Of the 20 largest law firms in Poland, 17 are based in Warsaw, with some 2,300 lawyers. According to Savills data, the vast majority of demand for office space in Warsaw for the legal sector in recent years (92%) has been realized in central zones. Since 2016, law firms have leased a total of 125,000 sq. m. in them. The most common properties chosen by law firms are office towers and renovated townhouses.
The largest lease transactions since 2016 and thus the largest offices belong to law firms: CMS (7000 sqm, Varso Tower), DZP (6500 sqm, Roundabout 1), Dentons (6300 sqm, EC Powiśle), DLA Piper (5300 sqm, Atrium 2), SKS Kancelaria (5200 sqm, Jasna 26) and Greenberg Traurig (5000 sqm, Varso Tower).
In recent years, Savills’ tenant representation and construction and design consulting teams have had the opportunity to work with many law firms, supporting them in the process of selecting and arranging office space. Their experiences and conclusions, enriched by data collected by the firm’s analysts, were used to develop the “Offices for Law Firms” report .
“For the legal industry, office space is a particularly important element not only for work, but also for image building. Elegant offices that inspire confidence and enhance the company’s reputation must serve employees as well as customers. The legal sector is thus one that cannot imagine working without a proper office, and the popularity of remote work remains negligible in this sector. This translates into the preference of law firms as tenants, where we currently do not encounter moves to optimize the size of space occupied or a willingness to save on location or standard of finish.”
Jaroslaw Pilch, head of tenant representation at Savills, says.
According to Savills in its publication, the way law firms’ offices are arranged has changed over the years – from offices for one or two people, through semi-open and open layouts, to multi-functional spaces that require the implementation of various solutions related to the specifics of lawyers’ work.
Examples of international law firms that have recently changed and opened offices in Warsaw are Greenberg Traurig and Bird & Bird. Savills’ consulting firm comprehensively supported these projects in both the leasing process and the technical consulting and project management of finishing the new office spaces.
“The design of the work environment has changed over the years, but still the most important factor determining the layout of the space is the model and the specifics of the work to provide optimal conditions for concentration and focus on the tasks at hand. A modern workspace must meet the highest standards and needs of law firms while ensuring efficiency, functionality and aesthetics at the highest level.” –
says Jakub Jędrys, director of construction and design consulting at Savills.
