Hanson Bridgett is nearly doubling its footprint in Los Angeles, announcing plans to move its Los Angeles team into new downtown digs at the start of next year. By Jan. 1, the firm will move its Los Angeles operations from its current 8,180-square-foot lease at 777 S. Figueroa St. to a 15,000-square-foot space in The CalEdison, located just a few blocks away at 601 W. 5th St. "At our current space, we actually had to take a further addition as we grew, just to have enough space to fit our team and service our clients," Hanson Bridgett partner and Los Angeles market leader Raffi Zerounian told The Recorder on Monday. "The office keeps growing." Zerounian said that Hanson Bridgett now has about 40 lawyers in downtown L.A. and 198 statewide in California. Rising Realty Partners owns the building and negotiated the lease with the firm. Zerounian said Hanson Bridgett is on a growth trajectory and that The CalEdison lease marks the third LA office the firm has expanded to since 2014.

Raffi Zerounian, with Hanson Bridgett. (Courtesy photo)

"Although the firm does not have an in-office mandate, people have been coming into the office," Zerounian said. "I think we've worked to build a solid culture down here where attorneys and staff want to come in and see each other and learn from one another." Zerounian noted that what drew him to The CalEdison property was the social space, adding that its large boardroom and outdoor deck can accommodate circumstances like training new staff, yearly interview seminars or events for nonprofits the firm supports. "With the number of lawyers we have down here and the amount all of our attorneys do throughout the various offices in the state, we need more conference rooms for depositions and mediation, and client meetings," Zerounian said. "We're expanding and taking up more space so we can serve our clients." The historic CalEdison building was originally constructed in 1931 and has remained vacant for years, with about half of its 287,000 square feet still up for lease. Hanson Bridgett isn't the only California firm to recently expand its operations in Los Angeles County–Am Law 200 firm Thompson Hine will establish an office in either downtown LA or Century City after absorbing Santa Monica-based litigation firm Conkle, Kremer & Engel on June 26. Hanson Bridgett ranked No. 185 on the 2024 Am Law 200, up one ranking from the prior year. The firm reported about $145.5 million in 2023 revenue, about $683,000 per lawyer.