HFW is set to move to a new building in its hometown of London next year, taking advantage of flexible working and more efficient use of space to reduce its footprint by 25% in the process.

The new offices at 8 Bishopsgate will cover 60,000sq ft compared to the 80,000sq ft space at Friary Court the firm has called home since 2008, having previously been in nearby Lloyds Avenue for almost 100 years.

The offices will house its London workforce – including more than 250 lawyers  – across three floors of the 50-storey tower, which upon completion towards the end of the year will be London’s fourth-tallest building, and include a private roof terrace offering views across the City of London. 

HFW said the new building is being developed to be low-carbon in operation and has features including solar panels, advanced floor-by-floor air filtering and light-responsive blinds that reduce cooling demands, as well as rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling. It also has one of the largest bicycle parks in London, with almost 1,000 spaces. 

Like a host of law firms moving to new offices, HFW is taking advantage of enhanced flexible working arrangements ushered in during the Covid-19 pandemic. Last summer the firm said all London-based staff would be eligible to work from home 40% of the time. 

Jeremy Shebson, managing partner at HFW, said he expected the office move would be "transformational for HFW in London, giving us modern, agile and progressive space that allows us to adapt to the changing needs of our people and our clients. This includes giving us room to continue to grow in London, which is very much the plan.”

He added that 8 Bishopsgate “aligns with our commitments as a responsible business, with impressively low carbon emissions as well as outstanding facilities for active travel and wellbeing".

The move will see HFW become neighbours to law firms including Cooley, Covington & Burling and Skadden in the capital’s second tallest building at 22 Bishopsgate. 

In February, Hogan Lovells said it had signed a 20-year lease to move into a 266,000sq ft redevelopment opposite its current 320,000sq ft office on Holborn Viaduct. A spokesperson for the firm said at the time that the new office would allow for more efficient use of space as many of the firm’s people adopted a hybrid working model. 

And in November, Allen & Overy announced plans to relocate its London headquarters to offices being constructed at 2 Broadgate in a move that would allow it to reduce its floor space by 246,000sq ft and more easily meet its sustainability targets.