CLARKE WILLMOTT LLP RELOCATES TO COLMORE ROW OFFICE FURTHER TO LEASE ADVISORY GUIDANCE FROM HARRIS LAMB

Lease advisory specialists at Harris Lamb have worked with Clarke Willmott LLP negotiate the business’ relocation to a new office in Birmingham city centre.

The law firm sought the business’ expertise in making decisions about post-Covid workspaces as it weighed up the options of renewing a lease on its existing site against relocating to an entirely new address and refitting it to reflect changing working practices.

Andy Smith, of Harris Lamb’s lease advisory team, said: “Many businesses have undertaken reviews of their commercial property requirements over the past year as they adapt to a new reality and considered how office-based working practices could change.

“The business, which has been based at 138 Edmund Street since 2005, instructed us to provide advice on a lease renewal of its current office as well as providing potential relocation options that would make the transition to city working easier for employees when the government’s  work-from-home guidance was lifted.

“Clarke Willmott was determined to embrace changing working practices within its office environment, prioritising the safety and needs of its employees and clients alike, and with that in mind, we undertook a requirements search at commercial office buildings throughout the city, establishing suitable properties and working closely with the business to draw up a shortlist of preferred options.

“Terms on a new 4,226 sq ft office on the seventh floor of 9 Colmore Row were agreed, a 10-year lease signed earlier this year and fit-out at the property is now almost complete in readiness for employees returning to work later this summer,” he said.

The new office, located adjacent to Birmingham Snow Hill Station, will focus on providing a flexible workspace to accommodate the diverse needs of employees and clients.

Rayner Grice, Head of the Clarke Willmott Birmingham office commented: “We are delighted to be moving to Colmore Row and specifically to office space that is designed to meet our commitment to a fully flexible approach to work in future. Our staff will be encouraged to work wherever they can best support their clients and the new office is designed to facilitate this. It also provides us with scope to grow in Birmingham and the region, a key strategic goal for the firm.

“The property advice from Harris Lamb was invaluable in enabling us to consider a lease renewal versus a relocation.  Harris Lamb assisted us in understanding all of the property costs, they identified and helped us to short list new options and handled all of the negotiations on our behalf.”

The landlords, Aberdeen Standard Investments, were represented by Andy Riach of JLL.