WilmerHale is bulking up its downtown Denver footprint, locking in more space at 17th Street Plaza and planning a roughly $1.2 million build-out that will bring the firm’s local office to about 35,000 square feet. The Denver outpost, which opened in 2014, has been steadily stacking up lawyers and staff, and the new space is slated to make room for additional attorneys and collaboration zones as more employees return to in-person work.
As reported by The Denver Post, the firm leased an extra half-floor at 1225 17th St. last year and filed public records that peg the tenant build-out at about $1.2 million. The Denver Post notes that the Denver office has grown from just two attorneys in 2014 to roughly 40 lawyers today, and partner Mindy Sooter told the paper the downtown workspace is “overflowing” with staff on in-office days.
WilmerHale’s local roots and practice focus
According to WilmerHale, the Denver office launched in 2014 with two attorneys and has since expanded into a hub for intellectual property, private equity, real estate and government-focused work across the Rocky Mountain region. The firm lists the office at 1225 17th Street, Suite 2600, and describes the team as operating where government, technology and business intersect. That positioning helps explain why the firm has been steadily adding lawyers and recruiting for practices tailored to the local market.
Owner plans and what it means for downtown
Per BusinessDen, the 32-story Seventeenth Street Plaza at 1225 17th St. sold in 2025 to an affiliate of Lone Star Funds for about $132.5 million. The new owner has outlined plans to renovate the ground floor, outdoor plaza and third-floor amenities. BusinessDen reports that the tower has held up better than much of downtown, with marketing materials showing stronger occupancy even as the broader central business district wrestled with elevated vacancy last year. Ownership-backed upgrades combined with a tenant taking more contiguous space are exactly the kind of moves brokers say can help steady demand for well-located office buildings.
Return-to-office policy drives space needs
WilmerHale’s national policy asks employees to be in the office four days a week, and The Denver Post reports that many Denver staffers are showing up even more often, which has cranked up the pressure on the existing footprint. That mix of formal expectations and local work habits was cited as a key driver behind the half-floor lease and the planned fit-out. For a firm that frequently advises on government and technology matters, having people physically present downtown makes client meetings, hearings and deal work easier to handle…