Barnwell Whaley Patterson & Helms moved to a new office Monday at the Murchison Building in downtown Wilmington to accommodate the firm’s growth.

The law firm, previously on 1427 Military Cutoff Road, will be at 201 North Front St.

The firm’s marketing consultant Carol Killough said the new office space is larger than the previous location and it will help the firm expand and add more employees.

Member attorney Chris Hinnant said the plan is to hire lawyers and administrative support.

“We are growing, and we outgrew the space we were in," Hinnant said. "We needed a spot to put the people we needed to hire in."

Hinnant said in a news release that there are similarities between the firm and the Murchison Building.

“Both have been serving businesses, professionals and the community since the early part of the last century, and both are still going strong in an era of growth and revitalization,” Hinnant said. “Our new location in this historical landmark will give us an opportunity to be a part of a very exciting time in downtown Wilmington.”  

The historic 11-story building was once called the Murchison National Bank Building. It opened in 1914 and was regarded as one of the most efficient buildings in the Southeast, according to historical records. Its primary tenants were doctors and dentists.  

Barnwell Whaley Patterson & Helms joins other law firms in the building, including Law Offices of Fred T. Hamlet and The Gross Law Group. Other businesses currently in the building include BlueTone Media, Hedgehog Healthcare Associates Inc., Fluent PR and Pour Taproom, which is on the ground floor and opened last year.

Commercial real estate brokers Cody Cress and Tyler Pegg of The CRESS Group of Coldwell Banker Commercial Sun Coast Partners represented Barnwell Whaley Patterson & Helms in the lease of the new office.

The law firm was established in Charleston in 1938. It has 20 members and associates and has practice areas in civil litigation defense, patents, trademarks and business law, among others, with a focus on businesses and professionals.

Hinnant said the firm's employees are delighted with the opportunity to be downtown.

“The vibrant growth of the downtown area highlights its resurgence as an economic and cultural hub of Wilmington and the surrounding area, of which we are proud to be a part,” Hinnant said.