Downtown Law Firm Akin Gump Headed to New Uptown Tower

Another big downtown Dallas law firm is headed to Uptown.Legacy legal firm Akin Gump has rented almost three floors of office space in the new Union Dallas mixed-use project under construction at Field Street and Cedar Springs road just north of downtown.Akin Gump will move from downtown's 1700 Pacific tower to more than 68,000 square feet in the $200 million Union Dallas project's 20-story office tower.Akin Gump picked the 2-tower Union project after looking at several new buildings in Uptown.The firm will move its more than 170 lawyers and staff to the new tower in 2018."Our firm was founded in Dallas over 70 years ago, and this move reflects our commitment to maintaining a strong and dynamic presence in this city for many years to come," Kim Koopersmith, Akin Gump chairperson, said in a statement.Started last year, The Union Dallas includes about 400,000 square feet of office space, a 23-story apartment building, retail and restaurant center with a 60,000 square-foot Tom Thumb grocery store.RED Development and StreetLights Residential are building the mixed-use project located just east of Dallas' Victory Park district.With the latest lease the high-rise is 60 percent rented to major tenants including law firm Vinson & Elkins and accounting firm Weaver."With offices around the globe, we're excited to have such a distinguished brand like Akin Gump join the office mix at The Union Dallas," said Mike Ebert, managing partner at RED Development. "The firm is a great addition, and its more than 150 on-site employees will help support the other components of the project."Commercial real estate firm CBRE represented Akin Gump in its hunt for office space. CBRE's Phil Puckett, Jeff Ellerman, Andrew Sussman and Stu Eisenkraft negotiated the lease with John Brownlee and Sarah Hinkley of Peloton Commercial Real EstateThe Union is one of the largest projects under construction in Dallas.Designed by architect HKS Inc., The Union Dallas was announced by Arizona-based RED Development in 2014.Like other new Uptown projects, it's caught the attention of downtown businesses looking for more up-to-date working environments."By making this move, we are gaining a great new space in which to serve and receive our clients that emphasizes efficiency, convenience and collaboration," Akin Gump partner Ken Menges said.Law firms Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP and Sidley Austin LLP recent relocated to the new McKinney & Olive tower.And accounting giant PriceWaterhouse Coopers will be the lead tenant in a new Uptown skyscraper project built by developer Trammell Crow Co. and Metropolitan Life Insurance.Law firm Baker McKenzie is moving from the new 1900 Pearl tower under construction in downtown's Arts District at Pearl Street and Woodall Rodgers Freeway.  Continue reading...

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