Sidley Austin moved its San Francisco office to a slightly expanded location, adding roughly 10% more office space and encompassing two floors at 101 California St. The firm said its San Francisco office was growing, and it needed more space to house its increasing staff count. The move also allowed Sidley to take up two contiguous floors instead of one and a half, which was the arrangement at its prior location down the road at 555 California St. in San Francisco’s Financial District. “We continue to grow our San Francisco office, which is a strategic priority for our firm given the importance of the life sciences and tech industries,” said Sharon Flanagan, a Sidley partner, executive committee member and managing partner of the San Francisco office. “We’ve been in the San Francisco market for over 50 years and view Northern California as one of the most important centers of innovation in the world,” Flanagan added. The San Francisco relocation was finalized Feb. 2 and comes shortly after Sidley’s expansion into the San Diego market last August. The firm now operates five offices in California, which Flanagan called “a clear indicator of our focus and commitment to this market.” The new location spans floors 34 and 35 at 101 California , encompassing 53,000 square feet. It houses roughly 110 lawyers handling matters for about 2,300 clients, the firm said. Flanagan noted that this square footage was roughly the same size as its prior location, but better utilized in order to make room for more offices and common space. Some of the features of the new outpost include modular conference rooms for client meetings and larger gatherings, open space and glass walls to foster collaboration and interaction between lawyers, and, of course, a custom café where people can sip lattes while looking at the expansive views of the San Francisco Bay. The firm is actively working to decrease the amount of physical space it takes up with paper, and Flanagan said that in the new office, “we continued the evolution from paper resources that require extensive shelving and physical libraries to zero physical-footprint digital resources, freeing up office space for our clients and business professionals.” Corporate, litigation, and regulatory practices at Sidley are all seeing increased demand in San Francisco and across the Golden State, in part because of the “major technology transformation” that is artificial intelligence, Flanagan noted. “We’re investing in all these practices, and in particular continuing to invest in the emerging companies [and] venture capital practices which drive the beginning of the life cycle of our high growth clients,” she said. Sidley Austin’s San Francisco office also provides support to local educational institutions like Stanford University, including its Law School’s Science and Technology Lab and the Rock Center for Corporate Governance. The firm also has ties to the University of California, Berkeley’s Center for Law and Technology . So far, the reaction to the new office has been positive. Flanagan categorized attorneys’ reactions as “tremendously excited.” “When our team walked through the doors on Monday morning, they immediately complimented the beautiful progressive design that incorporates a modern, hospitality feel and instantly communicates a sense of place and community,” Flanagan added.