The lease runs into 2040s and the new space is meant to house up to 40 additional lawyers
Miller Thomson LLP has officially moved into its new Toronto office space, occupying the top floors of Scotia Plaza. The move, first announced in 2023, marks a long-term lease renewal that will see the firm remain on floors 63 to 66 through the 2040s.
The new office is designed for future expansion. According to firm leaders, the space is intended to accommodate up to 40 additional lawyers as part of the firm’s strategic growth plans over the next two decades.
“We didn't want to build out space that we were going to have to expand in a couple of years. So we picked the space with a thought of being 40 lawyers larger by 2040 in mind,” says Nora Osbaldeston, the firm’s Ontario managing partner.
She adds that that expansion is intended to be deliberate, with a focus on succession planning rather than headcount alone.
“We have a group of [baby] boomers who are going to be retiring soon or have already retired. So we’re making sure that our demographics are such that we're not left with a gap five years down the road,” she adds.
Attracting and retaining legal talent – particularly younger lawyers – is key to the firm’s long-term strategy. One important factor, says Toronto managing partner Ken Rosenstein, is location.
“People didn't want to go under the Gardiner [expressway]. We looked at tier-C buildings, and that wasn't the image, the profile, or the brand that was necessary from an attraction and retention point of view,” Osbaldeston says.
The reception
Both managing partners say candidates raised the King Street location during interviews as a deciding factor in applying to the firm.
“We wanted to elevate our brand and our presence in the marketplace…. We still believe that being on King and Bay, in the heart of the financial district, makes a statement,” Rosenstein adds.
Rosenstein and Osbaldeston say that the layout of the new office space emphasizes openness and informal interaction.
The lounge
Features such as shared lounge areas and centralized amenities aim to foster what he describes as “accidental interactions” – unplanned encounters among colleagues that promote connections between employees from different departments.
Initially, the firm considered building a cafeteria on each floor but opted for a single, larger space to encourage staff from different teams to gather.
“You have to design for a behaviour that you want to encourage,” Rosenstein says.
The office also includes boardrooms named after the city views they overlook; some double as virtual courtrooms for electronic hearings.
Lawyers in the office are assigned a dedicated workspace at least three days a week, while others can reserve offices on demand using an online system or by scanning a QR code at the door.
Yorkville boardroom
Several meeting rooms and the staff lounge are equipped with retractable TV screens for firm presentations and social events like sports game viewings.
According to the firm’s leadership, the design choices are closely tied to Miller Thomson’s internal culture.
“The way we design the staff lounge is a perfect illustration of our culture, and what we mean when we talk about the culture, which is that everybody's contribution is valued, and it's very flat-line,” Rosenstein says.
“We’re not solo practitioners. This space allows us to get together and work together,” Osbaldeston adds.
Beyond its King Street address, Miller Thomson also maintains Ontario offices in Vaughan, London, and Waterloo and operates ten offices nationwide.
