Food Drive Fuels Law Firm’s Continued Investment in Downtown South Bend

SOUTH BEND – Barnes & Thornburg’s move in November 2020 to the first new building in the city’s downtown core in 20 years was celebrated with a June 18 food drive to benefit the Food Bank of Northern Indiana and a ribbon-cutting. The firm had previously scheduled a November grand opening food drive event, but rescheduled it due to the pandemic.

The firm, in coordination with Downtown South Bend and the South Bend Regional Chamber, hosted friends, clients and the local community at the 9 a.m.-noon event outside the building at 201 S. Main St. Visitors are asked to drop off canned goods and other non-perishable items by driving or walking to the parking lot on the west side of the building, and pick up complimentary coffee from Java Café and donuts from Jack’s Donuts.

Barnes & Thornburg is one of four tenants in the new building that bears its name. The project was co-developed by Bald Mountain LLC, Norris Equity Partners, and Great Lakes Capital. Weigand Construction served as general contractor on the project. 

The ribbon-cutting at 9:15 a.m. featured South Bend Mayor James Mueller and other local dignitaries. 

“Barnes & Thornburg has a rich history in South Bend, and we are excited about continuing our commitment to the city and the region,” said Philip J. Faccenda, Jr., managing partner of the firm’s South Bend office. “We appreciate all the project partners who contributed to this effort and to construction of this beautiful new building, and it’s great to be back in the office after working remotely last year. The food drive event is meant to show our appreciation to the community and to help those in need.”

Features of the Barnes & Thornburg Building include a contemporary aesthetic with biophilic design, vehicle garage lift and on-site parking, electric vehicle charging stations, supplemental hydronic heating for outdoor meeting spaces, office hoteling, and a wellness room.

The other tenants are Lou Hansell Inc., Norris Equity Partners, and Java Café, a coffee shop that will be opening in 2021. Barnes & Thornburg is the largest tenant, leasing 31,200-square-foot space on the second, third and fourth floors. 

More than 55 attorneys and staff work in the firm’s South Bend office. It is one of four offices in Indiana; others are in Elkhart, Fort Wayne and Indianapolis. 

The firm has South Bend roots dating back to 1926, when Seebirt, Oare & Omacht was founded by former Mayor Eli F. Seebirt and Judge Lenn J. Oare. It later became Thornburg, McGill, Deahl, Harman, Carey & Murray after a combination with Elkhart-based Cawley & Harman. In 1982, the firm merged with Barnes, Hickam, Pantzer & Boyd in Indianapolis to become Barnes & Thornburg. 

With more than 700 attorneys and other legal professionals, Barnes & Thornburg is one of the largest law firms in the country. The firm serves clients worldwide from offices in Atlanta, California, Chicago, Delaware, Indiana, Michigan, Minneapolis, New York, Ohio, Raleigh, Salt Lake City, Texas and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit us online at www.btlaw.com or on Twitter @BTLawNews.