A well-known executive in Jones Lang LaSalle’s Dallas office has left the real estate firm to join a local competitor.

J. Dale Ray – who has been with Jones Lang LaSalle since 2003 – has gone to work with Dallas-based Peloton Real Estate Partners as a principal in the firm.

“I’ve been talking to (Peloton partners) T.D.Briggs and Joel Pustmueller for about two years,” Mr. Ray said Monday. “In the last month or so, it got a lot of traction and seem to make a lot of sense” to join the independent company.

Chicago-based Jones Lang LaSalle just merged its operations with Dallas-based Staubach Co., a combination that significantly increased the size of the firm.

Mr. Ray was previously a managing director at Jones Lang LaSalle, handling major leases with tenants including Coca-Cola Co., Remington Hotel Corp., Delta Medical Enterprises and Drive Financial.

He had been responsible for project leasing of more than 12.5 million square feet of buildings in the Dallas area.

Mr. Ray has also worked with CAPSTAR Commercial Real Estate Services, Cousins Properties, and Vantage Realty.

And in recent years he has been recognized as one of the area’s top office brokers.