People: J. Stephen Poor, Partner

J. Stephen Poor

Partner

Chicago
Direct: (312) 460-5893
Fax: (312) 460-7893
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Biography

Mr. Poor is a partner in the Chicago office of Seyfarth Shaw, where he represents management in the area of labor and employment law.  Mr. Poor is Chair and Managing Partner of the Firm with overall responsibility for the leadership, direction, growth, profitability and culture of the organization.  He has held that position since mid-2001.  He has served on the Firm’s Executive Committee since 1998.  Prior to joining the Executive Committee,  he was Chair of the Firm’s Labor and Employment Law Group from 1994 through 1998. 

As Chair of the Firm, Mr. Poor has helped lead the Seyfarth team in its effort to continue to provide the highest quality legal services while driving value and efficiency through proprietary process improvement techniques, known as SeyfarthLean. Derived from Six Sigma and Lean methodologies, SeyfarthLean is a disciplined way of thinking about the delivery of high-quality legal services in a way that delivers value to the Firm’s clients. Seyfarth was recently recognized by BTI Consulting Group as “best of the best” among law firms for our ‘market leading’ innovative approach to the practice of law. Mr. Poor was named the 2011 Legal Innovator of the Year by the Financial Times in recognition of this work.

Mr. Poor started his career with Seyfarth as an employment lawyer with particular focuses on trial work and ERISA litigation.  He regularly speaks on topics relating to law firm management, including partner compensation systems, change management in the law firm environment and the application of process improvement techniques to the practice of law.

Mr. Poor is a partner in the Chicago office of Seyfarth Shaw, where he represents management in the area of labor and employment law.  Mr. Poor is Chair and Managing Partner of the Firm with overall responsibility for the leadership, direction, growth, profitability and culture of the organization.  He has held that position since mid-2001.  He has served on the Firm’s Executive Committee since 1998.  Prior to joining the Executive Committee,  he was Chair of the Firm’s Labor and Employment Law Group from 1994 through 1998. 

As Chair of the Firm, Mr. Poor has helped lead the Seyfarth team in its effort to continue to provide the highest quality legal services while driving value and efficiency through proprietary process improvement techniques, known as SeyfarthLean. Derived from Six Sigma and Lean methodologies, SeyfarthLean is a disciplined way of thinking about the delivery of high-quality legal services in a way that delivers value to the Firm’s clients. Seyfarth was recently recognized by BTI Consulting Group as “best of the best” among law firms for our ‘market leading’ innovative approach to the practice of law. Mr. Poor was named the 2011 Legal Innovator of the Year by the Financial Times in recognition of this work.

Mr. Poor started his career with Seyfarth as an employment lawyer with particular focuses on trial work and ERISA litigation.  He regularly speaks on topics relating to law firm management, including partner compensation systems, change management in the law firm environment and the application of process improvement techniques to the practice of law.

Education

  • J.D., University of Virginia School of Law (1980)
    with Honors
    Order of the Coif
  • B.S., Indiana University (1977)
    Phi Beta Kappa

Admissions

  • Illinois

Courts

  • United States Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth, Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Circuits
  • U.S. District Court for the Central and Northern Districts of Illinois

Affiliations

  • American Bar Association

Representative Engagements

Representative Reported Decisions

  • Caterpillar Inc. v. Williams, 482 U.S. 386 (1987).  (Leading Supreme Court case addressing the removal from state court to federal court of state law employment claims).
  • Lingle v. Norge, Division of Magic Chef, 486 U.S. 399.  (U.S. Sup. Ct. 1988) (Supreme Court case addressing the preemption of state law employment claims based on federal labor law).
  • Dempsey v. Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Co., 16 F.3d 832 (7th Cir. 1994). (Railway Labor Act case.)
  • Brotherhood of Railway Carmen v. Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Co., 956 F.2d 156 (7th Cir. 1992). (Railway Labor Act case.)
  • Pratt v. Caterpillar Inc., 149 Ill. App. 3d 588, 500 N.E. 2d 1001 (3rd Dist. 1986).  (Involving retaliatory discharge case under Illinois state law.)
  • Kagan v. Caterpillar Inc., 795 F.2d 601 (7th Cir. 1986).  (Title VII case involving religion and ADEA age discrimination claims.)
  • Schacht v. Caterpillar Inc., 213 Ill. App. 3d 169, 571 N.E.2d 1215 (3rd Dist. 1991).  (Involving federal preemption of state employee contract.)
  • Hamilton v. Caterpillar Inc., 966 F.2d 1226 (7th Cir. 1992).  (Reverse age discrimination claim.)
  • Rizzo v. Caterpillar Inc., 194 F.2d 1003 (7th Cir. 1990).  (ERISA case interpreting early retirement plan.)
  • Clyde v. Illinois Human Rights Commission and Caterpillar Inc., 206 Ill. App. 3d 283, 564 N.E.2d 265 (4th Dist. 1990).  (Age discrimination claim.)
  • Pierce v. Santa Fe Railway, 110 F.3d 431 (7th Cir. 1997) (age and release case)
  • Bialas v. Greyhound Lines, Inc., 59 F.3d 759 (8th Cir. 1995) (age discrimination case)
  • Cutler v. Jewel Food Stores, Inc., 1998 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19876 (USDC ND ILL, 1998) (ADA case)
  • Harper v. Computer Associates, Inc., 1998 U.S.Dist. LEXIS 13441 (ND ILL. 1998) (race discrimination case)
  • Gorence v. Eagle Food Centers, Inc., 1998 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5076 (ND ILL, 1998) (three plaintiff age and sex discrimination case)

