One of the country’s leading private and charity law firms is preparing for further expansion after bringing operations under one roof in the largest office letting in Salisbury for 25 years.
Wilsons relocated 164 staff from four offices across the city to the landmark Alexandra House in St Johns Street following a £1m-plus refurbishment over 18 months.
The move enables the firm, which has been in the cathedral city for nearly three hundred years, to increase the number of staff on location to 200 as part of strategic growth plans.
Wilsons signed a 15-year lease on the 31,000 sq ft (2,879 sq m) premises at £11.50 a sq ft – equivalent to £356,500 a year – on a full repairing and insuring basis.
Regional commercial property consultancy Hughes Ellard represented the landlord, Romsey-based property developer Fussell Group in the transaction.
Locally based solicitors Trethowans, who have a national reputation for property legal work, acted for the landlord, with Wilsons representing themselves.
Nik Cox, a director at Hughes Ellard, which has offices in Southampton and near Portsmouth, said: “This is the largest office deal in Salisbury by area size in 25 years and is a significant confidence marker.
“Wilsons was looking for some years to consolidate its four offices in the city under one roof and Alexandra House, owned by the Fussell Group, provided a compelling opportunity when a number of office leases for Wilsons came up for renewal.”
The premises had previously housed the Crown Court and Inland Revenue before being acquired by the Fussell Group, with Hughes Ellard identifying Wilsons as a potential occupier and negotiating lease terms.
Andrew Roberts, Wilsons’ managing partner, said: “Wilsons has been part of the fabric of Salisbury, and vice-versa, since being founded in 1731 and we very much wanted to remain here while searching for the right premises to accommodate the next chapter in our growth story.
“Staying true to the firm’s roots, as the largest and oldest legal firm in this great city, Alexandra House presented us with the ideal location in which to consolidate our various local offices.
“Alexandra House gives us the much-needed space to accommodate up to 200 high-quality jobs in the years to come, helping to generate inward investment into Salisbury and the wider area.
“We have invested over £1m in creating a stunning office environment which underlines our commitment to both clients and staff in providing best-in-class legal services and workplace facilities.
“Having just settled in, we can say that the move has been very worthwhile and we’re grateful to everyone involved for making it happen efficiently and professionally.”
Wilsons, a multi-disciplinary legal practice, is rated as one of the UK’s top-ranking firms for private client law, charity law (Top Five) and schools and education (Top 10).
Garry Treagust, Head of the Commercial Property Group at Trethowans, Salisbury, which was recently independently ranked by Legal 500 as a premier commercial property firm in the region, said: “This represented the largest office deal in nearly a generation in Salisbury and we are delighted to help the Fussell Group conclude this transaction.”
Alexandra House, within the city centre conservation area, was built in the 1950s.
It has been extensively refurbished to Grade A office standards by London-based office fit-out specialist Maris.
