This article originally ran in Law360 Pulse on November 18, 2021. All rights reserved.
The addition of more than a dozen attorneys in the last two years has prompted mid-size law firm Flaster Greenberg PC to move its Philadelphia office to a larger space in Center City.
Starting in February, the firm's Philadelphia location will operate out of the 16,000 square-foot 33rd floor of Three Logan Square, about three blocks from its current, 10,000 square-foot office at 1835 Market Street. Jordan LaVine, Flaster Greenberg's co-managing partner, told Law360 Pulse on Thursday that the move had been in the works since January.
"We had a five-year lease at our existing space that ended in January, in the midst of the pandemic," LaVine said. "We asked the building owner to stay another year to see how things settled down. When we went to look at our potential options, we settled on the space at Three Logan."
The new location is a sublease of office space previously occupied by Reed Smith LLP, which continues to occupy floors 28 through 32. Flaster Greenberg will use the 16,000 square feet to accommodate 26 employees, including 18 attorneys. LaVine said little work is needed on the new office space, and it should be ready to open by Feb. 1.
"One of the benefits of the new space is it did not require a significant amount of fit out," LaVine said. "It's a turnkey space with some retrofitting, including a new reception area. We are also adding a collaboration space that is a little more casual and comfortable than a conference room."
The 33rd floor will have 26 private, exterior offices and eight interior offices for guest attorneys visiting from the firm's surrounding locations in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, LaVine said. The office will also have conference spaces with technology for virtual conferences and court appearances. If necessary, Flaster Greenberg also has an option to occupy the remaining 4,000 square feet on the 33rd floor.
"As a mid-sized firm, we want to grow strategically, not for just the sake of growth," LaVine said.
That strategy has resulted in a two-year expansion throughout Flaster Greenberg, which has brought on 24 lateral hires since January 2020, with 15 of those attorneys in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia growth started with the addition of an 11-member patent group from boutique firm Condo Roccia Koptiw LLP in early 2020.
A few months later, Flaster Greenberg added a team of insurance recovery attorneys and formally created its insurance counseling and recovery practice group within the litigation department. The expansion continued into 2021, attracting veteran attorneys like patent attorney Joseph Oriti in May and insurance attorney Arthur Armstrong.
"For the most part, our firm's growth has been in Philadelphia," LaVine said. "It's obviously one of our larger markets, and attorneys want to work in Center City because that's where the courts and infrastructure are located. We've grown so much, and we need the space to accommodate it."
The COVID-19 pandemic allowed Flaster Greenberg to maintain its current space, as much of the staff and attorneys worked remotely for the last year-and-a-half. Technology has allowed the firm to continue serving clients and grow, but there remains a need for an office culture. Flaster Greenberg surveyed the staff several times, and the majority agreed that some in-person time in the office would be welcomed.
"We are a highly collaborative firm, especially in the IP department," LaVine said. "We have been very flexible with our hybrid model, and in the new year we are going to officially reopen the offices. We're still working out what that will look like. In the Philadelphia office, if someone wants a dedicated office, the expectation will probably be that they come in at least three days a week."
This announcement was picked up by Law360 Pulse on November 18th, which ran a story, "Flaster Greenberg Relocating Philly Office In February," linked here.
