Mills & Reeve lines up Circle Square move
The law firm is set to take around 12,000 sq ft at Bruntwood’s Circle Square in potentially the second major deal at the mixed-use development in Manchester.
Currently based on the ninth floor at 1 New York Street, the law firm is currently at heads-of-terms for a deal at Bruntwood SciTech’s 400,000 sq ft development on Oxford Road.
The legal practice has seen significant expansion in the past 12 months, particularly in its real estate offering headed up by Mike Edge and Rachel Pitman, who joined the company last January.
Eight new staff have joined its real estate team in the past year, while the company also hired partner Richard New from Eversheds Sutherland in February.
If confirmed, Mills & Reeve will be the second major tenant to sign for offices at Circle Square, which are due to complete next year and are currently being built by contractor Sisk.
In December, HP confirmed it would be taking a 10-year lease on 20,000 sq ft on the seventh floor at No1 Circle Square; other tenants understood to be eyeing space at the development include Jaguar Land Rover, which already has a presence with Bruntwood in Manchester at Neo, where it has 9,500 sq ft over two floors.
Fashion retailer Beauty Bay had also lined up a deal to take 30,000 sq ft at Circle Square, but ultimately decided against the move to expand in its existing base at Exchange Quay in Salford.
Circle Square is also understood to be one of the sites under consideration by telecoms giant BT for its 200,000 sq ft requirement, as revealed by Place North West in February this year.
The retained agents for Circle Square are JLL, Knight Frank, and Savills. Savills is understood to be acting for Mills & Reeve on its move.
Bruntwood and Mills & Reeve were contacted for comment.