Bird & Bird moves into new London office at 12 New Fetter Lane
The London office of international law firm Bird & Bird has moved into its new workplace at 12 New Fetter Lane as it looks to grow its London headcount by 25%.
The move marks the culmination of a new build project first commissioned for Bird & Bird in 2008. The new space, comprising of 147,000 square feet arranged over 12 floors, caters to the firm's predicted growth, while creating a contemporary and welcoming business hub for Bird & Bird's clients, lawyers, and business services staff.
The modern and energy efficient building, which achieves a BREEAM 'Excellent' rating, will allow Bird & Bird's London team to more easily connect with one another and with clients, increase collaboration across departments and utilise improved technology more efficiently to enhance client service.
Client spaces
The new office includes dedicated client spaces on the first and twelfth floors, including larger and more flexible seminar and event spaces, client meeting rooms and a dedicated Business Lounge for clients and international visitors to relax and work in while they are in London.
Collaborative working
The fit out of the new premises has been designed by the London management team to encourage collaborative working. The new cross-practice working floors feature semi-transparent two-person workstations for lawyers rather than walled offices, with moveable partitions and furniture solutions to support different working configurations – thus creating temporary spaces for teams working on litigation or deal matters.
Health and wellness
The move provided the firm the perfect opportunity to enhance the health and wellness of its people. Natural light floods the building, sit/stand desks are provided for all staff and the firm's new restaurant space on the 11th floor provides an ever-changing array of healthy, nourishing food.
The development occupies an island site in the centre of London's legal district, opposite the restaurants, retail and offices of New Street Square, next to the new Commercial Courts in the Rolls Building and in a central location to easily reach international clients from the major London airports and transport hubs.
Nicholas Perry, Head of London at international law firm Bird & Bird said:
“Our vision to be the leading firm for organisations being affected by technology and the digital world means Bird & Bird is an exciting place to be – our London lawyers join forces on innovative projects with clients at the cutting edge of their industries and I have no doubt that the new collaborative working environment created at 12 New Fetter Lane will likewise excite and inspire our people as we move into the next phase of growth in London.”
"This move offered us a once in a generation opportunity to anticipate how our people will meet and work together over the coming years. The planning around the build, fit out and way that we would work in this new space has given us the opportunity to create an agile and collaborative firm which supports an exciting time of growth for London."
The base build was designed in collaboration between two award-winning architects Doone Silver Architects and Flanagan Lawrence, commissioned by Great Portland Estates with MACE carrying out the building works. The interior fit out was designed by MCM, project managed by Wheelers Group with StructureTone as the main contractors.