Fox Rothschild | Francis Cauffman

When relocating its New York City office, Fox Rothschild sought to upgrade and modernize its internal operations. The design team embarked on a two-phase project that responded to the firm’s key objectives: create a distinctive new space reflective of the local practice and achieve the flexibility necessary to respond to the ever-changing practice of law.

The new space needed to support multiple disciplines for internal practices, client, and outside counsel. Workspaces and meeting areas were carefully planned to promote flexibility, collaboration, and to stimulate social activities among the staff. In creating a significant client-focused conference center to support the practice, the design team maximized views of the new surroundings in Midtown Manhattan while ensuring that the space could accommodate state-of-the-art technology.

Recognizing the density of New York and its real estate costs, the client also desired to increase attorney density while repurposing “I space” into “we space.” Within the internal workspace, 80 right-sized attorney offices accommodate flexible work settings and centralized secretarial work stations allow teaming and work-sharing. Multi-functional business-centric spaces are deployed for both visitors and staff to choose the setting in which they’re most comfortable. Informal lounge spaces with food and beverage amenities, quiet heads-down enclaves, and tech-intense meeting rooms all work in concert, linking up to a national network of the firm’s offices.

Interior attorney offices were designed to be conducive to the intensive focus work happening within: abundant light and city views team with clean, crisp office interiors void of distractions. They also have all-glass fronts to enable natural light to penetrate the core spaces. While the rentable area per attorney is below the benchmark for rentable SF per attorney, the space looks and feels open and inviting. It additionally creates a range of opportunities for working, from heads-down concentration to open collaboration. The staff feedback in phase one is very positive for both work settings and shared amenity spaces for all staff and clients.