Corporate headquarters leasing : Key considerations for a post-pandemic workplace

Abstract

Among the many impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the corporate world, an unprecedented number of offices were left empty as, for months on end, thousands of employees worked from home. Today, as the number of vaccinated employees rises and mask mandates loosen, many employers are revisiting existing headquarters leases — or seeking out new ones — amid a heightened push for hybrid work policies and open and flex-office spaces. In the wake of this rapidly changing landscape, this paper examines the key legal and business considerations companies must keep in mind when leasing their corporate headquarters, including: what to consider in selecting premises; tips and details around the process of interviewing leasing brokers, designers, engineers, architects, construction professionals and project managers; and how best to assemble internal and external teams. As the world continues to wrestle with the long-standing impacts of the pandemic, the decisions companies make now about their headquarters will sketch a critical roadmap for the corporate world for years to come.