Fire at Law Society HQ

We at the Solicitors Journal join the myriad voices across the profession to express our concern following the weekend fire at the Law Society’s historic headquarters.

The fire caused significant damage to the grade 2 listed building at 113 and 114 Chancery Lane, but no one was injured despite the Junior Lawyers Division annual dinner being held in the building at the time.

On Monday morning, a Law Society spokesperson said: “What we know at this point is there was significant damage to portions of the roof of 114, to the staircase on the upper floors and to the offices located on those floors.

“Fortunately the fire was contained and did not spread to 113 Chancery Lane which houses some of the more well-known rooms such as our library, the Reading Room and the Common Room.”

The fire broke out in the top of 114 Chancery Lane and a calm evacuation took place when the fire alarm sounds.

The fire service was quickly on site and the spokesperson said that by around 10am Sunday morning the fire had been put out, though the fire service continued working throughout the day.

Most of the Society’s 400 staff are working remotely on Monday while assessment of the damage continues.

Immediately following the fire, Law Society chief executive Paul Tennant said: "First of all I wanted to express my gratitude to the fire service and my relief that nobody has been hurt.

"I also want to express my sympathy to the residents in the Chancery Lane area whom I understand may have had to evacuate their homes.”

He said the Society is “extremely upset that this has happened to this wonderful and historic building”.