Law firm Millar McCall Wylie has relocated to the striking Victorian-era Printworks building in Belfast’s Queen Street, creating what it calls ‘a solid foundation’ for its future.
A major investment for the multi-specialism firm, it will the first tenant at the five-storey red brick warehouse, which has undergone extensive restoration by Angus Properties, owned by Pete Boyle, the businessman behind the Argento jewellery chain.
Angus is spending more than £16 million transforming a five storey Victorian warehouse style building into 83,000 sq ft of office space, including a two-storey glazed rooftop extension.
Around 45 staff from Millar McCall Wylie will occupy the Printworks base, providing legal expertise in areas including corporate, financial, real estate, media, commercial, employment, family/matrimonial, data protection and insolvency. Around 15 residential property and private client specialists will continue to work from the firm’s long-standing Belfast site in Ballyhackamore.
The firm has plans to grow its employee base across both sites by a further 20% in the next three years.
Christopher McCandless, chief operating officer at Millar McCall Wylie, who led the project, said: “We wanted to find a city centre location that was easily accessed, but importantly also reflected that we are a progressive firm with long established roots in Belfast.
“The Printworks couldn’t be more a perfect choice for us. It is an iconic building steeped in heritage which has been restored beautifully to combine the original industrial aesthetic with striking modern design.
“The open plan office space is filled with natural light and we have created several soundproof pods and breakout areas for privacy. Other stand-out features include the cast iron columns, original exposed ceiling joints, a glass fronted elevator and an outdoor terrace.
“We believe it will make the perfect setting for our team to grow and I would like to thank our design team and all our contractors and suppliers who have worked tirelessly to bring our vision for The Printworks to life.”
Coming a year after the appointment of Jan Cunningham to managing partner, the relocation is one of many steps Millar McCall Wylie has taken to continue to attract and retain talent.
He said: “Securing and moving into The Printworks has taken an incredible amount of planning and is momentous for us as a firm.
“Ensuring our people are motivated and fulfilled is our absolute focus and this building will provide a fantastic backdrop for them to keep delivering for our clients.
“This move is really about continuing to build on the solid foundation which has been created and to look to Millar McCall Wylie’s future.”
