St. Louis – 23 December 2004 – LAWFUEL – Best for law news – Bryan Cave LLP announced today that its St. Louis office and world headquarters will remain in downtown St. Louis in the Metropolitan Square Building through 2022. Bryan Cave has entered into a new lease encompassing approximately 225,000 sq. ft. on eight floors. The firm has options to lease additional space over the life of the lease to accommodate anticipated growth during that period as well as an option to renew the agreement for two additional five-year terms. The original lease, signed in 1992, would have expired in mid-2007.
“Bryan Cave has been in downtown St. Louis for 131 years,” said Bryan Cave Chairman Don Lents. “We are delighted that will continue to be the case and excited to be part of the burgeoning downtown development. Trizec Properties, the owner of Metropolitan Square, worked with us to identify ways in which the building and our space can be updated to accommodate the changes in technology, building systems and how law is practiced that have occurred in the 15 years since Met Square opened. This will allow us to continue to provide our clients with the world-class service they expect.”
“We appreciate the creativity and cooperation of Trizec – who provided us with an excellent overall proposal,” Lents added. “And, we commend Mayor Slay and the city of St. Louis for developing innovative proposals which allowed us to consider the construction of a new building downtown to be an economically viable alternative. Ultimately, the arrangements and allowances proposed by Trizec convinced us that we could accomplish our objectives while remaining in our present space – and enjoying the benefits this building offers.”
Renovations to Bryan Cave’s space are scheduled to commence in the summer of 2005 and conclude approximately 18 months later. As part of the agreement, Bryan Cave and Trizec will work together to see that the ongoing upgrades to the building systems will improve the energy efficiency of building operations and include other socially responsible “green” improvements.
“We’re glad that Bryan Cave will remain downtown,” noted St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay. “The firm has been in the city since 1873 and since its founding has been dedicated to the health, vibrancy and growth of our city and region. We’re pleased the firm is committing to downtown for another 17 years.”
Bryan Cave’s St. Louis office currently employs 650 people. It expects that number to grow to more than 800 by 2014.
Bryan Cave, LLP
Bryan Cave is among the 35 largest law firms in the world and has a diversified international practice. The firm represents a wide variety of business, financial, institutional and individual clients, including publicly held multinational corporations, large and mid-sized privately held companies, partnerships and emerging companies. Aided by technology, Bryan Cave’s 800 lawyers in 15 offices across the United States, United Kingdom, the Middle East and Asia efficiently serve clients’ needs in the world’s leading business and financial markets.
CONTACT:
Robert C. Buenger
314/259-2575
rcbuenger@bryancave.com
