Take-up of office space in London by law firms in 2025 increased by 13.3% compared with the previous year, according to the latest figures from Knight Frank.
Law firms signed for 828,450 sq ft of space in the capital last year with take-up in Q4 jumping 75% quarter-on-quarter as firms snapped up 276,728 sq ft across 13 transactions.
Of 19 transactions completed in 2025 by legal sector occupiers for more than 10,000 sq ft of space, 15 were expansionary, with firms either relocating to a new office and acquiring more floor space or adding an additional office.
At the end of 2025, legal sector demand stood at 1.7m sq ft across 16 requirements, with 575,000 sq ft under offer. Half of the active requirements were for 150,000 sq ft or more.
Richard Proctor, head of UK occupier strategy and solutions at Knight Frank, said: “The leasing activity of London’s thriving legal community sends a clear signal: the sector’s leading global players are betting on growth. US firms are leading the way, snapping up large pre-lets at Grade A schemes in prime locations, often with significant expansion options to accommodate future headcount growth. While securing best-in-class space is increasingly challenging, successful firms are recognising the crucial role played by prime workspace in fuelling talent attraction, engagement and retention, giving them an edge in the ongoing war for talent.”
Jennifer Townsend, partner at Knight Frank, added: “The legal profession has been voting with its feet, and it has been voting for new and refurbished stock. Demand is increasingly concentrated around the highest quality space in the capital’s core submarkets, but constrained development pipelines, robust rental growth and lengthening pre-let timeframes are all complicating the picture for future moves. Firms with upcoming lease events need to kickstart their planning earlier to secure prime workspace in what is one of the most competitive legal office markets in the world.”
