A Chicago law firm is expanding its space in River North property tied to some of the biggest courtroom dramas in the city’s history.
Bartlit Beck has renewed its lease and expanded to about 80,000 square feet in the historic, seven-story building at 54 W. Hubbard St., according to a statement from the firm and building owner Friedman Properties.
The law firm previously leased 68,400 square feet at the property known as Court House Place, according to CoStar data.
The expansion stands out at a time when far more U.S. office tenants are reducing space than adding it.
The deal extends the stay of Barlit Beck in a 101,665-square-foot building that was completed in 1893 and was home to some of the nation’s most closely watched trials of the early 20th century.
Bartlit Beck said renovations will start soon on the added space.
“Court House Place has been an ideal Chicago office environment, supporting the needs of our clients and national litigation practice,” Jason Peltz, managing partner of Bartlit Beck, said in the statement. “This expansion reflects the firm’s strategic investment in the infrastructure necessary to uphold our high standards of excellence. By expanding our footprint in this historic venue, we are ensuring that our trial lawyers have the dedicated resources and collaborative space necessary to tackle our clients’ most complex legal challenges and deliver the successful results for which Bartlit Beck is known.”
Historical ties
The River North property is a Chicago landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For its first 35 years, the property housed Cook County’s criminal courts.
It was home to the trial that followed baseball’s infamous Black Sox Scandal in 1919 and the Leopold and Loeb trial that was known at the time as the “trial of the century,” according to Friedman Properties and historical accounts.
Chicago White Sox players accused of throwing the 1919 World Series to the Cincinnati Reds on behalf of a gambling syndicate were acquitted in a 1921 trial in the building after key evidence went missing.
In 1924, University of Chicago students Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb were tried after being accused of kidnapping and killing a 14-year-old. Despite the work of famous defense attorney Clarence Darrow, Leopold and Loeb were found guilty and sentenced to life in prison.
Also during that era, former Chicago reporters Ben Hecht and Charles McArthur wrote the Broadway play “The Front Page” based on their memories covering trials in the building. Other famous writers who worked out of the fourth-floor press room included Carl Sandburg, Sherwood Anderson and Vincent Starrett, according to historical accounts.
A facility that preceded the Court House Place building on the same site was home to the insanity trial of former First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln and 1886 Haymarket Riot trial.
‘Mayor of River North’
Friedman Properties is led by Al Friedman, often referred to as “mayor of River North” because of his extensive holdings in the neighborhood. His firm bought Court House Place in 1985.
“Bartlit Beck’s decision to expand at Court House Place not only furthers the building’s rich history in law, but it also underscores the continued demand we’re seeing from companies that value distinctive spaces in diverse and vibrant locations,” Friedman said in the statement. “River North’s blend of historic architecture, 24-hour activity and walkable dining, shopping and entertainment continues to draw companies focused on an enhanced employee experience.”