Manhattan’s legal sector office leasing volume totaled 3.57 million square feet in the first half (H1) of 2026, marking the strongest first-half leasing period on record for the sector, reported Colliers. It was also 66.0% above the H1 2025 total of 2.15 million square feet, the previous midyear high, and more than double the ten-year H1 average of 1.52 million square feet.
“The year-over-year increase in legal sector demand far outpaced the 10.5% growth in Manhattan’s overall leasing activity during the same period,” according to Colliers. “Furthermore, if the same level of activity occurs in H2, annual law firm volume in
2026 would shatter both the previous record of 4.04 million square feet set in 2023 and the 3.74 million square feet leased in 2025.”
The largest Manhattan law firm office lease in H1 2026 was the 916,000-square-foot commitment Simpson Thacher & Bartlett made to Extell Development’s 570 Fifth Ave.
The post Manhattan Legal Sector Office Leasing Reaches New H1 High appeared first on Connect CRE.
