Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has abandoned plans to open a second legal services centre in Vancouver, The Lawyer has learned.
Instead the magic circle firm is understood to now be considering opening a base on the opposite coast in Toronto.
It first emerged Freshfields was mulling a Vancouver centre last April, on the back of the success of its Manchester operation, and in a bid to better service its Asian lawyers and clients.
However sources close to the firm said the firm had changed its mind and was now looking at Toronto.
Speaking to The Lawyer last April regarding the proposed Vancouver base, then executive partner Michael Lacovara – who has since moved to Latham & Watkins in New York – said headcount targets “remain open” but the office would likely open with an initial 20 to 25 legal services assistants. He said the firm had been looking at locations in time zones that could provide “better coverage to our 24/7 service to clients”.
He added the city was an also attractive for its legal services talent pool and a prime location for business services personnel, particularly thanks to its large Mandarin-speaking population.
A Freshfields spokesperson declined to comment on the Toronto proposals, while co-managing partner Stephan Eilers said in a statement: “We haven’t made any final decisions about a second centre and are continuing to investigate a number of options.”
The Toronto centre would work alongside the Manchester hub, which houses around 600 paralegal and back office staff and is run by former Aviva global shared services managing director Anup Kollanethu and partner Gareth Stephenson.
Freshfields moved into its permanent home in Manchester in 2015, signing a £2.6m lease in One New Bailey. As a result of the major back office relocations to the northern city, Freshfields will significantly downsize in London in 2021 when it moves to 100 Bishopsgate. The firm signed a £16.5m lease for 255,000 sq ft of space over 12 floors in the tower late last year.
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