Legal 500 owner Legalease is moving to new offices in the City of London.
The legal directory and magazine publisher has outgrown its current space in Kensington, West London, and hopes to make the move in April.
Legalease will take over a former branch of Coutts, the Royal bankers, at 188 Fleet Street, in the western part of the central London financial district.
188 Fleet Street was put up for sale in July 2013.
According to The Times, real estate agent DTZ was instructed to sell the building by Coutt’s owners, RBS, for £11 million.
The new location is perfect for a legal publisher: near the majority of law firm offices in the City, and the “midtown” Holborn district, close to the Royal Courts of Justice and the Rolls Building, and the barrister’s enclaves at Lincoln’s Inn and the Temple.
Legalease, which is owned by businessman John Pritchard, currently occupies a building named Kensington Square House in Ansdell Street in West London.
With the notable exception of Daily Mail and General Trust, which has its head office at Northcliffe House in the borough, Kensington is better known for its upscale shopping, museums, and elegant residential houses, than as a business district.
More Upper East Side than Lower Manhattan.
With its staff set to be close to the raft of international firms in the City of London, the office move reflects Legal 500’s new approach: more global and high-end, following the significant growth of its overseas directories in recent years.
As well as the Legal 500 series, Legalease publishes Lex 100, a guide for law students and younger lawyers, and the Tax Directors Handbook.
On the magazine side, its flagship product is Legal Business.
The company also has a portfolio of legal journals such as The In-House Lawyer.
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