Why Leeds law firms are leading the drive for the best city centre offices amid intense competition

Knight Frank’s Law Firm Report, published this week, revealed that the office space taken by law firms in Leeds was 100,743 sq ft last year, a 202 per cent rise on 2020.

This was primarily due to DLA Piper’s 83,000 sq ft pre-let at City Square House, a new building close to Leeds Station, which is being designed for hybrid and more collaborative working.

Eamon Fox, head of Knight Frank’s office agency department in Leeds, said: “The legal sector is Leeds is currently turbo-charged, driven by a combination of a focus on talent attraction and employee wellbeing and a need to align law firm’s real estate with post-pandemic workplace strategies and sustainability commitments.

“Apart from the DLA Piper deal, which is a game-changer in the Leeds office market, other leading law firms such as Knights, Lupton Fawcett and rradar have moved, or are just about to move, to superb new modern and sustainable offices with a brilliant working environment. Gone are the days of stuffy, uncomfortable, rabbit-warren type offices.”

Lupton Fawcett recently signed the lease on 12,000 sq ft of new office space in No. 2 The Embankment building on Sovereign Street. It will move its 142-strong team from Yorkshire House, East Parade, in late spring.

Jennifer Townsend, partner at Knight Frank, said: “Law firms remain committed to the office, recognising its role in supporting, facilitating, and portraying business strategy.

“Law firms cited difficulties in training and developing junior lawyers, building cultural ties, and developing deeper client relationships in a fully remote working environment. However, law firms are also reimagining the office.

“Looking at the drivers of leasing transactions in 2021, there were common themes of sustainability, health and wellbeing, and the flight to quality, with occupiers investing in amenity-rich, highly connected spaces.

“Law firms are creating workplaces with new ways of working in mind, centred around collaboration, innovation, client-centricity and learning and development.”