Travers flits to bigger office as firms eye City developments

City firm Travers Smith has become the latest practice to invest in a larger London office, saying the quality of its client offering ‘needs to continue to be matched by the quality of [its] office space.’

The firm has signed a lease agreement for Stonecutter Court, a 13-storey redevelopment in the City, from 2025. Travers Smith will take the top nine floors of the building totalling 158,000 square feet, with an option to take either an additional floor, or reduce by one floor. Its current Snow Hill office is 115,000 square feet.

Senior partner Kathleen Russ said: ‘As we continue to grow, the quality of our client offering needs to continue to be matched by the quality of our office space. I am delighted that we have secured the landmark building at Stonecutter Court which achieves this. The location of the offices works well for our core client base and, for our thriving and fast-growing dispute resolution team, has the added attraction of proximity to the courts.’ 

Travers Smith’s new lease agreement is the latest in a series of office moves which have defied predictions that homeworking will lead to the death of the office. Last week, national firm Shoosmiths moved to a City office almost five times as big as its old London premises.

Meanwhile, US firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP is to move its London team to 22 Bishopsgate – one of London’s newest skyscrapers. The firm, which currently has an office in Canary Wharf, has agreed a 15-year lease and will occupy the 38th-40th floors of the building from late next year.