It might be the ultimate New York City design opportunity: a storied law firm, newly recommitted to its long-standing offices, wanted to modernize its space to serve current and future clients and colleagues, while showcasing an historic artifact collection.
That was the challenge Herrick, Feinstein LLP (“Herrick”), a nearly 100-year-old firm, presented to TPG Architecture after it renewed its lease at 2 Park Avenue, a building it has occupied for more than seven decades. The goal: create attractive spaces to serve a modern law firm, while also highlighting uniquely historic New York art pieces, part of a collection begun in 1979 by the late Ed Abramson, then a managing partner at the firm.
“Our new office space signifies our long-standing commitment to 2 Park Avenue, which we have called our home for the past 70 years,” said Belinda Schwartz, Herrick’s executive chairperson. Herrick is the longest-standing tenant at 2 Park Avenue and is one of the few law firms in New York City that has occupied the same space for such an extended period. “We are proud to have space within an historic building; the office seamlessly blends the charm of New York’s architectural heritage with state-of-the-art facilities, featuring more than 50 artifacts spanning different periods of the city’s history.”
The collection, now with more than 50 artifacts and objets d’art, includes a section of terracotta fresco from the Beach Pneumatic transit, the first subway system built in the U.S., various seals for the City of New York, a model of the nearby Empire State Building, made of ribbons and spools of thread, an IRT ticket box from 1890, a ride board from the Coney Island Steeple Chase Park from around 1897 and the original finial that sat atop the Woolworth Building.
“Our collection is a tribute to New York City’s history, and our artifacts have become a part of the fabric of the firm,” said Carol Goodman, co-chair of Herrick’s litigation department, and member of the executive committee that oversaw the project. “It is just a thrill to see our clients enjoying the collection as they read the descriptions set forth on plaques alongside the pieces.” She added that one of the firm’s founders, Ed Abramson, described it best when he said, “It’s a way to tip our hat to the developers of the past as we represent people who are building future monuments.”
But the redesign is not just about preserving or showcasing the past — its main goal is to serve the needs of current and future attorneys and staff by creating an atmosphere where they want to come to the office to meet, learn and collaborate. With more than 65 attorneys in its commercial real estate law practice alone, Herrick represents owners, developers, governmental entities, not-for-profits, lenders, investors and other stakeholders in a diverse range of activities across the US, including acquisitions and dispositions, financing, development and construction, leasing, corporate/tax, litigation and restructuring. Founded in 1928, the firm also has specialized practices in sports, employment, intellectual property, tax law and private clients.
Herrick’s lease was coming up for renewal at around the same time as the building’s ownership changed.
“It was an interesting moment in time after COVID-19,” said Barbaros Karaahmet, Herrick’s chief operating partner and member of the executive committee. He and Goodman have been with Herrick for more than three decades and both knew Ed Abramson when they were young associates. “We looked at many different options, but we loved the building,” Karaahmet added.
“We liked many of the spaces that we visited,” Goodman said. “But we all wanted to stay at 2 Park if possible. In addition to loving the building, you cannot beat the location which is centrally located for residents of NYC and commuters to Long Island, Westchester or NJ. We want to make it as easy as possible for our lawyers and staff to come to the office. The space has always been amazing, but now it is also state of the art and modernized.”
Ultimately re-signing at 2 Park, the firm began interviewing various architecture firms that had worked on recent prominent projects. Designing with and for flexibility was the key objective to facilitate productivity and efficiency.
“When TPG came into the offices, they fell in love,” Karaahmet said. “They had New York history right in front of them.”
TPG Architecture ticked all the boxes and began an 18-month collaborative process to create the new space.
“Herrick came to the table with an extraordinary asset: a legacy in real estate law and a remarkable collection of artifacts they were committed to featuring as a defining part of their new office. We treated those elements as essential to the story of the space,” said Jim Phillips, founder and managing executive at TPG Architecture.
The redesign embraces a bright, clean, and refined aesthetic, replacing fluorescent-lit perimeter offices with open, light-filled spaces that feel fresh and timeless. Capitalizing on the building’s new amenities, including a multiple-room conference center, 150-person multipurpose room, relaxed lounge, coffee bar and penthouse lounge with a terrace, TPG focused on creating intimate, engaging experiences in Herrick’s reception, café and transitional spaces between client-facing and attorney-only zones.
Clean, streamlined forms, high-contrast finishes, and a careful balance between raw and polished materials define the space. Midcentury-inspired furnishings, including sculptural pieces such as the Knoll I-Beam coffee table, offer a timeless counterpoint to the historic artifacts. The result is an office that honors Herrick’s heritage while positioning the firm for the future.
Early planning explored a universal office model, but ultimately, three tailored office types were introduced to better support the needs of the firm. A main focus of the design process was to foster in-office collaboration — most of Herrick’s team is now back about four days each week.
“You can’t place a value on the importance of connecting with your colleagues,” Goodman noted. “The ability to walk by someone’s office to stop in and chat, or to ask a colleague to join you for coffee is critical to success and development. The value we place on collaboration and training is evidenced by our space.”
In approximately the same footprint, TPG added almost 30 new offices, while creating common areas for people to gather, bring a laptop and collaborate. The bright and welcoming office, innovative design, and flexible floor plan allow for enhanced teamwork – which is key given Herrick’s broad bench and multidisciplinary strengths.
The firm’s commitment to in-office presence is also critical to preserving this team-oriented culture and supporting client service. The renovation also highlights Herrick’s commitment to new and evolving technology, evident in new conference rooms and office set-ups, which include sound proofing and privacy walls.
“The final concept represents a great collaboration of ideas between our design team and their principals. It was a pleasure working alongside them to redefine how they work for the future,” TPG’s Phillips added. “They made thoughtful business decisions and recognized the value our partnership brought to that process. Herrick set an ambitious goal for the space to feel transformative, and together we created a new office that honors that mission.”
But the star of the show remains the art collection. Multiple drafts went back and forth between Herrick, TPG and lighting consultants to curate and organize these artifacts throughout the space, creating a gallery walk from reception and throughout the offices. A once hidden copper lion sculpture was rediscovered and now serves as a striking focal point behind the main reception desk.
The firm moved to temporary space upstairs while its new space was being redone, allowing the firm the luxury of monitoring the progress of the redesign.
The move and redesign also gave Herrick time to modernize itself in another way — digitizing nearly a century of files and eliminating a physical library.
“It took us a year to pack up,” Goodman said. “Now we don’t have stacks of paper, and our file room is much smaller.”
Meanwhile, Karaahmet and Goodman have their own favorite art pieces.
“I loved the Roosevelt Hotel, which I’d pass on my way to Grand Central, so my favorite is the dial from its elevator,” Goodman said.
Karaahmet’s choice is a bit sportier.
“My piece is in the café,” he said. “It’s a cracked squash board that lists all of the courts where people played.”
Even now, not all of the items are on display — some pieces remain in storage and others are yet to be placed. And while the collection isn’t being actively expanded right now, the team is keeping its eyes open if the right artifact comes along. They’re also creating a book about the collection in time for Herrick’s 100th anniversary, to be shared with attorneys and clients.
The firm is still settling in, with some minor touches to be completed. But it’s already right at home in its newly reconceived space.
“Our open-floor plan will strengthen our interdisciplinary capabilities and ensure that our clients can benefit from the full breadth of our firm’s knowledge and experience,” Karaahmet said. “We are incredibly excited for this fresh new chapter in our longstanding home.”
