Roetzel & Andress LPA (Roetzel) has relocated its Columbus office to new, custom-designed space in the heart of the city’s downtown business district. The workspace is highly collaborative and enabled with advanced technology and other amenities to accommodate the firm’s next generation of leadership and its vision for the future.
The new office at 41 South High Street on the 21st floor of the Huntington Center represents Roetzel’s embrace of a growing industry trend toward modernization and agility to better reflect how today’s law firms operate and what younger lawyers desire from their workplace.
“We are thrilled about this move for our Columbus office, not only for the significant upgrade to our working space, but also ensuring that Roetzel is ahead of the curve for meeting the needs and demands of our firm’s leaders, attorneys and clients,” said Melissa R. Hoeffel, Partner-in-Charge of the Columbus office. “We incorporated into the design input from our younger, millennial attorneys so that the space fully supports their needs and work styles for delivering maximum satisfaction and productivity.”
Robert E. Blackham, Chairman of Roetzel, added, “Roetzel is committed to looking forward and we are excited about what our new office space means for the firm and for our commitment to the Columbus marketplace. This relocation has instilled renewed vigor and enthusiasm among our attorneys and staff for utilizing the many new office features and modern amenities to enhance all of the services that we provide to our clients.”
In keeping with the progressive legal industry outlook that smaller is better for modern office space, the new Columbus office occupies 19,030 square feet, which is 27 percent less space than the former office. The firm has an option to lease an additional 6,343 square feet in its new home within the next five years.
“The new office footprint provides ample space to grow the Columbus team, yet in a more efficient, versatile and creative configuration that is conducive to our highly collaborative, transparent and client-focused work,” said Hoeffel, who is one of the youngest managing partners of a law firm office in the Columbus market.
Presently the firm’s third largest office with more than 30 attorneys, Roetzel's Columbus office has experienced significant growth over the past few years, with projected continued expansion of professional staff over the next 12 to 18 months.
The Columbus office also has evolved to better serve the thriving state capital’s business community, increasing and enhancing its client services in diverse areas. These include Construction: Project Delivery & Claims, Labor and Employment Services, Government Relations, Corporate, Tax and Transactional, Real Estate, Litigation, and Trust, Estate and Probate Litigation.
Designed by Atlanta-based ASD SKY, the new space was envisioned to conform with and foster Roetzel’s vibrant culture. New office design and functional elements include:
- Electric desks for stand-up work solutions;
- Collaborative work spaces;
- Transitional work surfaces that can serve individuals or be combined as a large work surface area;
- A special lounge with the aura of a communal coffee shop featuring soft seating;
- Huddle rooms for private meetings;
- A multi-purpose wellness room for nursing mothers and employees to relax or recover from illness;
- Modern catering and kitchen facilities;
- Entertainment space for holding seminars, educational and client events, and meetings;
- Enhanced security features at office access points; and
- Convenient parking facilities for employees and guests.
Conference rooms and other areas feature state-of-the-art technology including high-end AV equipment plus Smart TVs for projection, a zoned sound system including white noise, a reception area technology bar with ample charging stations for electronic devices, cable TV and WiFi access throughout, and energy efficient LED lighting and controls. The new office also will be paper-lite, reducing the firm’s paper footprint by about 40 percent from its former office environment.
Some of the architectural and aesthetic highlights include floor-to-ceiling glass walls in conference rooms, wooden barn sliding doors, and original artwork for public spaces by a local artist and recent graduate of the College of Art and Design (CCAD). The aesthetics also are enhanced by gorgeous cityscape sightlines from office and public area windows, including a view of the historical, Greek Revival-style Ohio Statehouse building, one of the oldest working statehouses in the United States.
View PDF