The Grand Rapids-based Varnum law firm has opened its fourth southeast Michigan office, an 8,000-sqsuare-foot space at 260 E. Brown St. in Birmingham’s central business district.
The facility includes 15 private offices, several conference rooms, and a large open-style multi-work-station area for support personnel. Seven attorneys from the firm’s Novi and Detroit locations have moved to the new office, which opened Aug. 12.
“Our new Birmingham office, together with our downtown Detroit, Novi, and Ann Arbor locations, is strategically positioned to serve our growing client base in Southeast Michigan,” says Ron DeWaard, chair of the firm. “Our goal is to double the size of the office in the coming year. Moving attorneys from the Novi and Detroit locations also opens up space in those offices, which had been at capacity.
“We’re excited about this additional location and the opportunity it presents for continued growth of the firm,” DeWaard says. “There is a demand for our brand of client-focused legal service in this market.”
DeWaard says its client base in southeast Michigan has grown more than 50 percent in the past five years. In addition to a growing number of clients, the new office serves an expanding attorney roster. Since last year, 12 of the 18 attorneys who have joined the firm are based in southeast Michigan.
Mike Romaya, a senior attorney in Varnum’s finance group, serves as the lead partner for the Birmingham office.
“We have a significant client base in Birmingham and this location allows us to better serve their needs,” Romaya says. “While this office will have a strong focus on working with business and finance clients, we are a full-service law firm offering an array of sophisticated legal offerings, no matter which office you visit.”
