Law firm relocates office

Law firm relocates office

Varnum's office in downtown Kalamazoo is in the Globe Building. Courtesy Varnum

A Grand Rapids-based law firm has relocated one of its offices in the region.

Varnum said last week it moved all 12 of its Kalamazoo attorneys and six staff members to a leased space downtown on the fourth floor of the Globe Building, at 211 E. Water St.

Kalamazoo-based PlazaCorp is the landlord of the 7,400-square-foot space.

The area is home to a mix of professional businesses, restaurants and entertainment venues.

Established 29 years ago, Varnum’s Kalamazoo office was previously located in a 14,300-square-foot space at 251 N. Rose St., since 2000.

The Kalamazoo attorneys — who serve the southwest Michigan market, as well as clients statewide and nationwide — offer a full set of services with a particular focus on business law, banking and financial services, American-Indian law, family law, environmental, litigation and trial services, riparian rights and personal injury law.

Office layout

Kalamazoo Managing Partner Fred Schubkegel said the new space is smaller than the former office, but it includes room to expand.

“Our new offices actually feel larger due to the open layout, with significantly less space devoted to hallways,” he said.

The four-story Globe Building features high, open spaces and exposed brick and beams. The Varnum office includes an inner stairwell with a view of balconies outside and wall-to-wall large windows that provide natural lighting.

“Like most professional service businesses, legal work today relies more on virtual space than actual space,” Schubkegel said. “We’d been in our previous location for 17 years, and it was no longer serving our needs.

“In addition to having a great visual appeal, the layout of the new suite is more conducive to a collaborative work environment.”

The firm said the new office comes with on-site parking for clients and attorneys, more attractive and comfortable conference rooms and space for client and community group meetings, which all the other Varnum locations have.

New hires

In line with planned growth, two new attorneys have joined the Kalamazoo office.

Family law attorney Erika Salerno joined the firm this month, and corporate attorney Elliott Berlin will begin later this month.

Varnum

With more than 160 attorneys in eight Michigan offices, Varnum serves as counsel to individuals, businesses and institutions throughout Michigan and the Midwest.