Seyfarth Shaw Honored for “Spirit of Leadership” by Best Buddies

Contacts: 
Brian Kiefer, Director of Public Relations
(312) 460-6401, bkiefer@seyfarth.com

Ivette Delgado, Senior Public Relations Associate
(212) 218-5273, idelgado@seyfarth.com

BOSTON (June 4, 2012) — Leading law firm Seyfarth Shaw LLP announced today that the firm was honored by nonprofit organization, Best Buddies, with the Spirit of Leadership Award, marking the first time that a corporate partner has earned this award. Lauded for its dedication to supporting one-on-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, Seyfarth joins a small and elite group of recipients of Best Buddies’ highest accolade. Previous years’ honorees include Muhammad Ali, actor David Caruso, Senator Tom Harkin, David Maxwell and Sargent Shriver, among others.

The award was presented during the closing ceremony of the 2012 Best Buddies Challenge: Hyannis Port, in which 1,600 cyclists rode either 100, 50 or 20 miles, concurrent with a charity walk and run, to meet a fundraising goal of $4.7 million. Several of Seyfarth’s Boston office attorneys and staff participated in the bike rides and run/walk, in addition to a cyclist representative from each of the firm’s additional U.S. offices.

Involved with Best Buddies for the past 12 years, Seyfarth Shaw has raised more than $1 million and contributed 800 walkers, runners, cyclists and volunteers during the challenges, hired four Best Buddies Jobs participants and houses the National Headquarters for the Best Buddies Challenges by donating office space, equipment and legal support.

Best Buddies founder and chair Anthony Kennedy Shriver said of the firm, “We have never honored a partner in the history of the Best Buddies Challenge: Hyannis Port. This is not a yearly strategy or general business practice for Best Buddies and our event…No other corporate partner treats Best Buddies more like family than Seyfarth Shaw.”

Seyfarth’s Boston Office Managing Partner Russell Swapp said, “Best Buddies has become part of the fabric of our office culture.” He added, “Our relationship with Best Buddies, in particular, our employment of three Buddies in our Boston office has been a truly rewarding experience. We are committed to the annual Hyannis Port Challenge, and we consider ourselves blessed to share in its mission and success.”

J. Stephen Poor, Seyfarth Shaw’s Managing Partner remarked, “As an organization, Seyfarth Shaw is committed to being an outstanding corporate citizen and an active contributor to our communities. Whether through our pro bono activities, charitable grants made by our charitable foundation, or our other community service programs, our staff and attorneys have enthusiastically embraced this commitment. We are incredibly proud of the work we are doing and the ability of the firm to support that work. We truly hope that through our efforts, we are able to improve individual lives and strengthen our communities as a whole.”

Founded in 1989 by Anthony K. Shriver, Best Buddies is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Best Buddies programs, with more than 1,500 chapters worldwide, engage participants in each of the 50 United States and in 50 countries around the world and positively impact nearly 700,000 individuals with and without disabilities. Through Best Buddies, people with IDD are able to secure jobs, live on their own, become inspiring leaders and make lifelong friendships. To learn more about Best Buddies, visit www.bestbuddies.org.

Seyfarth Shaw has over 800 attorneys located in 10 offices throughout the United States, including: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Sacramento, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., as well as internationally in London. Seyfarth Shaw provides a broad range of legal services in the areas of labor and employment, employee benefits, litigation, corporate and real estate. The firm’s clients include over 300 of the Fortune 500 companies, and our practice reflects virtually every industry and segment of the economy. For more information, please visit www.seyfarth.com .