New L.A. Real Estate and Corporate Partners Featured in the Los Angeles Daily Journal
"Sonnenschein Loses Nine to Seyfarth's Planned L.A. Office"

The nine-attorney group, including five corporate and real estate partners, who joined the firm this week were featured in the October 1, 2008 Los Angeles Daily Journal article, "Sonnenschein Loses Nine to Seyfarth's Planned L.A. Office." The article reported that corporate partners Shirley E. Curfman and Harumi Hata and real estate partners Robert M. Johnson, J. Dean Heller and Amadeo Cantu began at Seyfarth on Wednesday.

Additionally, the article noted that Kenwood Youmans, the firm's Los Angeles managing partner, said the firm was looking for a group of "excellent" business lawyers to begin an expansion into downtown Los Angeles. Ken commented, "We've long planned to build out our business service capabilities in Southern California. We have this kind of capability in virtually all of our offices east of the Mississippi. Part of the strategic vision is to replicate that capability on the West Coast."

Shirley said the opportunities to continue practicing together as transactional attorneys and to help open a downtown Los Angeles office led to the group's decision to join Seyfarth Shaw. "I don't think any opportunity short of this unique opportunity could have enticed us...," Shirley said.