perform your
      duties with the Company (other than any such failure resulting from your
      incapacity due to physical or mental illness), after a written demand for
      substantial performance is delivered to you by the Company, which demand
      specifically identifies the manner in which the Company believes that you
      have not substantially performed your duties;

            (ii) your willful commission of an act of fraud or dishonesty
      resulting in economic or financial injury to the Company or its
      subsidiaries or affiliates;

            (iii) your conviction of, or entry by you of a guilty or no contest
      plea to, the commission of a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude;

            (iv) a willful breach by you of your fiduciary duty to the Company
      which results in economic or other injury to the Company or its
      subsidiaries or affiliates; or

            (v) your willful and material breach of your covenants set forth in
      Section 6 or 7 above.

For purposes of this provision, no act or failure to act on your part will be
considered "willful" unless it is done, or omitted to be done, by you in bad
faith or without reasonable belief that your action or omission was in the best
interests of the Company.

      10. COMPANY RULES AND REGULATIONS. As an employee of the Company, you
agree to abide by Company rules and regulations as set forth in the Company's
Employee Handbook or as otherwise promulgated.

      11. PAYMENT OF FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS. The payment or provision to you by
the Company of any remuneration, benefits or other financial obligations
pursuant to this letter will be allocated to the Operating Partnership, the REIT
and, if applicable, any subsidiary and/or affiliate thereof in accordance with
the Employee Sharing and Expense Allocation Agreement, by and between the REIT,
the Operating Partnership, and Maguire Services, Inc., as in effect from time to
time.


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      12. WITHHOLDING. The Company may withhold from any amounts payable under
this letter such Federal, state, local or foreign taxes as shall be required to
be withheld pursuant to any applicable law or regulation.

      13. ENTIRE AGREEMENT. As of the Effective Date, this letter and the
employment terms set forth herein comprise the final, complete and exclusive
agreement between you and the Company with respect to the subject matter hereof
and replace and supersede any and all other agreements, offers or promises,
whether oral or written, made to you by any member of the Maguire Group or any
entity (a "Predecessor Employer"), or representative thereof, whose business or
assets any member of the Maguire Group succeeded to in connection with the
initial public offering of the REIT's common stock or the transactions related
thereto. You agree that any such agreement, offer or promise between you and any
member of the Maguire Group or a Predecessor Employer (or any representative
thereof) is hereby terminated and will be of no further force or effect, and you
acknowledge and agree that upon your execution of this letter, you will have no
right or interest in or with respect to any such agreement, offer or promise. In
the event that the Effective Date does not occur, this letter (including,
without limitation, the immediately preceding sentence) will have no force or
effect.

      14. PROOF OF RIGHT TO WORK. As required by law, this offer of employment
is subject to satisfactory proof of your right to work in the United States.




                            [SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]


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      Please confirm your agreement to the foregoing by signing and dating the
enclosed duplicate original of this letter in the space provided below for your
signature and returning it to Rick Gilchrist. Please retain one fully-executed
original for your files.

                                        Sincerely,

                                        Maguire Properties, Inc.,
                                        a Maryland corporation



                                        By: /s/ RICHARD I. GILCHRIST
                                            ------------------------------------
                                        Name: Richard I. Gilchrist
                                        Title: Co-Chief Executive Officer and
                                               President

                                        Maguire Properties, L.P.,
                                        a Maryland limited partnership

                                        By: Maguire Properties, Inc.
                                        Its: General Partner


                                        By: /s/ RICHARD I. GILCHRIST
                                            ------------------------------------
                                        Name: Richard I. Gilchrist
                                        Title: Co-Chief Executive Officer and
                                               President


Accepted and Agreed,
this 7th day of November, 2002.

By:  /s/ W. TOM ALLEN
    -----------------------------
        W. Tom Allen


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