Moving a Law Firm - a Managing Partner’s Point of View

Posted Monday, December 7, 2015 by Christopher L. Thayer

As many of you know, Pivotal Law Group has moved our offices. After nearly 20 years at One Union Square we have moved into a brand new suite in the IBM Building (1200 5th Ave., Suite 1217, Seattle, WA 98101). The IBM Building was completed in 1964 and designed by architect Minoru Yamasaki, who also designed the nearby Rainier Tower. The IBM Building is known for its sweeping arches framing the first floor and for long-time tenant, Benihana.

After being at the same location for so long, preparing for a move was no simple task. Months of planning were required to ensure a smooth transition, including coordination with IT and our phone system. Packing, packing, packing. You would not believe how much “stuff” a law firm can accumulate in 20 years. Let’s just say I can get you a deal on an old school cassette tape Dictaphone if you are in the market for one.

The actual move occurred on the night of 10/2/15. The professional movers arrived in the late afternoon, and began “staging” the boxes and materials, but were not allowed to start using the freight elevator until after 6pm, which made for a long night. We had a LOT of boxes – even after purging some old materials. Here are some photos showing the boxes stacked up and lining the elevator lobby on the night of our move:

The move went well into the night . . . and into the next morning. The movers finally left at 3:30 a.m. Saturday morning. Pivotal attorneys and staff worked most of the weekend unpacking and getting our new offices set up, so we could be up and running on Monday. Moving furniture, buying furniture, hanging wall art, designing a new sign, coordinating with phone vendors, and just getting settled in and fully operational has been quite a challenge. But with lots of planning, and lots of help from our great staff, everything has worked out very well. The move went smoothly, we are very happy with our new space, and we look forward to many years here helping our clients.

Here is the entrance to our new suite.

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Our contact information has not changed other than our mailing address, same telephone number (206) 340-2008, and same fax (206) 340-1962. Please feel free to drop by and get a tour anytime.