Law Firm Brown Rudnick Inks New 28K SF D.C. Lease

The law firm flight to quality in Washington, D.C., continues this week with a new office lease from Brown Rudnick.

The firm signed a lease for 27,513 square feet at 1900 N Street NW, taking an entire floor at the building two blocks south of Dupont Circle, according to the Business Journals. The firm is moving from its 35,466-square-foot lease at 601 13th Street NW, a 12-story property just east of the White House dubbed The Homer Building. (Brown Rudnick currently sublets 11,122 square feet of its Homer Building lease to another organization, a Brown Rudnick spokesperson said.)

JLL Executive Managing Director Evan Behr represented the landlord, German investor and asset management company Commerz Real AG, in the deal. The company acquired the building from a joint venture between JBG Smith and The Canada Pension Plan for nearly $246 million in 2022, though JBG Smith still manages it, per the Business Journals.

Brown Rudnick is expected to move into its new N Street digs in April 2025, bringing occupancy there to 92 percent. Other tenants at the 11-story property include Goodwin Procter, CBRE and environmental law firm Beveridge & Diamond. Brown Rudnick has also courted D.C.-based architecture firm Studio Alliance to renovate and redesign the N Street space, according to a Studio Alliance spokesperson. 

“This new space will not only enhance collaboration and help attract and retain top talent, but will also create a welcoming environment that inspires excellence and ultimately better serves our clients,” Jennifer Korff, Brown Rudnick COO, said in a statement.  

The ground floor is occupied by Mediterranean restaurant Balos Estiatorio, which was added to the Michelin Guide in June. 

Brown Rudnick is the latest in a string of trophy leases signed by law firms in Washington, D.C., which is helping to keep the struggling office market afloat. 

Hyman, Phelps & McNamara in July, for example, signed a 19,194-square-foot relocation lease at 1101 K Street NW, leaving its home of 20 years on 13th Street NW. In June, Philadelphia-based firm Cozen O’Connor took 65,576 square feet at 2001 M Street NW, taking over the space left by law firm Orrick after it relocated to Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest.

Nick Trombola can be reached at NTrombola@commercialobserver.com.

Update: This story has been updated with more specific information on the sizes of the leases.