Michael Heller of Cozen O'Connor

Cozen O'Connor is one of the two out-of-town, Am Law 100 firms that on Thursday announced major Manhattan office relocations. The firm is consolidating its New York operations in the World Trade Center.

Philadelphia-based Cozen O'Connor will consolidate its two Midtown offices—45 Broadway and 277 Park Ave.—into a single space downtown at 3 World Trade Center. The firm signed a 15-year, 77,000-square-foot lease and will occupy the building's entire 55th floor and part of its 56th floor. Cozen O'Connor currently has 112 New York attorneys listed on its website, and its planning to move them into the new office by the end of next year. Kelley Drye & Warren is also a tenant in the building.

"We are extremely excited to be able to consolidate our two offices into the trophy building that is 3 World Trade Center," said Michael Heller, Cozen O'Connor's chairman and CEO. "The building is in a phenomenal location in an area of the city that is really growing exponentially, and the energy in that community makes this a really exciting move for us."

Ranked 76th on the 2019 Am Law 100, Cozen O'Connor has also experienced steady revenue and head count growth, especially in the last five years. In 2018, the firm had 665 attorneys and $473 million in revenue, according to ALM data.

Another firm making an announcement on a New York move Thursday was Akerman, which is making room for a big expansion.

Currently located at 666 5th Ave., Akerman said it signed a lease to relocate its 126 New York lawyers into the Mitsui Fudosan America building at 1251 Avenue of the Americas. The 100,000-square-foot office, which has space for 185 attorneys, will occupy the 37th and 38th floors, as well as part of the 35th floor. DLA Piper and Lowenstein Sandler also have offices in the building.

The move comes a year after Brookfield Management Asset acquired 666 Fifth Ave. and announced plans to vacate tenants and overhaul the building. When the makeover is complete, building management aims to charge substantially higher rent, according to The Wall Street Journal.

In a statement, Andrew Smulian, Akerman's chairman and CEO, said the move comes after years of growth in New York—the firm opened an office in the city 12 years ago with seven attorneys.

"Our New York office, the firm's second largest, grew aggressively this year with a number of top-tier laterals reflecting a range of important client sectors," he said. "Our new space will allow us to continue our growth trajectory in what continues to be a vital market for Akerman and our clients."

Akerman has made a few notable hires in New York this year, notably a real-estate group that joined in January. The firm's overall head count has steadily grown over the last decade, from 443 attorneys in 2010 to 651 last year, according to ALM data. To keep pace, the firm doubled the size of its Chicago office last year, increased its Los Angeles office space in 2017 and relocated its Miami headquarters in 2016.

The firm's annual revenue has also increased since 2010. Akerman ranked 94th in the 2019 Am Law 100 with nearly $405 million in revenue in 2018, according to ALM data.