Headquarters Plaza on Speedwell Avenue in Morristown — File photo/Courtesy: JLL
By Joshua Burd
Riker Danzig LLP is leaving its longtime home in downtown Morristown, with plans to open a modern, technology-rich headquarters at Madison’s Giralda Farms campus.
The firm, whose name is emblazoned on Headquarters Plaza’s West Tower, said Friday that it will move to 7 Giralda Farms in July 2025 under a lease with Bergman Real Estate Group. It did not disclose the size of the space, but said the new office will reimagine its layout from a compartmentalized, siloed office tower into a more open and vibrant atmosphere better suited for its collegial culture and team-based approach as well as an evolving hybrid office model.
The 140-year-old, full-service firm is one of the state’s largest, with 135 attorneys. It’s also a fixture in Morristown’s business community and one of its largest office tenants, having been in the town for more than 50 years after last renewing its 110,000-square-foot lease at Headquarters Plaza in 2015.
“We approached our lease renewal considerations with our clients and the next generation of attorneys in mind,” Managing Partner Michael P. O’Mullan said. “Our new home base will be far more conducive to efficiently and productively working collaboratively across all of our departments. And, like so many of our peers, we are looking toward a post-pandemic work environment that incorporates a more flexible hybrid work model and allows for evolving technology.”
Bergman acquired 7 Giralda Farms, part of the historic former Geraldine R. Dodge Estate, in 2021 and went on to launch a multimillion-dollar plan to update and expand amenities at the 236,800-square-foot building. Its new high-profile deal with Riker Danzig came together with Cushman & Wakefield executive directors Bill Brown and Joshua Cohen representing ownership and C&W Executive Vice Chair Marc Rosenberg representing the tenant.
Nicholas Racioppi Jr., a member of Riker Danzig’s executive committee and head of its real estate practice, led the lease negotiations for the firm.
“We are delighted to welcome Riker Danzig to our flagship office building, 7GF,” said Michael Bergman, CEO and president of Bergman Real Estate Group. “We acquired the property three years ago and have made significant capital improvements upgrading the common areas throughout the building and adding new amenities and services to attract quality tenants like Riker and other prominent companies. We are looking forward this long-term relationship, hopefully another 40-plus years.”
Riker said the lease comes as part of a firmwide redesign of its workspaces, which also includes a new office that it opened at 489 Fifth Ave. in Manhattan in January 2023.
“Following an extensive review of our current office space and other possibilities, we determined that 7 Giralda Farms reflects our position as one of New Jersey’s most prominent law firms while providing us with an exciting platform for the future,” O’Mullan added. “We were attracted to its modern open-floor design that allows us to completely reimagine our workspace, its technological capabilities and exceptional amenities for our attorneys and staff. This space provides everything an innovative law firm needs.”
The practice noted that 7 Giralda sits on a park-like, 20-acre property and has a two-story atrium entrance with granite and wood accents. Amenities at the multitenant, three-story building include a café, underground parking, an outdoor patio and seating areas, a fitness center, walking paths, an upscale lounge and game room, conference space and a bike share program.
Tenants, meantime, are off Route 124 and minutes from Route 24 and Interstate 287. They also have easy access to NJ Transit’s Madison station and Convent Station.
“Morristown has been our home for a long time, and it was not an easy decision to leave Headquarters Plaza,” Racioppi said. “But as we considered our expanding needs and the options, it became clear that our future would be best served by investing in an enhanced office environment that would foster the collegial culture we value and provide for a fully integrated experience for our staff, our attorneys and our clients.”
Executive Committee Co-Chair Kelly S. Crawford added: “We’re excited about the opportunity to retool our office environment to better reflect the new way we work. Our new home at 7 Giralda Farms is an important step forward for the people and clients of Riker Danzig into the coming decades.”
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