Aiming for more growth in the Bay Area, White & Case has built a new office in the heart of Silicon Valley that is open, modern and collaborative—just like its technology clients. "We copied our clients," said Bijal Vakil, who serves as executive partner-in-charge of White & Case's office in Palo Alto. Vakil said he was brought on in 2008 from McDermott Will & Emery with a clear mission to make White & Case a "Silicon Valley player." "We wanted to improve and make it easier for our lawyers to collaborate together, and to really build upon the best ideas, as opposed to being stuck in their traditional lawyer office," added Vakil, a patent litigator. "This office is much more conducive to that type of environment." Since White & Case first opened in Silicon Valley during the height of the dot com boom in 1999, the global legal giant's presence has grown to include 35 lawyers on the group, including seven partners, most of which have diverse backgrounds. As of last month, all of White & Case's local lawyers have moved to a three-floor office at 3000 El Camino Real in Palo Alto, which is at the gateway of the Stanford Research Park. The Recorder's photo editor, Jason Doiy, recently took a tour of White & Case's Palo Alto office and snapped some photos of the new space. "We are trying to align ourselves with our clients," said White & Case partner William Choe, agreeing with Vakil. The firm's Palo Alto office nabbed Choe from Morrison & Foerster in 2015 for its M&A practice. Since Choe joined White & Case, its local corporate team has grown from six to 15 lawyers. Just as young lawyers in Big Law have demanded a more modern legal workplace, White & Case's new Palo Alto office has converted corner offices traditionally reserved for rainmakers into collaborative spaces where lawyers can grab a cup of coffee and chat with colleagues about their projects. The office also has a quiet room where individuals can go to break up the day, as well as video conferencing rooms that encourage virtual collaboration. "It is a team sport, you need to get everyone aligned to produce the best result for the team," Vakil said. "We hope the office is furthering that goal." Vakil's favorite spot in the new office is a gym with Peloton bikes, while Choe likes the open concept design of the lobby. The entire office also features creative art that highlights the firm's roots and commitment to diversity. White & Case's commitment to innovative office space isn't limited to Silicon Valley. Last year, the firm installed two "energy pods" at $13,000 a pop for its office in Washington, D.C. The pods allow users to take quick naps to re-energize themselves in the workplace.