Partner Article

Law firm Squire Patton set to move into Wellington Place Leeds

Law firm Squire Patton Boggs has agreed to become the first occupier at 6 Wellington Place, which being developed by MEPC in Leeds.

The move demonstrates the law firm’s commitment to the Leeds and Yorkshire markets and emphasises the integral role the office plays in Squire Patton Boggs’ global business.

Squire Patton Boggs, which employs around 270 people in Leeds, will move into around 32,000 sq ft of office space over two floors when the building is completed at the end of 2015.

6 Wellington Place is the first speculative grade A office development to have been constructed in Leeds for more than six years. The five-storey building will offer 104,000 sq ft of grade A office and retail space.

Its construction follows the recent completion of the 35,000 sq ft 10 Wellington Place.

James Dipple, chief executive of MEPC, said: “This agreement is fantastic news. We are absolutely delighted to have secured such a prestige name as Squire Patton Boggs as the first occupier at 6 Wellington Place and look forward to welcoming them to the scheme.

“We continue to have positive discussions with a number of interested parties and expect to make further announcements in the near future.”

John Alderton, managing partner of Squire Patton Boggs in Leeds, said: “We are passionate about our position in the local market, and this move to new premises provides us with a platform for the firm’s future in the city.

“We have outstanding staff, a strong client base and great ambition for the future, demonstrated by the fact that we will now have first-rate facilities for our people and our clients here in Leeds.”

Squire Patton Boggs’ Leeds office services clients across Yorkshire, the UK and increasingly from outside the UK, serving approximately one quarter of the public companies headquartered in Yorkshire and the North East. The Leeds office is also the base for firm-wide services including IT, accounting and other back office functions.

MEPC is working on plans to bring forward further phases of Wellington Place to create a development offering more than 1m sq ft of commercial, retail, leisure and residential space.

Shepherd Construction is the appointed contractor on the build. The agents for 6 Wellington Place are Jeff Pearey at Jones Lang LaSalle and Adam Cockroft of DTZ.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .