CB Richard Ellis, the broker for Morrison & Foerster, declined to comment on the transaction.

Morrison & Foerster, which currently keeps offices at 2000 Pennsylvania Ave., will take over both the fifth and sixth floors of the 12-story structure, as well as part of the fourth floor. The law firm's leasing deal includes an option to expand by an additional 44,000 sf. A decision to commit to the extra space, which must be made by June 15 of this year, likely hinges on the much talked about but unconfirmed merger between Morrison & Foerster and law firm Shea Gardner.

So far, the building is shaping up to be a veritable bastion of lawyers; Winston & Strawn LLP pre-leased nearly 160,000 sf last year, paving the way for the start of building construction. April 2005 is the scheduled completion date for 1700 K, and Morrison & Foerster is expected to move in during the fall.