Law firm Mayer Brown kicked off its new 11-year lease at the Wells Fargo Center high-rise in December, ushering in an era expected to cement the global firm’s presence in Los Angeles.

The new location, on the 47th and 48th floors of the building at 333. S. Grand Ave. in downtown, boasts a variety of conference rooms, a lobby spanning both floors and 98 individual offices. The firm moved from across the street at 350 S. Grand Ave., where it had been located since launching in 1985.

“I think as we were growing, we kind of looked at that space and felt a little hamstrung by certain structural elements in that building,” said John Nadolenco, managing partner of the office. “As we were looking at space options, this floorplan and the footprint of the building lends itself to a lot more attorney offices in the same square footage.”

Nadolenco formerly served on Mayer Brown’s partnership board, which in conjunction with the management committee plans firm strategy. He helped plot out the firm’s West Coast expansion.

“This exciting move signifies the firm’s investment in Los Angeles, which is a critical market for our clients and an anchor for us on the West Coast,” Chairman Jon Van Gorp said in a statement.

The Wells Fargo Center, a triangular building managed by Brookfield Properties, offered the best bid, Nadolenco said, and a contractor spent about a year preparing the 55,000-square-foot space. All individual offices have glass walls facing outside and onto the hallways.

“We wanted the opportunity to really build out our own new space. That was something that really excited us,” Nadolenco said.

The office focuses on key L.A. industries: tech, real estate, corporate transactions and litigation. Nadolenco said he expected to fill out much of the new office space with lawyers specializing in those areas, as the firm had during hiring sprees in 2020 and 2021.