The red-brick building that used to be the headquarters of the American Bag and Union Hide Co. in Oakland, California, has been converted into office space by two former Big Law partners shifting their career gears into boutique mode.

“It is a fun place to be,” said W. Fred Norton, a recent resident of the century-old building. “We are still near the courthouse here in Oakland, and we are still close to San Francisco. It has a lot of character.”