DLA Piper Case Study
Operating across 40 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific, the firm cited Birmingham’s booming economy, major upcoming events and the demand this is creating in the city from clients, as the motivation behind their investment.
The firm has committed to a 15-year lease for 40,000 sq ft of space across two floors of Two Chamberlain Square. The investment will allow DLA Piper to grow its already strong base of 150 lawyers and staff in Birmingham and focus on services that support its client base, notably in the real estate, industrial’s and financial service sectors.
Trevor Ivory, Birmingham managing partner at DLA Piper.
Birmingham is a strategically important location for DLA Piper, with some of our biggest clients based in the West Midlands. The next decade is one of opportunity for Birmingham and the region, with the arrival of HS2 and the Commonwealth Games being just two of the most obvious opportunities ahead. Our global clients have recognised this opportunity and are looking to invest in the region and we are expanding our business to make sure that we can continue to support them”.
The region is home to more law students than any other UK region outside of London, producing nearly 2,000 graduates in the subject each year. This high calibre of specialist talent continues to attract corporate firms like DLA Piper, the global nature of whose advice requires the very best lawyers capable of dealing with complex and highly technical issues.
Trevor Ivory, added:
“We pride ourselves on having the best people in the city and we shall soon have an outstanding office and the best address in the city as well, which will help us to continue to attract the brightest talent from the region and beyond. The legal talent in Birmingham sets the city apart and gives us the confidence to further expand our presence in the city and deliver for our global client-base”.
Supporting this legal community is a string of trade networks such as the Birmingham Law Society – the largest regional society of its kind, and the two largest sets of barristers chambers in the country.
Boasting more than 1,880 legal services companies, the West Midlands represents one of the UK’s most prominent legal clusters outside of London. Other well-known names making their mark in the region include Pinsent Masons, Eversheds Sutherland, Gowling WLG, Squire Patton Boggs and Shoosmiths.
Phase two of the Paradise development – One Centenary Way – is scheduled to complete in 2022. Delivering 1.74m sq ft of contemporary office space and 120,000 sq ft of retail and leisure opportunities, Paradise will unite commerce and culture to bring around £700m investment into the city. PwC’s move into the adjacent One Chamberlain Square represents the firm’s single largest UK investment outside of London and will see a 2,200-strong team of staff based in the city by Autumn 2020.
Paradise sits within the country’s largest city centre Enterprise Zone and has benefited from investment by the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP).
Rob Groves, regional director at Argent – the developer behind the scheme, added:
“Having a major international law firm like DLA Piper on board at Two Chamberlain Square demonstrates the interest in the scheme from top calibre occupiers.”