Big S.F. law firms may call for change of venue; 750,000 square feet of legal office space is under negotiation. (San Francisco, California)

San Francisco's four largest law firms - which collectively occupy a whopping 750,000 square feet of financial district office space - may soon be on the move.

Though in negotiations with their current landlords, Pillsbury Madison & Sutro; Brobeck Phleger & Harrison; Heller, Ehrman, White & McAuliffe; and Morrison & Foerster are considering moving into different San Francisco digs.

The lease decisions could have a major impact on the city's commercial real estate market in 1995, especially if they decide to relocate. In some cases, however, the law firms' professed interest in relocating may be a pressure tactic to get incumbent landlords to renew long-term leases at reduced rates.

All four firms are paying rents well above current market rates. Under leases signed in the mid-1980s, …