US law firm leasing jumped 17% in first half, report says
XLRE•Quarterly leasing hit a record
The second quarter hit a quarterly record of 7.3 million square feet leased in the legal sector, exceeding the previous quarterly high by 23% from the fourth quarter of 2024, the report said. Cushman & Wakefield tracks law firm leases of all sizes across the country.
Law firms “tend to be pretty office-centric relative to other industries,” even if they offer flexibility for in-person work, Smith said.
Legal sector leasing rose in the first half
U.S. law firm leasing boomed in the first half of 2026, with activity centered in New York, Chicago and other major markets and buoyed by several large deals, according to reports by real estate brokerages.
Legal sector leasing increased 17% year-over-year in the first half to nearly 12.2 million square feet, according to figures released on Thursday by Cushman & Wakefield.
