London-based 'magic circle' law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is understood to have agreed terms on 40,000 sq ft in Manchester's Arndale House, as an interim base while it continues looking for a new-build office. The long-term plan is to be able to house 800 people in Manchester - when Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has negotiated the price it wants on a  new builld set of offices. In the meantime, the firm looks likely to take a three-year lease, with a break clause half way through. The first teams which are expected to move are IT, payroll and other parts of the back office function. Some aspects of legal work could be transferred from London to Manchester within two years. Source: PlaceNorthWest;  The Lawyer