Miami, Fla. (July 9, 2008) – Metropolitan Miami’s Met2 project set for completion in 2010 at the center of downtown Miami, will be the new home of the Miami office of international law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP. Firm Chief Executive Officer Cesar L. Alvarez and President Matthew Gorson announced the move citing a desire to continue to contribute to the renewal of Miami’s downtown, as well as create an environment-friendly space that addresses the changing spatial and generational needs of the legal industry and its clients.
“The bottom line is that although the legal industry has rapidly changed and will continue to change, the design of a typical law office has changed very little in the last 50 years. Leveraging technology, understanding the different work habits of four generations of lawyers working together in today's typical office, and accommodating client needs are not being adequately addressed at the office space level. Better, more efficient design will positively affect the relationships among attorneys, their clients, and staff. The economic efficiencies created will be shared with our clients,” Alvarez said.
“The emphasis will be on flexible and collaborative spaces where both attorneys and clients will work as one team, across platforms, time zones and markets. Technology will play a critical role, as will creative design elements such as moveable walls. The ability to accommodate attorneys who may need to work from home or remote locations on a regular basis will also be a focus of our space. Our goal is to, over time, incorporate many of these innovative components into our 30 locations in the United States, Europe and Asia.”
The new space for the firm’s founding office will also feature plenty of light and air, providing a human scale," Gorson said. Both the office, and the building, are planned for Certification in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System©, the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings.
“Gone are the days when attorneys had to be in a physical office all day long with the support of multiple business staff members to develop a contract or research a case. The frequency of clients physically visiting lawyers has been reduced significantly in this era of connectivity,” Alvarez said. “Today, and more so in the years to come, attorneys can work from anywhere in the world, often hemispheres away from business staff. Lawyers more often meet clients onsite to better understand their business and legal needs. The design of the new Greenberg Traurig Miami office addresses these changes efficiently and intelligently keeping the environment in mind.”
The two-tower Met2 will feature both a luxury hotel and office component and be part of the reported $1 billion Metropolitan Miami project which includes two residential buildings as well as an entertainment complex.
“We are particularly excited at being able to return to our roots at the urban core of the City of Miami,” said Gorson, a former board member of Miami’s Downtown Development Authority. “We understand our role as leaders and a major employer in this community. We were leaders when we were one of the first legal offices to move to the Brickell Avenue corridor. We are doing the same as we move back to the center of downtown Miami and take a role in the further development of this dynamic community as the center for residential, commercial and cultural life.”
The Greenberg Traurig space at Met2 is expected to total approximately 150,000 sq. ft. The firm expects to move in during the fall of 2010. The new office's design is further defined as "associate friendly" allowing lawyers 24/7 wireless mobility and connectivity, no matter where they are in the office, together with emphasis on casual associate collaborative work areas, including a comprehensive conference center.
“However, don’t expect the typical attorney office with rigid boundaries,” Alvarez said. “We have grown from three lawyers in 1967 to having more lawyers in the United States than any other firm. Key elements in that growth were our ability to be flexible while addressing clients’ real-world, real-time needs as well as our ability to attract and retain top talent by having in place business professionals who have allowed our lawyers to concentrate on the practice of law. The new space will embody this philosophy and leverage our demonstrated technology edge to further our gains in these areas.”
“The bottom line is that although the legal industry has rapidly changed and will continue to change, the design of a typical law office has changed very little in the last 50 years. Leveraging technology, understanding the different work habits of four generations of lawyers working together in today's typical office, and accommodating client needs are not being adequately addressed at the office space level. Better, more efficient design will positively affect the relationships among attorneys, their clients, and staff. The economic efficiencies created will be shared with our clients,” Alvarez said.
“The emphasis will be on flexible and collaborative spaces where both attorneys and clients will work as one team, across platforms, time zones and markets. Technology will play a critical role, as will creative design elements such as moveable walls. The ability to accommodate attorneys who may need to work from home or remote locations on a regular basis will also be a focus of our space. Our goal is to, over time, incorporate many of these innovative components into our 30 locations in the United States, Europe and Asia.”
The new space for the firm’s founding office will also feature plenty of light and air, providing a human scale," Gorson said. Both the office, and the building, are planned for Certification in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System©, the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings.
“Gone are the days when attorneys had to be in a physical office all day long with the support of multiple business staff members to develop a contract or research a case. The frequency of clients physically visiting lawyers has been reduced significantly in this era of connectivity,” Alvarez said. “Today, and more so in the years to come, attorneys can work from anywhere in the world, often hemispheres away from business staff. Lawyers more often meet clients onsite to better understand their business and legal needs. The design of the new Greenberg Traurig Miami office addresses these changes efficiently and intelligently keeping the environment in mind.”
The two-tower Met2 will feature both a luxury hotel and office component and be part of the reported $1 billion Metropolitan Miami project which includes two residential buildings as well as an entertainment complex.
“We are particularly excited at being able to return to our roots at the urban core of the City of Miami,” said Gorson, a former board member of Miami’s Downtown Development Authority. “We understand our role as leaders and a major employer in this community. We were leaders when we were one of the first legal offices to move to the Brickell Avenue corridor. We are doing the same as we move back to the center of downtown Miami and take a role in the further development of this dynamic community as the center for residential, commercial and cultural life.”
The Greenberg Traurig space at Met2 is expected to total approximately 150,000 sq. ft. The firm expects to move in during the fall of 2010. The new office's design is further defined as "associate friendly" allowing lawyers 24/7 wireless mobility and connectivity, no matter where they are in the office, together with emphasis on casual associate collaborative work areas, including a comprehensive conference center.
“However, don’t expect the typical attorney office with rigid boundaries,” Alvarez said. “We have grown from three lawyers in 1967 to having more lawyers in the United States than any other firm. Key elements in that growth were our ability to be flexible while addressing clients’ real-world, real-time needs as well as our ability to attract and retain top talent by having in place business professionals who have allowed our lawyers to concentrate on the practice of law. The new space will embody this philosophy and leverage our demonstrated technology edge to further our gains in these areas.”