Firms utilizing space efficiency strategies have reduced space by 27% on average; Seattle law firms striving to improve efficiency, beginning to embrace workplace strategy trends
SEATTLE (November 13, 2017) — Law firms are adjusting their real estate strategies in response to advances in technology, shifting client demand, aging workforces and intense competition to attract and retain skilled talent, according to a new report from CBRE. Most commonly, law firms are contracting their space, resulting in a reduced footprint of 27 percent on average between Q1 2016 and Q2 2017.*
Seattle’s office market is in a period of maturation, marked by rents increasing at a slower pace, stable vacancy levels and increased new supply. According to CBRE Research there were four law firm lease transactions greater than 50,000 square feet from Q1 2016 to Q2 2017, totaling approximately 420,000 square feet. Of the transactions during that time period, there were two were contractions, one expansion and three renewals. Only one tenant relocated to a space of a similar size.
“Many of the firms in the area, particularly those with a long history, are continuing to look for ways to consolidate and reduce costs in line with national trends,” said Jane Blair, First Vice President with CBRE’s Law Firm Practice Group in Seattle. “Traditional amenities, such as private offices and naming rights for larger firms, continue to be important. While we are not yet seeing local firms adopt open-plan layouts, Seattle firms are embracing other workplace trends, including a tech feel in their common areas and open ceilings.”
“Despite being rooted in tradition and precedence, many law firms are employing new real estate strategies when lease expirations present opportunities, in particular, space contraction and workplace strategy,” said Jamie Georgas, global chair of CBRE’s Law Firm Practice Group. “Law firms with leases expiring in the near term are reconsidering long-held assumptions about how their attorneys work and, when determining their space needs, the services and technology they need to be most effective.”
Space Contraction
Contraction activity has been dominated by Am Law 100 firms—the 100 top-grossing U.S. law firms as ranked annually by American Lawyer—with larger space requirements. Twenty percent of the Am Law 100 firms have reduced their space needs in one or more markets since Q1 2016, according to CBRE data.
CBRE estimates that nearly 29 million sq. ft. of law firm leases will expire between 2018 and 2022 in the 26 markets studied. It is anticipated that more than 70 percent of these expirations involve requirements of more than 50,000 sq. ft., and are likely to see at least some space contraction as part of renewals and/or new leases.
More than half of these expirations are in New York, Chicago, Washington, D.C. and Houston, where there are heavy concentrations of Am Law 100 firms with average leases of 125,000 sq. ft. New York and Chicago are in an extended period of rent growth and declining vacancy, making portfolio optimization critical. Washington, D.C. continues to soften as concessions have steadily increased. Houston remains burdened with an oversupply of sublease space due to the energy industry downturn, and could be particularly attractive to firms looking for lease savings to invest in capital expenditures. In Seattle, 497,000 square feet of law firm space is anticipated to expire by the end of 2022, with 15 percent of the leases involving requirements over 50,000 square feet.
Law Firm Workplace Trends
“Law firms are optimizing their real estate portfolios to avoid excess expenses on antiquated workplaces that value space per attorney over client and employee expectations,” said Ms. Georgas. “To minimize risk around uncertain headcount requirements, many law firms are focused on creating agile workplace strategies through configurable office design and flexible lease structures.”
Some of more common strategies being adopted or considered by law firms include:
- Shifting from two-sized offices (typically 15’ X 15’ for partners and 10’ X 15‘ for associates) to glass-fronted, one-sized offices with seniority recognized by location, not size
- Putting less emphasis on grand, ceremonial client spaces and more emphasis on functional meeting spaces
- Orienting the reception area around hospitality, with concierge services and hosted events
- Transitioning cafeteria space from merely a place to eat to a place to socialize, in a prominent area along a window line
- Creating smaller, on-demand meeting rooms with interactive technology scattered throughout the practice area
- Adopting a paperless file storage strategy
“By fostering a modern workplace with a collaborative, inclusive and social environment, law firms can promote knowledge sharing between generations to aid in succession planning and use their office space as a competitive differentiator when recruiting talent,” said Julie Whelan, Americas head of occupier research, CBRE.
*This transaction volume includes only the top 75 percent of transactions by square footage in the 26 markets included in the CBRE report.
About CBRE Group, Inc.
CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBG), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Los Angeles, is the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm (based on 2016 revenue). The company has more than 75,000 employees (excluding affiliates), and serves real estate investors and occupiers through approximately 450 offices (excluding affiliates) worldwide. CBRE offers a broad range of integrated services, including facilities, transaction and project management; property management; investment management; appraisal and valuation; property leasing; strategic consulting; property sales; mortgage services and development services. Please visit our website at www.cbre.com.
