Cushman & Wakefield: Law Firms Drive Office Growth for Premium Space
Bright Insight report finds legal sector leasing continues to surge as firms accelerate AI investment and expand premium office footprints
Law firms are emerging as one of the strongest drivers of office market recovery, expanding footprints and accelerating investments in artificial intelligence (AI) at a time when many industries continue to reassess their workplace needs, according to a new report from Cushman & Wakefield.
The firm’s latest Bright Insight report found that U.S. law firms leased 4.6 million square feet (msf) of office space in the first quarter of 2026, marking the second-strongest first quarter on record and extending a four-year run of record leasing activity for the legal sector.
Over the past four quarters, law firms leased 31% more office space than they did in 2019, underscoring the sector’s outsized role in supporting demand for high-quality office products across U.S. markets.
