FBT Gibbons has locked in a full-floor lease at 1801 California Street, claiming the entire 49th floor of the Brookfield-owned downtown Denver high-rise. The firm is taking roughly 22,131 square feet in the 54-story tower as it scales up its local presence, a notable step up from the modest footprint it started with when it opened in Denver in 2024.
As reported by The Denver Post, FBT Gibbons will occupy about 22,131 square feet on the 49th floor. Brokers with CBRE, Harrison Archer, Ryan Link and Rob Link, represented FBT, while Sarajane Goodfellow and Chris Phenice represented building owner Brookfield Properties, according to ColoradoBiz.
Big Merger, Bolder Footprint
FBT Gibbons was created on Jan. 1 through the combination of Frost Brown Todd and Gibbons, forming an approximately 800-attorney firm with about 25 offices nationwide, according to Law Week Colorado. The firm planted its flag in Denver in April 2024 with a small team and has steadily added to its local roster since then, per the Denver office page at FBT Gibbons.
Renovation Plans And Market Signal
FBT and Brookfield plan to overhaul the new space with modern collaborative work areas, upgraded technology infrastructure and shared gathering zones designed to support hybrid schedules and client-facing work, according to ColoradoBiz. "Denver's law firm community continues to thrive, and FBT's commitment to 1801 California is a reflection of that strength," CBRE broker Harrison Archer said. John Kellogg, partner-in-charge of the Denver office, framed the move as part of a broader "flight to quality" among tenants looking to trade up to better buildings.
About 1801 California
The 54-story tower totals roughly 1.3 million square feet and is owned and operated by Brookfield Properties, according to the building listing at CBRE. Brokers and local observers say the lease highlights a continued trend of tenants gravitating toward renovated Class A buildings downtown, a pattern noted in recent coverage by The Denver Post.
For Brookfield, the deal is a boost to occupancy at one of Denver’s marquee office towers. For FBT Gibbons, a sky-high perch on the 49th floor offers a visible platform for client work, recruiting, and cementing the firm’s growing foothold in the Rocky Mountain legal market.
