Seyfarth Shaw Highlighted in The American Lawyer
"The Accidental Laterals"

Seyfarth Shaw was highlighted and Lorie Almon and Stanley Bloch were quoted in the article, "The Accidental Laterals,” which appeared in the February 2009 edition of The American Lawyer. The article discussed the influx of lateral hires as a result of the economic downturn. As noted in the article, "With so many lawyers job-hunting-and not by choice-the tenor of their experience was markedly different than that of the typical lateral itching to find a new home." With the imminent collapse of Thelen and Heller, some senior attorneys wanted to do everything they could to help the firm stay together. Stan, reflecting on his dedication to his previous firm and who ultimately landed at Seyfarth Shaw in November, commented that "We were the guys who stayed on and hoped that we would be able to pull it through."

According to the article, the opportunity for a mass hire is a warning signal to many firms. Lorie explained, "There's no more stark reminder of the dangers of growth [for growth's sake] than talking to these people and watching them face what they have faced." Lorie further noted that in the weeks after the Thelen partnership voted in late October to dissolve, Seyfarth partners met with about 35 Thelen lawyers. The firm was an attractive refuge: financially conservative and free of long-term debt. That prudence led Seyfarth to make offers to about half the partners interviewed. Eventually 15 Thelen attorneys joined Seyfarth, including eight who came as partners.