Law firm opens Detroit office

Law firm opens Detroit office
Warner's Detroit office was developed and built by Olympia Development as part of its District Detroit project, which is transforming a 50-block area into a business, sports and entertainment district. <strong> Courtesy Warner, Norcross + Judd LLP </strong>

The buildout of Warner Norcross + Judd LLP’s new Detroit office is complete.

The firm is the sole tenant on the third floor of the new five-story office building located at 2715 Woodward Ave. Up to 60 attorneys and team members will be moving into the 30,000-square-foot office space in the coming months as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.

“Although this is our first Detroit address, Warner has been active in southeast Michigan for nearly 25 years,” said Linda Paullin-Hebden, executive partner of the Detroit office. “Our new Detroit office is the culmination of this history and the catapult to our future, serving clients with premier legal services in an engaging, welcoming environment.”

The building was developed and built by Olympia Development as part of its District Detroit project, which is transforming a 50-block area into a business, sports and entertainment district. The building is between Little Caesars Arena and the Mike Ilitch School of Business at Wayne State University.

“I speak for the entire firm today to say how excited we are to demonstrate our commitment to Detroit and its ongoing resurgence,” Paullin-Hebden said. “We talked with our partners and clients who agreed it was important for Warner to be part of Detroit’s core business district. At the same time, we wanted a location that would be accessible and create opportunities for fun events and informal gatherings. District Detroit checked all the boxes.”

The Detroit office has several amenities, including:

  • A lounge that overlooks Woodward Avenue, Little Caesar’s Arena and the Detroit skyline.
  • A kitchen and cafe area that seats up to 40 people and creates additional open work and collaborative space.
  • Client and visiting attorney workstations.
  • A media center that will offer connectivity for both interactive work and client entertainment.
  • Conference rooms of varying sizes offering state-of-the-art collaborative technology to simplify video conferencing, webinars and conference calls.
  • The Vault, which is a modern law library tucked inside perforated panels to allow light to filter in while sheltering those inside. The Vault will enable attorneys to get away from their desks for focused work.
  • Enhanced security throughout with improved building access control.
  • Technology designed to enhance digital files and record-keeping.

“In addition to providing professional, quiet offices for concentrated legal work, our design plan also put a premium on interactive areas to encourage collaboration and client interaction in a variety of settings,” said Katherine L. Pullen, a partner at Warner and member of the office design team. “We want our clients to feel welcome in the Warner office beyond our business meetings. With the lounge and cafe areas, clients can stop in as part of their evening in Detroit, before a cultural, sports event, dinner on the town or just when they need a comfortable place to plug in and get some of their own work done.

“At the same time, we wanted a space that would accommodate all generations, from team members in their 20s to attorneys and staff in their 70s. Our new location is in the heart of the action and just steps away from Detroit’s premier business and entertainment options.”

Oliver Hatcher was the general contractor for the buildout. HED (Harley Ellis Devereaux) Architects provided interior design and engineering services. Advocate Commercial Real Estate Advisors acted as Warner’s commercial leasing adviser. Office furniture was provided by Haworth through its distributors, Interphase Interiors and Airea.