By JAMES FINK
Business First

For the second time in as many months, a large Buffalo law firm has quietly started a site search that could lead to the move of ts downtown office.

Officials of Jaeckle Fleischmann & Mugel LLP confirmed they have retained the Miami office of The Studley Group to handle a possible relocation from the 12 Fountain Plaza building.

The region's fourth-largest law firm has been an anchor tenant there for the past 25 years. The firm leases 40,000 square feet on several floors in the building.

Jaeckle Fleischmann & Mugel's lease expires in mid-2012.

"We're just exploring our options," said Joseph Kubarek, a member of the firm's executive committee and pointman for its site search. "It will be a very systematic review of what's out there."

Jaeckle Fleischmann & Mugel's search comes about one month after Phillips Lytle LLP retained the same Studley Group office to handle a site search.

Phillips Lytle leases 85,000 square feet in HSBC Center.

Its lease expires in 2013.

Like Phillips Lytle, the Jaeckle Fleischmann & Mugel search will attract the attention of local landlords and developers, given the law firm's reputation and the number of employees it could bring to a building.

"I'm sure they will be getting a lot of calls," said Shana Stegner, a broker with CB Richard Ellis/Buffalo.

Kuberak, meanwhile, said the site search is in the earliest stage, with the Studley Group only recently retained. A request for proposal from potential landlords and developers won't hit the streets for a while.

"We're still working on our wish list," he said.

Besides the downtown Buffalo office, Jaeckle Fleischmann & Mugel has a smaller, suburban office in Amherst.

The Buffalo office has 50 lawyers and 50 staff.

Kuberak said Jaeckle Fleischmann & Mugel is open to all office options.

"But all else being equal, a central location in downtown Buffalo would probably work better for us," he added.