Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom’s flight to quality will include at least $9 million for improving its space at Texas Tower.
The build-out for Skadden will affect about 42,000 square feet of the international law firm’s 52,000-square-foot lease, Houston Business Journal reported, citing a state filing. That works out to $214 per square foot.
Construction on the space, which spans floors 18 and 23 of the 47-story tower, is expected to start this summer and be completed by the end of the year. Skadden’s lease begins April 2026.
The lease, which was confirmed in March, brings the 1.2 million-square-foot building’s occupancy to 99 percent. Two spec suites totaling 18,000 comprised the only available space at the tower as of last month, the outlet reported.
Skadden currently occupies 24,000 square feet at Wells Fargo Plaza, at 1000 Louisiana Street, also in downtown Houston.
The firm has been under fire recently for cutting a deal with the Trump White House to shield itself from Trump’s executive orders targeting specific law firms. Skadden agreed to provide more than $100 million in pro bono work for Trump-backed initiatives.
Texas Tower, at 845 Texas Avenue, was developed by Hines and Ivanhoe Cambridge. It was delivered in 2021. Other tenants at the tower include Hines and British law firm Clifford Chance, which is getting a $20 million build-out for its two-floor, 60,400-square-foot lease.
The tower’s lease-up highlights the prominence of the flight-to-quality office trends, which has companies luring workers back to the office with top-of-the-line amenities.
As a result, many older buildings have been left behind. Office vacancy in Houston remains high at 25.8 percent, the Greater Houston Partnership reported, citing CoStar.
–Jess Hardin
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Hines pours $20M into law firm’s buildout as landlords vie for tenants
Law firm lease brings Hines’ Texas Tower to 99 percent occupied
