Preston Gates to move into Bank of Whitman building

The Bank of Whitman building in the center of downtown Spokane has landed a tenant that will occupy most of the top floor.

The Spokane office of Preston, Gates and Ellis law firm will move from the Bank of America tower to 13,500 square feet of space in the new building around mid-October, said Michael Ormsby, managing partner of the firm’s Spokane and Coeur d’Alene offices. The Bank of Whitman will occupy the first floor of the building at 618 W. Riverside Ave., and the second floor will hold a restaurant and deli, among other tenants. Leasing continues for the remaining space on the second and third floors.

Preston Gates, which counts Microsoft among its clients, focuses heavily on incorporating the latest technology into the practice of law, Ormsby said. Moving into a brand-new building will help the firm continue to pursue that goal, he said. One of the firm’s namesakes is William H. Gates, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates’s father.

The firm also will gain about 5,000 square feet with the move and has an option to add space in the future, Ormsby said. The Spokane office currently has about 25 employees, including 13 attorneys. The firm has added three attorneys in the past six months, he said.

Preston Gates has been located in the Bank of America building since 1980, where it currently occupies about 8,500 square feet.