KANSAS CITY—Littler, an employment and labor law practice that represents management, has just decided to relocate its services center and corporate departments to Kansas City, a big boost for the city's office market. The firm will lease 45,000-square-feet in the eight-story 2301 McGee Center at Crown Center. Littler officials expect the move will bring in up to 275 new jobs with the potential for more over the next several years.
“Kansas City had the right balance between a very reasonable cost of doing business and a high level of amenities that employees look for,” Bob Marcusse, president and chief executive officer, Kansas City Area Development Council, tells GlobeSt.com. Littler looked at cities across the country, and certainly found some, such as San Francisco, that have more entertainment options, as well as cities where living is cheaper. “But to find that balance was what the company was looking for.”
Although many area businesses opt for suburban office markets such as South Johnson County, Marcusse does not seem surprised that Littler went for a CBD location. Most of their employees, many of whom will relocate from other cities “are used to and more comfortable with an urban environment. So they view themselves primarily as a downtown employer.” The Crown Center provides a collection of hotels, restaurants, retail outlets and many other entertainment options.
“As the world's largest employment and labor law firm, we believe this move is critical to allow us to continue as a successful and well-managed organization in support of quality service to our employees and our clients,” said Littler's co-managing directors Tom Bender and Jeremy Roth, in a joint statement. “After evaluating virtually every major US city, we decided that Kansas City is the right fit for its quality and diverse labor force, central time zone location and cost benefits. We greatly appreciate the warm welcome and continued support we are receiving from Kansas City officials and the local business community.”
Littler is a global employment and labor law practice with more than 1,000 attorneys in over 60 offices worldwide. It represents management in all aspects of employment and labor law. The new centralized location will house the firm's administrative section, human resources, attorney recruiting, finance and many others.
“Coming off of our region's best year ever for job attraction success, I can't think of any better way to kick off 2015,” Marcusse adds.
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Brian J. Rogal
Brian J. Rogal is a Chicago-based freelance writer with years of experience as an investigative reporter and editor, most notably at The Chicago Reporter, where he concentrated on housing issues. He also has written extensively on alternative energy and the payments card industry for national trade publications.
