An employee-owned law firm has acquired the leasehold of its Exeter office from its landlord. Stephens Scown, which has offices in Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and London, has spent a seven-figure sum on refitting the 16,000 sq ft site.
The firm used a £3.3m buildings transition loan from Lloyds to help buy Curzon House on Southernhay West.
Changes to the property include better lighting and insulation and air-source heat pumps. The business has also worked with Bespa – an Exeter-based commercial interior designer – on refitting the building, including adding a new foyer, reception and client lounge area, and meeting rooms.
Alex Mackie, chief operating officer at Stephens Scown and the first non-lawyer to be named partner at the firm, said: “In a year of growth and great success for us, it’s been even more important than ever to invest in our places and people. We wanted to have a space that encourages better collaboration, improves ways of working and boosts employee wellbeing.
“And the results have been tremendous already. Positive feedback from our team in Exeter and visiting employees from our other offices has meant we’re now looking to replicate this formula across our other offices.”
Stephens Scown said it was looking to provide a “firm-wide boost” to employee wellbeing and plans to replicate the upgrade across its other offices in the region including Taunton and Truro.
Jonathan Thomas, relationship manager at Lloyds, added: “A well-known firm in the South West’s legal scene, it’s been a pleasure to support Stephens Scown as it worked towards the next steps of its growth strategy.
“The results of the refit speak for themselves. The benefits from the office upgrade have been felt across all levels of the business. As well as boosting the day-to-day experience of its people and quality of service to clients, Stephens Scown is now even closer to reaching its targets on delivering social value at a local level and reaching net zero emissions.”