In one of the largest new office leases so far this year, global law firm White & Case on Thursday signed for a big chunk of Rockefeller Group’s 1221 Sixth Ave.
The firm is taking 440,000 square feet at the giant tower, also known as the McGraw-Hill Building, between West 48th and West 49th streets.
The Post first reported on March 31 the deal was imminent.
White & Case will leave behind just a bit more than 300,000 square feet at the Durst Organization’s 1155 Sixth Ave., a few blocks south. The firm, which will move in 2017, chose 1221 Sixth after considering several other Midtown locations as well as the World Trade Center.
White & Case will take nine of the tower’s 52 floors as well as some basement space, sources said. Other tenants at the address include Morgan Stanley and, for now, McGraw-Hill, which is leaving at the end of 2015.
White & Case will take most of McGraw-Hill’s current space.
Asking rents at 1221 Sixth are in the $78-a-square-foot range.
In addition to representing expansion by the law firm, the deal is a notable affirmation of the resilience of Sixth Avenue, which was rocked by several large corporate move-outs over the past few years.
Some 1.5 million square feet have been leased or renewed at the 2.5-million-square-foot 1221 Sixth Ave. over the past 36 months.
Rockefeller Group was represented in the negotiations by Ed Guiltinan in-house and by a Cushman & Wakefield team led by super-dealmaker John Cefaly. A JLL team acted for White & Case.