Firm News
Sep 21, 2010
Seyfarth Shaw Adds Veteran Appellate Attorney James Harris in Los Angeles
Harris has briefed and argued nearly 400 appeals and writ law at state and federal levels
Contact:
Kevin Livingston, National Director of Public Relations
(212) 218-5272, klivingston@seyfarth.com
LOS ANGELES (September 21, 2010 ) – Adding a prominent appellate attorney to its national litigation practice, leading full-service law firm Seyfarth Shaw LLP announced that James M. Harris has joined its Los Angeles office as of counsel.
Harris arrives from Sidley Austin LLP, where he spent nearly 30 years building a notable portfolio of cases across a broad spectrum of litigation matters. His practice includes civil appellate and writ law at both the state and federal levels. Harris has presented briefs and argued appeals in a variety of areas, including antitrust, torts, civil procedure, libel, labor/employment, breach of contract, environmental, real property, bankruptcy, partnership and civil rights.
“Having handled nearly 400 appeals and writ proceedings, Jim’s vast appellate experience is a welcome addition to our robust national litigation practice, which includes approximately 400 attorneys in our Litigation and Labor & Employment departments. His credentials span courts on the East and West Coasts and he has particular familiarity with the Ninth Circuit, the California Court of Appeals and the California Supreme Court, in addition to the Second, Sixth and Tenth Circuit courts,” said Katherine E. Perrelli, chair of Seyfarth Shaw’s Litigation department. Harris holds admissions and certifications to 15 different courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court.
Lisa J. Damon, Chair of Seyfarth’s Labor & Employment department, added, “Jim’s willingness to take a lead role in cases on a wide range of issues will benefit our clients nationwide. He is an elite appellate lawyer, who often works with other counsel at the trial stage to prevent reversible error or to assist in appellate strategy.”
Harris is the latest addition to Seyfarth’s Los Angeles office. In recent weeks, the firm has welcomed Labor and Employment attorneys Dana Howells, Jeffrey A. Berman and Joan E. Smiles, along with IP lawyer Alan M. Lenkin.
“We welcome Jim to the Los Angeles office. As a member of the prestigious California Academy of Appellate Lawyers, he brings a peerless track record in trial and appellate work and will be an invaluable source of wisdom and strategic counsel to our litigators,” said Kenwood C. Youmans, managing partner of Seyfarth’s Los Angeles office.
Harris received his J.D. from The University of Chicago, where he was editor-in-chief of the University of Chicago Law Review and graduated Order of the Coif. He received an undergraduate degree from Brown University. He teaches a class in federal courts at Loyola Law School and he is a co-author of Federal Appellate Practice: Ninth Circuit, the leading treatise on Ninth Circuit practice.
Seyfarth Shaw has over 750 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 Brussels, Belgium. 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 practice reflects virtually every industry and segment of the country’s business and social fabric. Clients include over 300 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.