Slaughter and May is considering a move away from its London office as it nears the end of its current lease term.

The Magic Circle firm has been based at 1 Bunhill Row in Moorgate since 2002. The current lease expires in 2026, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

The news was first broken by Estates Gazette, which reported that the current space measures 260,000 sq ft.

Slaughters is not the only firm to be exploring an office move in London, with Linklaters having recently appointed a taskforce to scout out possible locations.

Options for Linklaters, according to one person close to the situation, include moving into a new-build office, refurbishing another office space, or remaining at its current location in Moorgate – a short distance from its Magic Circle rival Slaughters.

Fellow Magic Circle firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, meanwhile, signed a 20-year lease to take on space at 100 Bishopsgate in 2017. The firm is set to move from its current headquarters at Fleet Street to the new Bishopsgate office in the summer of 2021.

Overseas, Slaughters moved into its current Brussels office in 2007, which it shares with its 'best friend' network firms.