Seyfarth Shaw Adds Charlene M. Kelly as Partner to Employee Benefits Practice Group

Chicago, IL  (September 13, 2006) - - Seyfarth Shaw LLP, one of America’s leading full service law firms, announced that Charlene M. Kelly has joined the firm’s Employee Benefits Practice Group as partner in its Chicago office.  She was previously a partner with Schiff Hardin LLP in Chicago.

Kelly has counseled public, closely-held, and tax-exempt entities on a range of employee benefits issues with respect to: mergers and acquisitions; tax-qualified retirement plans; health and welfare benefit plans; fiduciary concerns; stock options plans; non-qualified deferred compensation arrangements; consulting arrangements; severance arrangements; employment contracts; and annual report and proxy disclosure. She has also designed and drafted executive compensation plans as well as cash balance conversions, buy-sell agreements and change in control agreements. 

“We welcome Charlene's arrival to our growing practice," noted Peter C. Miller, chair of the firm’s Employee Benefits Group.  "Her strong experience and skills across a broad range of employee benefits matters should bring great value to our clients.”

Seyfarth Shaw’s Employee Benefits Group is one of the largest and most diverse employee benefits and executive compensation practices in the United States.  The Group’s attorneys offer clients a wealth of experience including retirement plans, welfare benefit plans, executive compensation and incentive arrangements, employee stock ownership plans, corporate transactions and restructuring, multiemployer plans and ERISA/employee benefits litigation.

“Charlene is a valuable addition to our office,” said David J. Rowland, managing partner of Seyfarth’s Chicago office. “She is a well respected attorney with an active practice and has held several leadership roles in regional legal organizations. We are pleased that she has joined the firm.” 

Kelly received her B.S. in Applied Mathematics and her M.B.A. from Northern Illinois University. She earned her J.D. from DePaul University College of Law, where she was a member of the DePaul Law Review and recipient of the Dean's Academic Achievement Award. She is a member of the Chicago, Illinois, and American Bar Associations and served as chair of the Chicago Bar Association's Employee Benefits Committee. 

"I’m delighted to be part of such an extensive and diverse practice,” said Kelly. “Seyfarth Shaw offers me a stimulating environment to deepen my practice and support the firm’s national client base.”

Seyfarth Shaw has over 650 attorneys located in nine offices throughout the United States including Chicago, New York, Boston, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento as well as Brussels, Belgium.  Seyfarth Shaw provides a broad range of legal services in the areas of labor and employment, employee benefits, litigation and business services.  The firm’s practice reflects virtually every industry and segment of the country’s business community. Clients include over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies, financial institutions, newspapers and other media, hotels, health care organizations, airlines and railroads. The firm also represents a number of federal, state, and local governmental and educational entities.  For more information, please visit www.seyfarth.com.

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