Maples Group moves to new London office
Maples Group recently relocated its London office to 280 Bishopsgate, a new state-of-theart building in the heart of the City, which has the highest ratings for sustainability and wellbeing. As a market-leading provider of legal, fiduciary and fund services, the move reflects their commitment to supporting their clients and people in a changing world, as well as their continued strong growth in the UK market.
In addition, "We decided that we wanted an office which would provide different areas to support the types of work that our people do and how they do it," says Heidi de Vries, London Managing Partner. "Sustainability was another factor in choosing this location and the move will enable us to strengthen our ESG commitments and practices."
She notes that "accessibility, inclusivity, and neurodiversity were at the heart of our designs from the outset, and it was important to us that we were building a workplace for everyone."
Catering for a range of neurodiversity in the workforce, the Maples Group worked with their designers to carefully consider the smallest details – from choosing neutral colour palettes, sound-absorbing materials and panels, to icons on our cupboards that assist in navigating the space. They also invested in the latest workspace technology with meeting rooms that are equipped with the latest videoconferencing technology to enable effective hybrid meetings and wireless noise-cancelling headphones available for all colleagues.
"We all work in different ways, so we wanted to encourage people to work in an area which best suits them. It's very different compared to our previous traditional, cellular office. We put that on its head and reframed the office design to provide flexibility. There are different zones featuring a range of working spaces – from open plan desks, shared offices, and single-person offices, to private focus rooms, meeting rooms and communal workspaces – fostering an environment of collaboration and creativity, as well as affording people a quiet space when it's needed."
The office's social spaces include a barista bar and a 6,000 square foot roof terrace as well as additional break out spaces, which are separate from the main open plan working area. The new office therefore provides the best possible workplace for the hybridworking era, offering generous space for building collegiality and community.
"We know that hybrid working will be part of how we operate in future," says de Vries. "By giving up some underused office space we were able to create shared spaces that draw people in, such as a multi-purpose kitchen and townhall space. It is great to see team members with different roles and every level of seniority, all sitting on a long table having lunch. It's brought everyone together."
❝By giving up some underused office space we were able to create shared spaces that draw people in Heidi de Vries, London Managing Partner, Maples Group
16 Total number of Maples Group offices globally
The building was also designed with sustainability and wellbeing in mind. Achieving the highest possible ratings for both factors, it features plentiful urban green space, outdoor terraces, a wellness suite, quiet library and superior cycling facilities for those who want to keep fit on two wheels. As one of London's most energy-efficient office buildings, it was refurbished rather than rebuilt, and retains the original structural frame. This delivered an embodied carbon saving of more than 24,000 tons – the equivalent of 120 acres of deforestation.
"We are excited about our new workplace as the Maples Group embarks on our next phase of growth, having built-up from a small team in London to almost 140, with over 300 people in the UK as a whole," says de Vries. "This is an important market for us and I'm enormously proud of how we have contributed to the success of our clients, the law firms that we work alongside, and the wider City of London."
The Maples Group's London office is part of a global, integrated team of nearly 3,000 people across 16 offices worldwide. Together, they offer clients access to legal advice on the laws of the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Ireland, Jersey and Luxembourg, as well as fiduciary, fund, regulatory and compliance, and entity formation and management services in time zones suitable to their needs.
In relation to the Maples Group's offering, Sam Ellis, Senior Vice President, and Head of Fiduciary Services in London, added, "London is a strategic priority for the Maples Group. Our presence here enables us to provide seamless, timesensitive services to our clients in this leading financial centre by bringing together the best of our capabilities from around the world.
"The new office location will foster even better collaboration not only within our London teams, but also with our colleagues around the world so that we can continue delivering innovative, tailored fund, fiduciary and legal services to the world's leading global financial institutions, international corporations, asset managers and institutional investors."
The Maples Group in London has recently been involved in a number of landmark transactions for both new and existing clients, including the SPAC merger that saw FC Barcelona's media division start trading on the Nasdaq, Liberty Costa Rica Senior Secured Finance's digital infrastructure Sustainability- Linked Bond, and the US$135 million SPAC combination that saw Canadian gene therapy biotech enGene start trading on Nasdaq.
Ellis concludes, "We are delighted to have moved into our new office. Throughout the design process, thoughtful consideration was given to the needs of our people and our business and how it operates. We couldn't be happier with the result and are proud to be in a space that works for us today and can evolve with us into the future."
Originally published by Reports Legal
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