Morgan, Lewis & Bockius broke ground on its new 19-story tower in Center City Philadelphia on Monday, indicating that the firm’s commitment to building a new physical presence in its hometown hasn’t been shaken by the transformation in how white-collar work is performed in the COVID-19 era.

The new 305,000-square-foot building is scheduled to be completed in 2023, and it will enable the firm to consolidate its Philadelphia workforce, which is currently divided between two locations, in one place.

Morgan Lewis Philadelphia office managing partner Sarah Bouchard. Photo: Dan Packel/ALM