Gibson Dunn doubles down on London with major HQ upgrade

Gibson Dunn is doubling down on London, unveiling plans to move into a significantly larger City headquarters as it continues to expand one of its most important offices outside the US.

The US firm will relocate to One Exchange Square, next to Liverpool Street station, taking 155,000 square feet - more than double the size of its current 75,000-square-foot base at Telephone House near Blackfriars.

While Gibson Dunn has not yet confirmed a move date, the shift will place the firm firmly in the heart of the City -  and as a next-door neighbour to HSF Kramer, which has occupied Exchange House for years.

A bigger bet on London

The new HQ is another marker of how central London has become to Gibson Dunn’s global strategy. The firm has operated in the City since 1979 and now counts London as its largest office outside the US.

Growth has accelerated sharply in recent years. Over the past five years, Gibson Dunn has more than doubled its London lawyer headcount from 84 in 2020 to 218 in 2025, while the partnership has grown from 31 to 49.

The firm has also been investing heavily in home grown talent. In December, it promoted 11 lawyers to partner in London - a record for the office and more than five times the number of promotions made the previous year.

Chair and managing partner Barbara Becker said London remained “a critical market” for the firm, adding that the new space would support continued growth in the years ahead.

US elite expanding

Gibson Dunn’s move comes amid a broader wave of US firms expanding their physical footprints in London.

Davis Polk recently relocated to larger City premises, while Kirkland & Ellis moved into new space at 40 Leadenhall last year, leaving its long-time home in the Gherkin. Latham & Watkins is also expected to move into a new 277,000-square-foot office at One Leadenhall later this year, a major expansion on its current base at 99 Bishopsgate.