REI secures global law firm’s second UK home

INTERNATIONAL law firm Greenberg Traurig Maher has opened its second UK office in Birmingham after taking the entire second floor of a Grade II listed building.

The firm, whose parent company Greenberg Traurig has offices across America and Europe, is occupying the 2,281 sq ft second floor of Cathedral Place, in Waterloo Street, which is owned by Real Estate Investors.

The company opened its first UK firm as Greenberg Traurig Maher in London in June last year.

GTM has taken a five-year lease at a rental of £57,000 per annum, equating to £24.99 per square foot.

Neil Upton, formerly a partner at DLA Piper in Birmingham, has been recruited to head up the new operation and will run GTM’s UK energy practice.

GTM partner Paul Maher said: “We are very pleased that Neil and his team decided to join us.

“This practice area is strategically important in the build-out of GTM’s business plan and this move is an important element for the support of this practice.”

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REI chief executive Paul Bassi added: “This is a major coup for REI and Cathedral Place and justifies our investment in this valuable piece of central Birmingham real estate.”

Cathedral Place is the former headquarters of the Birmingham Midshires Building Society, which REI has developed into 11,500 sq ft of grade A office space in the Colmore Business District.

REI acquired the complex for £3m three years ago and spent a further £1.5m on refurbishing the building.

In June, REI moved its own headquarters from West Bromwich to Cathedral Place.

The property firm says it is prepared to spend up to £100m in 2010/11 and recently begun its acquisition programme with the purchase of 75-77 Colmore Row for £4.5m in July.