WilmerHale Partners with Downtown Alliance to Expand Wi-Fi

To show its commitment to the Lower Manhattan community, the law firm Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP (WilmerHale) has become an official sponsor of the Downtown Alliance and a co-presenting sponsor of the Downtown Alliance’s free Wi-Fi network. Currently, there are more than a dozen hotspots below Chambers Street, covering 715,000 square feet—the rough equivalent of 17 football fields. This new partnership was initiated as WilmerHale relocated to state-of-the-art, LEED-certified offices at 7 World Trade Center.

“This cost- and energy-efficient building helps us control costs for our clients, while the important technological and workspace improvements enhance the quality of life for all of our colleagues. We are proud to be part of the growth of the Lower Manhattan business district,” said Susan Murley, Co-Managing Partner of WilmerHale.

In 2003, the Downtown Alliance pioneered the city’s most extensive, free, public Wi-Fi initiative. In 2011, more than 230,000 devices connected to the Downtown Alliance network. In 2012, there was a 32 percent increase in connections from 2011, including almost 9,000 connections alone at the Plaza at 7 World Trade Center.

Downtown Alliance-sponsored hotspots are free for all users. Those using smart­phones, laptops, and tablets with wireless capabilities can automatically connect to any of the Downtown Alliance’s wireless networks.

WilmerHale’s new offices at 7 World Trade Center provide technologically advanced and collaborative space, which will further enhance its ability to provide clients with the highest quality services. WilmerHale is the first major law firm to move from midtown to downtown since 9/11.