Seyfarth Shaw LLP Bolsters Its New York Presence

New Appointments Broaden Firm’s Litigation and Entertainment Capabilities

New York (June 9, 2004) – Seyfarth Shaw LLP, a leading national full-service law firm, announced the addition of two new partners – Charles D. Schmerler and Jeff Sanders.  Messrs. Schmerler and Sanders, both formerly of Arent Fox PLLC, will help to strengthen the firm’s already solid Litigation, International and Media/Entertainment practice areas.

“Chad and Jeff each offer a wealth of experience in their respective areas of specialization, which will help the firm continue to grow rapidly in the New York market, as well as on a national level,” said David Ross, managing partner of Seyfarth Shaw’s New York office. “We also look forward to the collaborative opportunities that Chad and Jeff will bring to Seyfarth Shaw, through their team-oriented approach that matches our own.”

Based in New York, Mr. Schmerler joins Seyfarth Shaw’s Litigation Group.  He has extensive experience representing foreign and domestic clients, including governments, corporations and financial institutions, in both finance matters and dispute resolution.  Mr. Schmerler is lead counsel to a major foreign financial institution for U.S. litigation and arbitration and to numerous institutional clients in cross-border restructuring and litigation.  He also has advised financial institutions and media companies in connection with film finance matters and media litigation, and has substantial experience in First Amendment litigation.  He has broad experience in matters arising from the litigation and arbitration of international disputes, including Act of State and Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act matters.  Mr. Schmerler, age 44, received his J.D. from Boston University in 1984 and his B.A. from Yale University in 1981.

Mr. Sanders joins the firm’s Business Services Group, where he will continue to focus on servicing clients in the media, entertainment and technology industries.  Mr. Sanders will be resident in the New York office, and  will be working closely with the firm’s Los Angeles team.  Before joining Arent Fox PLLC, he served as the vice president of business affairs and senior counsel for Winstar Communications, where he was responsible for the company’s venture capital and media divisions.  While at Winstar, Mr. Sanders negotiated the company’s acquisitions of BMG’s independent film division, Wellspring Media, Individual.com, numerous television stations and other motion picture, television and Internet companies.  He played key roles in structuring Winstar’s strategic alliances with Microsoft, CBS and others.  Mr. Sanders also had supervisory responsibility for the business and legal affairs staff at Winstar’s film, radio, Internet and Office.com operating divisions.  While at Arent Fox, Mr. Sanders expanded the firm’s media and entertainment practice.  Mr. Sanders, age 42, received his J.D. with honors from the University of North Carolina in 1994 and his BFA from SUNY Empire State College in 1990.

“Seyfarth Shaw offers a superb opportunity for our group to continue to expand our practice at a firm with an already strong foundation,” said Mr. Schmerler. “I have worked closely and synergistically with Jeff for years, and our move gives us the chance to provide to clients a truly national practice with substantive depth, as well as contribute to the expansion strategy of Seyfarth’s New York office and the growth of the firm as a whole.”

“I am excited at the prospect of moving my practice to a prestigious, national firm,” said Mr. Sanders.  “I look forward to working closely with the Los Angeles office and leveraging my connections in New York to help develop a national and comprehensive media/entertainment practice.”

To assist Messrs. Schmerler and Sanders, Seyfarth Shaw also announced that Associates Harleen Kahlon and Stephanie Finkelstein will join the firm’s New York and Los Angeles offices, respectively.  Both associates previously worked with Messrs. Schmerler and Sanders at Arent Fox.  Ms. Kahlon, age 31, received her J.D. from Yale Law School in 2002.  Ms. Finkelstein, age 28, received her J.D. from Fordham Law School in 2001.

About Seyfarth Shaw LLP
Founded in 1945, Seyfarth Shaw has more than 600 attorneys located in nine offices throughout the United States, including New York, Boston, Chicago, Washington DC, Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento as well as Brussels, Belgium. True to its roots, Seyfarth Shaw has one of the largest labor & employment practices in the nation, and also provides a broad range of legal services including corporate; real estate; construction; trusts & estates; intellectual property; litigation; employee benefits; environmental, safety & toxic torts; government, commercial & international contracts; bankruptcy, workouts & business reorganization; business immigration; tax; and international.

Today, the firm’s practice reflects virtually every industry and segment of the country’s business and social fabric. Clients include many of the Fortune 500 companies, financial institutions, newspapers and other media, hotels, healthcare organizations, companies in telecommunication, manufacturing, retail and insurance industries, airlines and railroads. The firm also represents a number of federal, state, and local governmental and educational entities.

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