In a notable move showcasing the evolving dynamics of the corporate world, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan has signed a 132,000 square-foot lease for office space in the Midtown South Textile Building in New York. The venerable law firm is planning to build a flexible office environment to augment its work-from-anywhere policy. A measure welcomed amidst the post-pandemic realities disrupting traditional work protocols. The new facility represents the firm’s progressive work philosophy, distinguishing it among other large law firms, following the pandemic.
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, boasting more than 1,000 legal professionals, is one of the country’s largest litigation firms, having marked impressive revenue figures exceeding $1.6 billion in 2022. The firm has made a name for itself over the years, handling high-profile cases, including detangling banks in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, and more recently, representing clients of the stature of Elon Musk.
In a strategic investment showing foresight and adaptability, Quinn Emanuel is looking to structure its office in sync with its progressive and highly flexible work-from-anywhere policy, which they adopted in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The firm’s New York office plans to accommodate around 300 attorneys, giving them an option to either occupy traditional offices or avail of shared ‘hoteling’ spaces based on their office attendance.
The Manhattan-based law firm’s inherent “work-from-anywhere” policy has been known to grant flexibility to employees, particularly beneficial for young families and attorneys residing in non-traditional Big Law hubs. Jennifer Barrett, co-managing partner of Quinn Emanuel’s New York office, emphasized that the new office space will be designed keeping collaborative working methods in mind, with plenty of lounges and café-like areas peppering the space. This is a marked departure from their current layout, where the floor space is spread across 10 floors at 51 Madison Ave., near Madison Square Park. The new office will contain a large atrium connecting the three floors contained within the lease.
In terms of area, the lease is comparable to Quinn Emanuel’s existing office size. Barrett affirms that despite the spatial similarity, the new office will bring an innovative vision to the working experience due to its novel spatial design. This robust step towards a hybrid workspace dynamics may inevitably influence their peer firms to significantly adapt to and accommodate the modern work paradigm.
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