McKool Smith, one of the nation’s leading trial firms, has relocated its New York office to One Manhattan West. The firm signed a 15-year lease for approximately 64,000 square feet of space and will occupy the 50th and 51st floors of the 67-story office tower. The new lease is nearly double the size of the firm’s previous space at One Bryant Park.
“Our relocation to One Manhattan West signals the firm’s continued commitment to the New York market, our strategic growth efforts, and our expanding client base,” said David Sochia, McKool Smith’s Managing Principal. “We are very excited about the move and feel confident that One Manhattan West is the ideal location for our continued growth in the region.”
McKool Smith opened its New York office in 2007 following the firm’s expansion to Washington, D.C. Since that time, the New York office has grown to become the firm’s largest, with 60 trial lawyers across the firm’s key practice areas, including commercial litigation, insurance recovery, intellectual property, securities litigation, bankruptcy, and white collar defense.
Developed by Brookfield Properties, One Manhattan West (395 9th Avenue) is in the Hudson Yards District, on the west side of 9th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, and only one block from Penn Station. McKool Smith will be the building’s first tenant. Other announced tenants include the global law firm Skadden Arps, accounting firm EY, and the National Hockey League (NHL), among others.
The Hudson Yards District is planned to be rated as the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum neighborhood by the U.S. Green Building Council. The district will include 14 acres of public open space; more than 100 shops and restaurants; about 4,000 residences; a public school; and, the Equinox Hotel. The centerpiece of the new five-acre public space, named the Public Square and Gardens, is an interactive landmark known as the Vessel, which is composed of 154 interconnecting flights of stairs with 2,500 steps and 80 landings that offer a one-mile vertical climbing experience and extraordinary views of Manhattan’s West Side.
With 160 trial lawyers across offices in Austin, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Marshall, New York, and Washington, D.C., McKool Smith has established a reputation as one of America’s leading trial firms. Since 2006, the firm has secured 11 nine-figure jury verdicts and 13 eight-figure jury verdicts. The firm has also won more VerdictSearch and The National Law Journal “Top 100 Verdicts” over the last 10 years than any other law firm. Courtroom successes like these have earned McKool Smith critical acclaim and helped the firm become what The Wall Street Journal describes as “one of the biggest law firm success stories of the past decade.” McKool Smith represents clients in complex commercial litigation, intellectual property, bankruptcy, and white collar defense matters.