Canadian business law firm Miller Thomson has completed the build out of a new, multimillion dollar legal knowledge centre in Cadillac Fairview’s Pacific Centre complex in downtown Vancouver.

The 48,000 square foot facility is designed to serve as a platform for the firm’s business, startup and public agency clients seeking legal solutions.

“We are redefining how legal solutions are formulated and accessed,” said Mike Walker, Miller Thomson’s managing partner for B.C. “We will be offering educational programs, hosting round tables, and seeking new ways to work with our clients. We want clients to impact our thinking on a daily basis, while we in turn impact theirs.”

A “first of its kind” in Canada, the new legal centre format was designed on the principles of knowledge access and client engagement. The whole facility is housed on a single floor and the majority of personnel, including lawyers, working in flexible, open-plan layouts.

“Our emphasis is on human interaction, mobility and gaining advantage through the application of leading-edge technology,” said Walker. “At our core, we are a knowledge business. Creative thinking and information exchange are essential ingredients to our success. This one-of-a-kind space gives us opportunities to open our doors to entrepreneurs, thought leaders and community builders.”

Neighbours in the same complex include Microsoft and Sony Imageworks.

“We are excited about the possibilities that this new approach in Vancouver opens up,” added Kent Davidson, chair of Miller Thomson. “This is just one step we will be taking to make legal solutions more accessible to our clients and communities in which we live and work.”