Brown & James moving to Bank of America Plaza

Litigation and insurance defense firm Brown & James is moving its headquarters a few blocks down the street to the Bank of America Plaza building this fall.

The firm finalized this week an 11-year lease for 54,000 square feet at 800 Market St. in downtown St. Louis, said the firm’s managing principal, Mike Ward. The firm will move to the space by Oct. 1, occupying floors 9 through 11.

Brown & James’ main office is currently at 1010 Market St., which offers less space for the 110-attorney firm, Ward said.

“We’ve kind of outgrown our present building, and the new building offers superior amenities and better parking for our clients who come downtown,” Ward said.

Clients who come to the firm’s new office can park at a stadium garage that is connected to the building by a covered walkway, he said.

Currently, clients park on the street or at various downtown garages when visiting 1010 Market. Depending on the time of the day, it’s sometimes hard to find available parking around this building.

Ward said the firm is committed to remaining downtown and close to St. Louis courthouses.

He said the new building offers a lot of meeting space and a full-service cafeteria. The firm has retained architectural firm HOK to design the space and ISC Contracting to build it out.

Ward declined to comment on the terms of the lease but said the new office offers better rates than the firm’s current space. He said the rental rates were competitive under current market conditions.

The building’s average asking rate is $22 per square a year, according to Jones Lang LaSalle, the firm that leases and manages the building. Brown & James will move into office space that Bank of America previously occupied.