As Boston’s office market gradually rebounds from the pandemic, a noticeable surge in leasing activity has emerged, primarily driven by law firms returning to the office and facing impending lease expirations.
Recent data from Avison Young reveals that the law firm sector signed approximately 800,000 square feet of leases in Boston in the year ending in May, marking an impressive demand growth of 332% compared to the previous year.
Tucker White, U.S. Office Agency Lead at Avison Young, expressed optimism over the sustained momentum within the legal sector, highlighting the convergence of expiring leases and competitive landlord offerings.
“Just the perfect story of lease expiration dates coming up, which has resulted in a lot of these landlords all competing for the legal sector at the moment,” White stated.
He pointed out that the legal industry has also demonstrated strong return-to-office metrics, contributing to a reduction in downsizing for firms.
Currently, 13 law firms are actively seeking office spaces exceeding 20,000 square feet, according to Avison Young.
Many of these firms entered the Boston market in the five years preceding the pandemic, driven by the needs of the burgeoning life sciences and technology sectors, which required specialized legal expertise.
These firms typically signed leases spanning seven to ten years, and with many of those agreements now expiring, demand for office space is set to surge.
Avison Young identifies 62 law firms with lease expirations scheduled between 2026 and 2028 yet to secure new leases, amounting to 1.6 million square feet of potential demand.
Among these, 58 firms occupy 50,000 square feet or less, a demographic that tends to sign leases approximately 12 months prior to their expiration.
Furthermore, 35 of the upcoming expirations are in trophy or Class-A spaces, while 27 are located in Class-B properties.
“Some of the law firms, especially the proactive in getting the deal done, there’s been a lot of renewals probably done earlier or in a longer time frame just so they could get a better rate with the market softening at the moment and creating leverage a little bit earlier,” White added.
This proactive approach to office leasing has led to law firm renewals comprising over 70% of the leasing activity in Boston’s office market in 2025, as highlighted by Avison Young.
Recent deals include leases signed by firms such as Barnes & Thornburg, Sidley Austin, Nutter McClennen & Fish, and Manatt, Phelps & Phillips.
In December, Jones Day secured a 41,000 square foot lease at South Station Tower, while Ropes & Gray, the largest law firm in Massachusetts, renewed and expanded its existing 413,000 square foot lease at BXP’s Prudential Tower in the Back Bay.
Ropes & Gray has mandated that its employees return to the office four days a week, setting a precedent that other law firms are following as they implement flexible work schedules to encourage attorneys back into the office.
“Law firm-oriented workers are coming back to the office more so than some other sectors, and that has led to a lot less downsizing and being proactive with lease negotiations and getting to the market,” White noted.
Similar trends in leasing activity among law firms have been identified in other markets, such as Washington, D.C., where many firms are strategically signing deals well ahead of their lease expirations.
With over 60 leases poised to expire in the coming three years and a proactive search for new space already underway, White anticipates that the current leasing momentum in Boston will persist.
“It’ll at least continue for the next few years,” he asserted.
The law firm sector is poised to remain a robust contributor to Boston’s office leasing market moving forward.
image source from：https://www.bisnow.com/boston/news/office/boston-law-firms-see-spike-in-leasing-activity-fueled-by-expirations-rto-mandates-129819
