Reed Smith’s new Houston office space will be a game-changer for the firm’s nearly 100 lawyers and support staff, who have occupied two floors at 811 Main Street in Houston’s downtown Skyline District for nearly 10 years.
“Our new office boasts a brilliant design and world-class amenities that will entice people who have been working from home for the past two years to venture out and return to the office, in keeping with our flexible work policy,” said Houston office managing partner Ken Broughton. “Brookfield Properties has created a beautifully welcoming and people-friendly place.”
During the pandemic, Brookfield Properties invested some $150 million renovating the first four floors of LyondellBasell Tower, known in Houston as “LBT,” to create a bespoke mixed-use office environment like no other in the city.
“LBT has been thoroughly redesigned for the way we work post-pandemic,” Broughton said. “Our needs have changed immensely since we first came to Houston in 2013, and we now require a wider variety of interesting, engaging, and sustainable environments – both inside and out – to support team collaborations, interpersonal interactions, and employee wellness.”
LBT is also LEED-certified in support of Reed Smith’s internal ESG initiatives, including its commitment to reduce its carbon footprint by 20% by 2024, among other benchmarks set forth in the firm’s Global Environmental Sustainability Plan.
The 46-floor Tower occupies a full city block bounded by McKinney, Caroline, Walker, and San Jacinto Streets. Clients will have easier access to LyondellBasell than to the firm’s current office, and many of the firm’s clients’ offices are close to LBT.
Reed Smith will occupy the 21st and 22nd floors, now being built out to add new individual and collaborative work areas, 10 conference rooms, and wellness spaces. The new space will follow a flexible universal office layout that can accommodate our lawyers and staff as well as visiting attorneys and clients.
As is standard across all Reed Smith offices, integrated HD collaborative technology facilitates modern meeting experiences for in-person and remote participants across the firm’s global platform.
LBT includes three outdoor spaces with water features, indoor areas that are comfortable and full of light, a conference center, access to a variety of food options, and close proximity to Discovery Green, Minute Maid Park, and the Toyota Center. LBT also includes one of the largest, fully staffed gym facilities in downtown to support employees’ wellness goals and fitness aspirations.
Brookfield Properties also renovated the tower’s retail center, and renamed it “The Highlight,” thereby giving tenants and visitors a modern shopping destination. Further improvements were made to the property’s main lobby and conferencing facility for better pedestrian flow, energy efficiency and design, including new flooring, lighting, furniture, wall finishes, and art.
Broughton anticipates that the firm will complete its move into the newly redesigned Tower in the first quarter of calendar year 2023.
The Houston office is the firm’s first of three in Texas for Reed Smith, which also expanded to Austin in 2018 and Dallas in 2019.
About Reed Smith
Reed Smith is a dynamic international law firm dedicated to helping clients move their businesses forward. With an inclusive culture and innovative mindset, we deliver smarter, more creative legal services that drive better outcomes for our clients. Our deep industry knowledge, long-standing relationships and collaborative structure make us the go-to partner for complex disputes, transactions and regulatory matters.
For more information, visit reedsmith.com.
