Design Architect:

H. Hendy Associates

Associate Architect or Firm:

Landscape Architect:

Owner / Developer:

South Coast Plaza

Project Data:

Completion Date:     5/3/2019

Square Footage:      51000

Building Use:           Corporate Office

Project Description:

Sheppard Mullin is a full-service law firm focused on corporate and technology matters, high stakes litigation and complex financial transactions. In 1977, the company opened its Costa Mesa office and has since grown to a team of 80 and established a reputation as an unconventional law firm – known for its commitment to giving back to the community, innovative business practices and highly collaborative corporate culture. With a growing team and outdated workspace that no longer met business needs, Sheppard Mullin tapped a leading interior architecture firm to help bring to life its vision for an office environment that embraces its brand and culture, unites employees across teams and departments and becomes an epicenter for team connection, mentoring and socialization. Ultimately, an inspiring place where employees want to work and be.

Visioning sessions revealed that Sheppard Mullin’s current workspace suffered from excess dark and enclosed offices, minimal collaboration opportunities – with departments siloed on three separate floors – and a lack of space for the firm’s community events. To solve for this, the office was expanded and connected vertically across all floors by incorporating a main glass-and-steel and secondary steel-and-cable stairway that introduced a new level of visual transparency and connection. A strategy to unite the entire organization, the main stairwell is connected to a multifunctional lobby that doubles as a social event space and encourages employee engagement.

To imagine a work-from-anywhere environment that attracts employees at all levels, a variety of collision zones and flexible workspaces were introduced complete with a warm and inviting atmosphere and modern technology. Key spaces include huddle and breakout rooms, training areas and expansive break rooms with a mix of comfortable residential grade furnishing for casual conversations, small booths for one-on-one connection and bar-height tables for impromptu meetings. Designed to improve health and wellness, meeting spaces also feature biophilic design elements, including live plants and natural materials and are positioned along large windows providing expansive outdoor views and access to natural light. Single offices, conference rooms and workstations were also transformed into welcoming and functional workspaces, incorporating a mix of steel, live-edge slabs and warm woods outfitted with upholstered bench seating and height adjustable work surfaces.

A hallmark of the new space is an all-hands, hospitality and conference center seating 150 people and equipped with state-of-the art audio visual equipment for cross-practice and attorney-client collaboration. Built for flexibility, glass partitions and sliding doors were added for easy reconfiguration of the center into training and event spaces. Additional engagement areas include fully stocked kitchens, game spaces, a coffee bar and lounge and a speakeasy. To support its working moms, the office also includes lactation rooms.


Boasting a warm coastal vibe and industrial edge, the renovated office is not your typical law firm and has been well accepted across Sheppard Mullin’s generational gamut. From a new hire admiring the culture-inspired workspace to a seasoned board member with appreciation for the inviting atmosphere, the office is strategic tool for recruiting and retention and a testament to the firm’s innovative thinking, collaborative nature, community support and vision for the future.