Oklahoma City.
In keeping with this vision, the
building's design incorporated more than
2,000 square feet of open space for use
by the firm's employees and community.
A significant portion of one parking
lot was bulldozed and converted into
an outdoor courtyard featuring built-in
seating and shaded areas for musicians
and artists to congregate. The courtyard
is connected to the interior kitchen and
event space through the use of a large
commercial glass overhead door which
floods the interior areas with light and
fresh air. All of the furniture and fixtures
are on wheels to facilitate repurposing
the space to meet the unique and
individualized needs of the innovators,
creators and artists within Oklahoma
City. The space has even been given a
persona DC on Film Row and has, of
course, its own website (www.dcfilmrow.
com) and Twitter and Facebook personas.
The firm isn't content with simply
providing the space; groups and
organizations within the community
are offered use of the space for free. As
shareholder Douglas Sorocco said, "We
wanted to be a good neighbor to everyone
within the community. We wanted to
create a `place' in which people could
get together and work to make things
better. Everyone and anything that brings
the community together is invited to use
the space. Our only rule is nothing that
divides. As we say, if you'd like to use
the space for an event, just ask, and we'll
it doesn't hurt to have one." Beginning
with this simple concept, Dunlap
Codding is redefining what it means to
be a law firm actively engaged in the
Oklahoma City community.
In February 2013, Dunlap Codding,
Oklahoma's oldest and largest
intellectual property boutique law firm,
moved into its new offices at 609 W.
Sheridan Avenue in the historic Film
Row District of Oklahoma City. During
1920s warehouse in the Film Row
District an area called "skid row" as
recently as five years prior and which is
now a blossoming arts and innovation
area of the city and renovated the
building into 15,000 square feet of
office space. In developing the space,
the shareholders' vision was to add to
the unique character and flavor of the
Film Row District by incorporating
community oriented areas and space
a concept that the firm's community
circumstances and on the type of event
or organization using the space, the firm
provides use of its kitchen amenities,
including free use of the soda, coffee,
and water/ice machines.
As an effort to reach out to everyone
in the community, the firm partnered this
last summer with a local church to open
the space to the homeless population
living in downtown Oklahoma City. The
church provided food while Dunlap
Codding contributed beverages, paper
products and the staffing to facilitate
the event. Upon seeing the need, firm
members rallied by seeking out and
obtaining articles of clothing, hygiene
items, backpacks and suitcases from
throughout the community and provided
these items to their homeless guests. The
firm's kitchen, social area, and courtyard
were open from 5 until 8 p.m. so that
those attending could relax and escape
the brutal Oklahoma City summer heat,
mingle, charge their cell phones, and eat
dinner in an atmosphere of inclusion and
community. Dunlap Codding will resume
this service to the homeless again in the
spring and has actively sought support
and involvement from others in the
Oklahoma City business community.
Dunlap Codding started "Food
Truck Wednesdays" as another means
of creating community and bringing our
neighbors together. The firm arranges for
a local food truck to be on site for lunch,
hires local emerging musicians to play
Approach to Community Service