Holland & Knight moves to the 10th floor of the Williams Mullen Center. (BizSense file)
Two additions to the legal industry include the establishment of a first national law firm in Richmond while a smaller local law firm moves to Hampton Roads.
Holland & Knight, a Florida-based legal giant with more than 1,000 attorneys and dozens of offices worldwide, is opening a branch in downtown Richmond.
The firm rented 5,800 square feet on the 10th floor of the Williams Mullen Center at 200 S. 10th St.
It is unclear how many lawyers will occupy Holland & Knight’s new office. She has at least two lawyers in her ranks in Richmond, including partner Travis Sabalewski, who joined the firm from ReedSmith last year. It also recruited ReedSmith’s Paul Gibson in May.
Holland & Knight representatives have not responded to requests for comments at press time. The closest offices are in Tysons, Virginia and Washington, DC
The company was represented on its Richmond lease by Chris Wallace with CBRE. Holland & Knight is expected to move into the space later this year or early next year.
As Holland & Knight takes its first big step in Richmond, a long-standing Richmond law firm is expanding east into Hampton Roads.
CowanGates recently rented a storefront in Merchants Square in Colonial Williamsburg. It will be the company’s second office to be attached to its Richmond home at 1930 Huguenot Road.
The 1,000-square-foot Williamsburg building is located at 439 W. Duke of Gloucester St., which is due to move into later this fall.
CowanGates didn’t want to comment on the Williamsburg expansion. The firm was founded in 1977 and has 10 lawyers.
CowanGates is the newest Richmond company to move into Merchants Square. In the course of its further growth, the residential real estate agency Shaheen, Ruth, Martin & Fonville has recently settled there.