As Big Law seeks to coax lawyers to return and stay in the office, more law firms are adding unconventional features to their renovated offices, such as fitness spaces, wellness areas, dedicated napping rooms and other amenities found at home. Brown Rudnick is among the latest to update its New York office, which now features a yoga studio, two pelotons, and a golf simulator (which gets regular use by the firm's CEO, Vince Guglielmotti.) The firm also added a washer and dryer for those lawyers who don't have time to make it home, as well as an employee lounge, befit with an espresso machine. Blank Rome built a state-of-the-art gym for its new Philadelphia office and commissioned local artists to do glasswork for the interior of the office. "It's gorgeous, and people like pretty. We wanted something that draws people in, and this definitely does," said Shonette Gaston, the COO of Blank Rome.   Blank Rome's office will also feature a two-story town hall area for symposiums, meetings, and outside speakers. Both firms' offices will now have rooms that can serve as a spot for a quick nap or a moment to destress. "We want people to feel like they can come and do everything they need to do in their day," said Gaston. Brown Rudnick's renovation is now complete, while Blank Rome's is still underway and set to be done in February 2025. Other law firms have added pool tables, coffee bars, and music rooms, as law firms renovate for post-pandemic office goals and enhance their bid to attract and retain top talent. "Office visitation rates are, in fact, up, and that really has to do with the quality of the space," said Marisha Clinton, the vice of president of research east at Savills. "Many companies, in general, are trying to create the best-in-class space with the latest and greatest amenities and technology to encourage people to get back into the office."

How Much Space?

As part of its renovation, Brown Rudnick expanded its holdings to two full floors, complete with an internal staircase. Previously, the firm used around one-and-a-half floors, renting out the rest to a tenant. Still, many firms are contracting space, seeking to lower their square footage per attorney ratio. Blank Rome downsized during its renovation, from 196,000 square feet to 130,000. "We have designed the new space more efficiently," said Grant Palmer, firm managing partner "Previously, we had way too much conference room space." The question for many firms moving or renovating in 2024 is about how much space they will need as work moves increasingly online, said Catherine Heath, the CEO at HYL Architecture. "Law firms can certainly reduce their footprint in a renovation by eliminating spaces that are no longer relevant or moving to universal-sized offices," she said. And as many firms downsize, they may move towards a hotelling strategy with temporary offices, as well as co-working spaces where any attorney or staff member can pull up a chair. But "if firm policy expects attorneys and staff to be present in the office three days or more per week, hoteling is not likely to work as there won't be enough spaces on the peak day," Heath said.

In-Office Requirements

Brown Rudnick planned on the renovation before the pandemic, but the firm's leaders said the timing that it was complete, spring 2024, coincided with their goal to encourage lawyers into the office. Brown Rudnick has a three-days-a-week in-office policy. "We made a conscious decision to make sure that people have designated offices, to encourage our in-office expectation of Tuesday through Thursday," said Guglielmotti. The firm, however, also now has temporary offices that out-of-town attorneys or clients can use. Blank Rome leaders said they  "embrace a flexible work space," while setting an in-office expectation of three days per week. They give designated offices to those lawyers who come into the office frequently, said Palmer. They do also have some hotelling for infrequent office visitors and lawyers from other offices, he added. Looking at law firm office trends in general, Heath said that many firms are focusing on one-size, smaller offices. Where the larger partner offices used to be, there are now large meeting areas where attorneys can meet clients. She also noted that many firms now have internal offices in the center of an office floor where rows of filing cabinets once were. For Brown Rudnick, this takes the form of a co-working, multiple-purpose room with large, mahogany desks and plush sofas. On a night this month, the desks in the space were being moved aside to make room for an afternoon cornhole tournament.