Jury Verdicts

  • Staples v. Firestone Tire and Rubber Co., U.S. District Court C.D. Illinois (1985). (race discrimination claim.)
  • Chester v. Continental Grain Corp., U.S. District Court, S.D. Illinois (1992).  (age claim.)
  • Schutter v. Union Camp Corp., Michigan State Court, Kalamazoo, Michigan (1985). (implied employment contract case.)
  • Brooms v. Regal Tube Company, 881 F.2d 412 (7th Cir. 1989).  (race and sex harassment case.)
  • Horton v. Dixie-Narco, Inc., 908 F.2d 967 (4th Cir. 1990) and West Virginia state court.  (sex discrimination, right of privacy, and breach of employment contract case in West Virginia.)
  • Pierce v. Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Co., U.S. District Court, N.D. Illinois (1993). (race and age discrimination claim; second trial on issue of a valid release)
  • Kolar v. National Association of  Security Dealers, U.S. District Court, N.D. Illinois (1993).  (Defense verdict on breach of employment contract case.)
  • Rivera and Allen v. The Prudential Insurance Co., U.S. District Court, N.D. New York (1996) (two plaintiff sex harassment case)
  • Cooper v. Eagle Food Centers, Inc., U.S. District Court, N.D. Iowa (1997.) (Defense verdict on Equal Pay Act, sex discrimination claim.)
  • Ferguson & Minnigerode v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, U.S. District Court, S.D. Illinois (1997.)  (Defense verdict on two plaintiff sex harassment, sex discrimination claims.)
  • Watson v. National Association of Securities Dealers, U.S. District Court, N.D. Texas (1998) (retaliation claim under USSERA)

Representative Reported Class Action Matters

  • Greenberger v. Computer Associates International (S.D.N.Y.) (WARN case; settled in discovery phase)
  • Hamilton v. Caterpillar Inc., 966 F.2d 1226 (7th Cir. 1992) (reverse age discrimination class action dismissed for failure to state action)
  • Isaacs v. Caterpillar, C.D. Illinois (Class action age discrimination case challenging Caterpillar’s early retirement program)
  • Rogene Gorence, et. al v. Eagle Food Centers, Inc., (N.D. Ill.) (class certification denied in alleged sex and age promotion/pay discrimination case; summary judgment granted as to named plaintiffs' claims)
  • Schact v. Caterpillar Inc., 213 Ill. App. 3d 169, 571 N.E.2d 1215 (3d Dist. 1991) (class action dismissed on federal preemption grounds)
  • Timothy Washington, et. al v. Eagle Food Centers, Inc., (C. D. Ill.) (favorable settlement reached in company-wide class action brought by African-Americans claiming discrimination in promotion)
  • Williams v. Caterpillar, N.D. California, 9th Cir., U.S. Supreme Court (Class action case challenging plant closing involving federal preemption/removal issues)
  • Jones v. Caterpillar Inc., 241 Ill. App. 3d 129, 607 N.E.2d 1348 (3d Dist.), leave to appeal denied, 151 Ill. 2d 564, 616 N.E.2d 335 (1993), cert. denied, 114 S. Ct. 386 (1993) (action by 165 union-represented plaintiffs alleging breach of contract and misrepresentation in connection with alleged breach of promises contained in individual apprenticeship agreements -- summary judgment granted on the basis of federal labor law preemption)
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Financial Times Award

Seyfarth recognized in Financial Times' U.S. Innovative Lawyer's Report 2011.

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