Barr-Founded Torridon Law Takes 36K SF Sublease at 1201 Pennsylvania Avenue

Torridon Law, the Washington, D.C. firm founded by former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr in 2022, is taking a 36,000-square-foot sublease at 1201 Pennsylvania Avenue NW. The space is being sublet from Bass, Berry & Sims, which told Bisnow it is vacating its entire space there.

The lease surfaced in three third-quarter market reports. The move would be a 66% increase over Torridon's current 22,000-square-foot home on the other side of the White House. The firm has been rapidly hiring former government officials, including former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

The 445,000-square-foot building is owned by Sentinel Real Estate Corp., which completed a $15 million repositioning of the property in 2017 after losing its anchor law firm. Torridon's current space, on the top floor of 801 17th Street NW, was leased in the third quarter of 2024. Neither Torridon nor Sentinel responded to requests for comment on the reasons for the move.

Law firms have been a major source of D.C. office leasing, a trend that has accelerated since the pandemic as firms upgrade space amid competition for talent.

For office landlords and brokers, the deal shows continued demand for well-located D.C. space from growing professional-services tenants.