Global Law Firm Signs 102,000-SF Lease in Washington, DC

Lafayette Tower in Washington, D.C.

Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobsen LLP is relocating its Washington, DC office, leasing 102,000 square feet at Lafayette Tower. The international law firm signed a 16-year deal, slated to commence in about a year.

The 11-story, 245,000-square-foot office tower at 801 17th St. N.W. delivered early last year, near the White House and Lafayette Park. Designed by architects Kevin Roche, John Dinkeloo & Associates LLC (KRJDA) and developed by Louis Dreyfus Property Group, Lafayette Tower is the first office building in the District to be certified LEED Platinum, and one of only two such buildings in the United States.

"The building’s sustainability features were an important consideration in deciding to move to Lafayette Tower," said Alan S. Kaden, co-managing partner of Fried Frank's Washington, DC office. He added that the law firm is committed to green initiatives throughout all of its locations, which include New York, Paris, London, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Frankfurt.

The move represents a slight downsizing for the law firm, which currently occupies about 117,000 square feet at 1001 Pennsylvania Ave. Fried Frank determined that the new space could be used more efficiently than its current office, allowing for a more complete build-out. One of the goals of the build-out is to achieve LEED certification for the interiors, noted Kaden.

Stephen B. Siegel, Craig Reicher, Tim Dempsey and Pat Marr with CB Richard Ellis represented the law firm, along with Fried Frank's Real Estate Chair Jonathan Mechanic, and partners Meyer Last and Franz Rassman. David Happ and Grier Hoyt with Linowes & Blocher LLP represented Louis Dreyfus.

"Fried Frank’s selection of a Platinum LEED certified building demonstrates great vision on their part," said Siegel. "We firmly believe that every building developed from this point on of any substance will be a LEED certified building and employees in the future will prefer to work in that environment."