Law firm CMS will relocate its Warsaw office to Varso Tower

International law firm CMS will move to a new office located in Varso Tower - the highest office building in the European Union. The law firm has signed a lease for 7,000 sq m in the Varso Tower, developed by HB Reavis. On five floors connected by a staircase, the CMS team will occupy modern space to collaborate and develop relationships within the team and with the firm's clients. The firm will occupy floors 39 to 43, including an over 450-square-metre private terrace located at the height of 177 metres. CMS is advised by JLL in the site search and lease transaction process. Trzop Architekci is responsible for the office design. JLL is also advising on the design of all the functionalities that make up the new working environment and coordinating the project.

An international law firm with more than 70 offices in over 40 countries across the world and more than 5,000 lawyers worldwide, CMS has had a presence in Poland since 1995, where it currently employs around 300 people and is the second-largest law firm in the country. Its decision to lease a new office in this prime location, and the announcement that it will design all its functionalities and décor to a level not seen before in the legal services industry, is a model of innovation in the law firm environment and an important stimulus for the office market. 

“The greatest asset of any organisation are the people who make it up. It is our team that builds the firm's position in the market. Strengthening our organisational culture, at the centre of which is the creation of development opportunities for our team, is the best possible way to increase value for our clients. When planning the move to the new office, we decided to choose the best building on the market and to work with partners who will provide us with the highest possible standard of design and services. Together, we will create a cultureplace - a space for developing relationships within the team and with our clients, not just a workplace," says Andrzej Pośniak, Managing Partner of CMS law firm in Poland.

CMS has decided to lease 7,000 sqm of top-class office space in the highest building in the EU. According to the date of signing the agreement, it is the highest located office in Poland. The firm will occupy space between the 39th and 43rd floors. The office space will support CMS’s organisational culture, so all floors will be connected by a specially designed staircase, around which there will be spacious communal areas for formal and informal meetings. A unique part of the office is the over 450 sqm terrace located at the height of 177 metres.

"We have made an ambitious move and are looking to the future. We want to invest in innovation and attract the best talent in the legal services market. Until now, we rented an office of 4,500 sqm, and we decided to go for almost twice as much space. However, given the goal of providing the best conditions for growth, we planned an office that will provide comfortable common spaces for the entire CMS team of more than 300 people. We want it to be one vibrant organism which takes into account our style of work and our culture," emphasises Andrzej Pośniak.

Varso Tower is the final showpiece of Varso Place mixed-use development by HB Reavis consisting of offices, a hotel, an innovation hub and retail ground floor. Designed by Foster + Partners studio the skyscraper is the tallest building in the European Union. It is situated in the heart of Warsaw near the Warsaw Central Station. Construction is to be completed in 2022.

“CMS's decision to move its office to Varso Tower proves that leading organizations regard offices, their comfort and quality, to be an important element in attracting new talents and maintaining a motivated team. It is especially true in industries where relationships and teamwork are key. We are very glad that CMS chose our Varso Tower - a well-connected and friendly place known for its focus on sustainability and user wellbeing. Such a centrally located workplace means easy access to work and meetings as well as many amenities available nearby,” adds Marcin Klammer, President of the Management Board of HB Reavis in Poland.

Creating a working environment to meet CMS's aspirations required a holistic site selection and space creation approach. The firm was consulted on this by JLL, who was responsible for advising on and negotiating the contract, finding optimal solutions for the office's functions that would fit in with the firm's culture, and coordinating the execution of the detailed design project.

“The transaction between CMS and HB Reavis marks the next stage in the development of the office market in Poland. CMS's approach to redefining a workplace fully built around the needs of, and with the team's participation, will be a model for many companies who are working on a strategy to support their employees in achieving their career goals. It is also a great example of how demanding the different competencies and complex process of creating a new workplace is - from analysing the specifics of the organisation and its long-term development plans to designing and building the space and managing change. Of the buildings we analysed, Varso Tower offers the most opportunities to create a culture-creating space that matches the vision of CMS, for which nurturing relationships is a crucial feature of the business, as all parties involved in the transaction have repeatedly discovered," says Ida Stankiewicz, Senior Director, Tenant Representation, JLL.

JLL's workplace experts are advising CMS in the process of finally defining the necessary functions and solutions needed by the law firm's employees and business partners. The CMS law firm plans to move into the new space in late 2022/early 2023.

“We are proud to be part of such a unique project for one of the largest law firms in Poland and the world. The CMS office in Varso Tower will be one of the highest located offices in Poland, and visitors and employees will enjoy access to the largest and highest located office tenant's terrace. The view from the office windows is undoubtedly impressive, best exemplified by the fact that there is a clock placed on the Palace of Culture at the eye level of a visitor entering the reception area,” notes Bartosz Trzop, founder and CEO of Trzop Architekci architectural studio.