Firm Noted in Law Firm Partnership & Benefits Report : L. Almon, J. Napoli and H. Blackiston Quoted
"Older and Better: Partner Retirement Policies"

The article "Older and Better: Partner Retirement Policies" in the March issue of Law Firm Partnership & Benefits Report notes "You have heard the cliché: “60 is the new 40.” In today’s law firm, however, the 60-year-old may very well be at the prime of his or her career, and many firms are taking notice. Firms committed to building critical mass, particularly in key practice areas and offices (notably New York) are scrambling to recruit the “big splash” partner. The seasoned attorney from a top-tier firm, approaching the firm’s retirement age but not yet ready to quit, is a prime target. This partner has a loyal client base, the wisdom gained from years of experience, and protégés who are frequently eager and willing to follow the master. Firms committed to growth are seeking ways to differentiate themselves from their competitors, while the ever-expanding corps of seasoned, senior attorneys — not quite ready to call it quits — is positioned for a late-career job change. The subject of mandatory retirement policies transcends industry boundaries and personal ones.  More than half of the firms in the AmLaw 100 have mandatory retirement policies, which were implemented with the view of making room for younger partners or avoiding difficult conversations with long-time colleagues about the perception of a diminishing skill-set or loss of appetite for long hours. However, on January 19 a special committee of the New York State Bar issued a report advising law firms to end mandatory retirement policies: “mandatory retirement — requiring a partner to leave the firm upon reaching an arbitrary age — is not an acceptable practice.”

"Many of those firms that are determined to grow or keep talented senior lawyers will make exceptions for productive partners. For example, several national firms not based in New York have recently added lateral partners who had been required to retire from their former firms: . . . Henry Blackiston, a Shearman & Sterling LLP partner who joined Seyfarth Shaw  LLP.  Seyfarth Shaw LLP, a full-service national firm founded in Chicago in 1945, is well on the way to building the critical mass needed for its New York office. It has no mandatory retirement policy and has doubled the number of attorneys in the last year alone. In the first quarter of 2007, it expects to bring in approximately 10 new partners and soon thereafter will move to new offices with space for 155 lawyers. The firm is confident it won’t have unused space for long. It prides itself in valuing the many strengths and contributions that a more experienced partner can bring. In fact, the firm has a number of partners in their 60s and 70s who are “huge contributors,” according to Lorie Almon and John Napoli, co-managing partners of the New York office. Currently, they are meeting with a number of “exceptional candidates” who are on the older side.   In January 2006, the firm hired Henry Blackiston, a former Shearman & Sterling LLP partner, and senior member of the employee benefits practice who was fast approaching that firm’s mandatory retirement age. Blackiston was at Shearman for 37 years and a very successful team had been built during that period. He hopes for similar accomplishments at Seyfarth, and Napoli and Almon are pleased with the results so far. They believe that Blackiston’s network of contacts, along with his known expertise, have resulted in some very visible successes. This includes the practice he is building as part of his new firm’s team, as well as his ability to attract other laterals. He has also taken a leading role in the firm’s pro bono practice, which needed a boost prior to his arrival. According to Almon and Napoli, Blackiston came in “energized … ready to strengthen relationships the firm already had” (in addition to seeking out new ones) and contribute to the overall well being of the firm.  In a conversation with Blackiston, he certainly did sound like an attorney at the top of his game. He spoke about Seyfarth’s culture as one of being “in the same boat rowing together.” Blackiston also stated that retirement “is not what it used to be in the U.S.” He believes that in many cases, people want to work for more years because they have the energy and the will to do so. In addition, some are having children later in life, which completely disrupts traditional thoughts of retirement timing."