20 October 2009
M&A Solicitors to lay down the law as first tenant at 3 Assembly Square
M&A Solicitors has become the first tenant at Cardiff Waterside’s flagship 3 Assembly Square office building.
The specialist legal firm is taking 8,000 sq ft on a ten year lease at the waterfront building on Britannia Quay. The firm will move into to the 66,215 sq ft Aviva Investor owned building from its current location in the centre of Cardiff prior to Christmas.
The building was completed in July and designed by architects Scott Brownrigg and sustainability consultants Arup with environmental sustainability to the fore.
Eco-features including a biomass boiler, chilled beams and rainwater harvesting, have seen the building achieve the prestigious environmental stamp of BREEAM ‘Excellent’. These state-of-the-art green technologies and systems will also reduce energy, water, maintenance and replacement running costs by up to 50% against a comparable building.
The offices also boast a highly-innovative design, with timber louvers, feature exterior glazing and a full-height atrium with staircase and lifts, designed to provide tenants with panoramic views over the city.
Rhydian Morris, Associate at Knight Frank, acting for Cardiff Waterside said: "It is a very strong statement for Cardiff Waterside to secure one of Wales’ leading solicitors firm as the first tenant at the high profile No.3 Assembly Square. The high quality BREEAM Excellent building, waterfront location and close-by amenities including an on-site multi storey car park were instrumental in M&A Solicitors relocating to the bay and reflect the ethos and approach of the firm."
M&A Solicitor is Wales’ premiere specialist commercial law firm, and has been at the heart of many of Wales’ highest profile projects in recent years. Recent successes have included advising Cardiff City Football Club on its new stadium development and acting for the Regions on its player sharing arrangements with the Welsh Rugby Union.
As well as providing specialist transaction services M&A Solicitors has strong public sector, construction, commercial and litigation practices. M & A Solicitors is celebrating its tenth anniversary with the move to 3 Assembly Square and in that time has grown to 11 partners and a staff of over 40. The firm is recognised for providing a partner-led service and a City of London quality at cost effective rates. M&A Solicitors will be joined in its move, by Midas People Management LLP the leading director level HR consultancy in Wales, which is associated with the firm.
Stephen Berry, Managing Partner at M&A Solicitors, said: “The move to 3 Assembly Square follows our success in the commercial legal market and sets us up for the next phase of our development. We have a top quality portfolio of clients who are all very loyal to M&A Solicitors and are located throughout the United Kingdom. We are excited by the move to Cardiff Bay and see this as a good opportunity to build on our relationships with the Wales Assembly Government and other public sector bodies in Wales.”
Ben Bolton, Associate Director, Cooke and Arkwright, joint agent for the scheme said: “Despite the current economic conditions, there remains a flight to quality buildings amongst tenants. With its waterfront location, easy accessibility and great amenities, 3 Assembly Square offers the best Grade A space available in the capital at the moment and we’re confident it’ll continue to attract businesses and organisations looking to make a statement.”
Cardiff Waterside comprises over 500,000 sq ft of contemporary office space encompassed in a selection of eight flexible offices at the cutting edge of design. Planning consent has been granted for another 500,000 sq ft.