Blackstone secures Withers at 20 Old Bailey

Blackstone has signed international law firm Withers to take around 60,000 sq ft at 20 Old Bailey, EC4. Withers will relocate from its current office at 16 Old Bailey, where it has a lease break in September 2018. Paying around £65 per sq ft, the law firm will join Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance’ Barings asset management unit, which has secured 113,000 sq ft at the building. Blackstone has appointed architect Buckley Gray Yeoman to carry out a comprehensive refurbishment to provide 240,000 sq ft of offices, due to complete in Q2 2017. The deal will leave around 70,000 sq ft available to let at the building, which is located opposite the Old Bailey, England’s Central Criminal Court. Blackstone bought the block from Mitsui Fudusan in 2013 for £95m. Savills is advising Withers; CBRE and BNP Paribas Real Estate are leasing agents. To send feedback, e-mail Louisa.Clarence-Smith@egi.co.uk or tweet @LouisaClarence or @estatesgazette