Vedder Signs 49,000-SF Lease at 1221 Avenue of the Americas in Rockefeller Center

Global law firm Vedder has completed a 49,000-square-foot lease at 1221 Avenue of the Americas, the 2.6-million-square-foot Rockefeller Center office tower in Manhattan, Rockefeller Group announced Nov. 2. The firm will occupy the entire 34th floor and plans to relocate from 1633 Broadway in 2027.

Vedder signed a direct long-term lease with the landlord, Rockefeller Group. The firm has more than 400 lawyers and professionals across key global markets and has maintained a New York presence for more than 50 years.

Vedder Lease Details at 1221 Avenue of the Americas

The tower sits on the west side of Sixth Avenue between 48th and 49th Streets, at 1221 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020. The building is also known as 1221 Sixth Avenue. Vedder's current office at 1633 Broadway is roughly four blocks away, meaning the move keeps the firm within the Midtown submarket.

Rockefeller Group said the building was 98 percent occupied, with one floor of approximately 49,000 square feet available for lease. If the Vedder lease absorbs that floor, the tower would be effectively fully occupied, subject to timing and other changes in space.

Brokers and Executives on the Transaction

Vedder was represented by a Savills team that included David Goldstein, Joseph Learner and Scott Weiss. Rockefeller Group was represented by a Cushman & Wakefield agency team led by Robert Lowe, Paige Engeldrum, Dan Organ and Pierce Hance, along with Rockefeller Group Chief Administrative Officer and Executive Vice President Marisa Gadlin.

"We are very pleased to welcome Vedder to 1221 Avenue of the Americas," said Ms. Gadlin. "The building has long attracted many leading global firms and corporations, due to its central location and ongoing commitment to excellence and quality. Vedder is an outstanding fit that will strengthen the building's tenant roster for many years to come."

Building and Tenant Background

Rockefeller Group first developed 1221 Avenue of the Americas in partnership with McGraw-Hill in 1972. The building was designed by Harrison Abramovitz & Harris, the architects for all of Rockefeller Center.

Vedder was founded in Chicago in 1952. The firm maintains offices in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, London, Miami, New York, San Francisco, Singapore and Washington, DC.

Rockefeller Group develops, owns and operates properties across the United States. Its portfolio spans office, multifamily, industrial and mixed-use development across six geographic regions, along with ownership interest in and management of approximately six million square feet of office space in Manhattan.

Manhattan Office Market Context

The lease comes as Manhattan office fundamentals improved in the third quarter of 2026. Colliers reported 10.06 million square feet of quarterly leasing, 16.2 percent above its five-year quarterly average. Availability fell to 12.4 percent and average asking rent rose to $78.36 per square foot. Colliers also said it was the fourth consecutive quarter in which Manhattan leasing exceeded 10 million square feet.

Cushman & Wakefield recorded a Manhattan vacancy rate of 18.6 percent, down 70 basis points during the quarter and the lowest level since the second quarter of 2021. Overall asking rents reached $74.37 per square foot, while Class A asking rents climbed to a record $86.74 per square foot. Figures vary among brokerages because of differing methodologies and market universes, but the direction of the data is consistent.

CBRE data shows Midtown Manhattan's prime office vacancy rate fell to 1.9 percent in the third quarter of 2026. Demand has been increasingly concentrated in high-quality buildings.

Outlook

For Vedder, the full-floor lease provides a contiguous footprint in a Rockefeller Center tower while keeping the firm in the Midtown submarket. For Rockefeller Group, the transaction appears to complete the lease-up of the tower's only marketed floor, adding a global law firm to the building's tenant roster.

Sources

• Rockefeller Group: Vedder to Relocate New York Office to 49,000-SF at 1221 Avenue of the Americas