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Chicago

Law firm adds to space leased in East Loop tower by 40%

The firm is expanding its footprint in the building by about 40% to occupy more than 105,000 square feet

Cezar M. Froelich, partner at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, in front of 111 E Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL (Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, Architecture.org/Eric Allix Rogers)
Cezar M. Froelich, partner at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, in front of 111 E Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL (Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, Architecture.org/Eric Allix Rogers)

A Cincinnati-based law firm is expanding the space it leases in Chicago as its employees return to the office.

Taft Stettinius & Hollister signed a lease increasing its space at 111 E Wacker Drive in New Eastside, Crain’s Chicago Business reported. The firm is expanding its footprint in the building by about 40 percent to occupy more than 105,000 square feet. In addition to extending the lease in the 32-story building by nine years, Taft’s deal makes the firm the second-largest tenant in the building.

While many companies have cut down on their office footprints after the Covid-19 pandemic increased the number of remote workers, Taft is among the companies with a renewed commitment to returning to the office. Cid Froelich, chairman of Taft’s Chicago office, said the firm performed very well during the pandemic, especially with a lack of business travel. “Economically, it’s been wonderful,” he told Crain’s, “but it’s better to be together.”

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Froelich said the firm needed the extra space due to new attorneys joining the Chicago team from other firms, bringing their numbers to more than 120 local attorneys. The firm ran out of space on the 27th and 28th floors, which it has occupied for 15 years, leading it to add the entire 26th floor to its space. The firm already had plans to renovate the two floors it occupied and it will now also build out offices and conference and reception areas on the new floor.

Taft is now encouraging its staff to work from the office at least three days a week going forward and with the previous office footprint, workers would have needed to share space or practice “hoteling,” which the firm said isn’t conducive to legal work. While Taft looked at other potential spaces, 111 E Wacker’s landlord Amtrust Realty’ flexible leasing terms and the building’s recent $25 million renovation kept the firm where it was.

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[Crain’s] — Victoria Pruitt

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Chicago Office MarketCommercial Real Estate