Office Space News
Carr Workplace Wins Exclusive D.C. Bar Deal
Published January 26th, 2010 by Jennifer LeClaire
It’s official. Carr Workplaces is the exclusive serviced office provider to the D.C. Bar. This is an angle Regus has yet to hit, and could position Carr to compete more effectively against the industry’s Goliath in the D.C. market.
Indeed, this is a potentially profitable designation for the recently-rebranded executive suites player. Status as the “exclusive” office space company means the Bar’s 92,000 members could tap into Carr Workplaces as their business center of choice. Carr operates 23 business centers across the country, with a strong presence in D.C.
“Our unique partnership with the D.C. Bar provides a critical link to space and services for the legal community in Washington, many of whom are already our clients,” says Joe Wallace, CEO of Carr Workplaces. “Attorneys expect the same level of service and professionalism they provide to their clients, the same rigor as they apply to their own practices. Our workplaces are structured to deliver those high standards of support from the moment they walk in.”
Hitting the Sweet (Legal) Spot
Why is the alliance with the D.C. Bar so strategic? Only because boutique law firms are on the rise. Larger firms are consolidating operations and new firms are springing up. Carr Workplaces has 11 serviced office centers in the Washington, D.C. region. This puts Carr in a strong position to serve the needs of new law firms and solo practitioners looking to keep overhead low, yet office in a prestigious area of the nation’s capital.
“We are pleased to provide our members with another valuable service by a well-respected provider,” says Dominick Alcid, manager of marketing and advertising of the D.C. Bar. “We believe this partnership will be especially valuable to members of the Bar who manage their own practice or participate in a boutique practice. One of our important goals is to serve our members, and this is another creative way we hope to accomplish that.”
Serviced Office Benefits
D.C. Bar members get more than a prestigious address, though. In exchange for making Carr Workplaces its exclusive office space partner, the serviced office provider is anteing up extended conference room time at no additional charge to Bar members. Members will also receive special promotions throughout the year, including discounts on litigation support space and war rooms.
“Though we specifically provide space and services, in truth we provide a way for small firms to repurpose their time and resources,” says Wallace. “Lawyers can spend less time dealing with administrative matters, endure fewer headaches and liabilities, and consume less capital. They can spend more time focused on their practices.”
Carr has seemingly cornered the market for lawyers looking for special treatment at a business center in D.C. With this alliance, Carr hasn’t locked Regus out of the legal market, but it has certainly gives attorneys more reasons to rent office space from the smaller competitor. It will be interesting to see if others in the D.C. office market follow Carr’s lead by looking for their niche and serving it well.
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Bill Brookshire January 26th, 2010 at 5:28 am
Didn’t they do as similar deal with an area Barr last year? I think this might be a renewal of the same agreement with the D.C. Barr for serviced office space exclusivity. Or someone in the executive office suites industry did something similar. I can’t recall. In any case, this is a fantastic alliance for both sides. Regus should have thought of this.
Elizabeth Sanchez January 26th, 2010 at 6:02 am
By reading the quotes from Wallace, I really get the sense that Carr Workplaces understands the unique needs of lawyers. I agree that this is a very strategic alliance for Carr and the Bar. This is the type of thing that serviced office companies should be trying to replicate across the country. Of course, you need some scale to make it worth it for the Barr. I am definitely surprised Regus hasn’t done something like this.
Jonathan Price January 27th, 2010 at 8:18 am
The idea of having a serviced office for lawyers is not a new one. In fact you could make a case for saying that barristers’ chambers are the prototype serviced office and as such have existed for hundreds of years. More recently though, a serviced office firm in California, Barrister Suites, has been serving attorneys successfully for a number of years.
My guess is that Regus has thought of doing specialised centres but hasn’t yet found the right entry point.
In saying this I am not trying to take anything away from Oliver Carr. This sounds like a very interesting deal he has struck and I would love to hear how it turns out.