Office Move, Food Drive Fuels Law Firm’s Continued Investment in Downtown

SOUTH BEND – Barnes & Thornburg’s move to the first new building in South Bend’s downtown core in 20 years will be celebrated with a Nov. 20 food drive to benefit the Food Bank of Northern Indiana. 

The firm, in coordination with Downtown South Bend and the South Bend Regional Chamber, will host 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 bring canned goods and other non-perishable items, drop them off, and enjoy complimentary coffee and donuts from Jack’s Donuts.

Barnes & Thornburg, which officially moved into its new office Nov. 9 from across downtown, 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. 

“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. The November 20 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 a coffee shop that will be opening in early 2021. Barnes & Thornburg is the largest tenant, leasing 31,200-square-foot space on the second, third and fourth floors.

More than 65 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.