Seyfarth Shaw Recognized as National Leader in 2007 Chambers USA Rankings

Chicago, IL (June 28, 2007)—Seyfarth Shaw LLP, one of America’s leading full service law firms, is recognized in the 2007 edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business as among the best law firms in multiple practice areas nationally and in regional markets, and 23 of the firm’s attorneys were also ranked as preeminent in their field.

The firm ranked #2 in the nation in two practice areas: Labor and Employment, and Retail. In particular, the #2 ranking in retail recognizes several core strengths of the firm. According to Chambers, to excel in providing legal service to the retail sector, a firm “… must be able to cover all the needs of a large, national retailer. Naturally, real estate and land use matters will feature prominently, but the firm must also counsel on franchise, IP, trademark and e-commerce matters. Furthermore, it should ideally demonstrate aptitude in labor and employment matters and be able to respond to the majority of tax, advertising and consumer protection issues, as well as disputes both nationally and internationally.”

In addition to the firm’s superior national rankings, Seyfarth Shaw also featured prominently in local markets.  The Labor and Employment Practice Group landed in first place in both Illinois and Massachusetts.  Also in Illinois, the Employee Benefits Practice Group ranked #2, as did the Construction Practice Group in Washington, D. C. Chambers ranked the firm’s Real Estate and Environment Practice Groups both in third place in Illinois, and third place honors were also awarded to the Washington, D. C. Labor and Employment Practice Group and California’s Labor and Employment Practice Group.

Individual attorneys at Seyfarth Shaw throughout the nation were also honored. In California, two attorneys were recognized (Labor and Employment); the Washington, D. C. office had three attorneys ranked in their market (Construction; Labor and Employment); Georgia had two (Construction; Real Estate); the firm’s headquarters in Illinois saw 10 attorneys make the list (Environment; Labor and Employment; Real Estate); Massachusetts’ office had five attorneys ranked by Chambers (Employee Benefits; Environment; Labor and Employment); and one of the attorneys from the firm’s New York office was ranked by the guide (Construction).

Practice Group Rankings

#2 National Ranking in Labor and Employment
Clients nationwide describe the firm as “uniformly excellent and good value” for Labor and Employment issues.

#2 National Ranking in Retail
“Combining its real estate, Labor and Employment, and corporate abilities, this firm looks at the retail sector both as an aspect of real estate and also as an industry sector in its own right. This dual approach is reflected in its recognition among commentators across several regions of the USA for its retail competence…”

#1 in Labor and Employment in Illinois
“… [I]t is frequently the case that Chicago-based lawyers who specialize in Labor and Employment started their career at Seyfarth. Prevailing as one of the leaders in the area, this group houses ‘some of the most prominent lawyers in the Midwest.’”

#1 in Labor and Employment in Massachusetts
“Clients spoke of ‘a consistent level of service throughout the firm,’ with the Labor and Employment team in particular meeting expectations as ‘top-notch, easy to work with folks…’ Commentators acknowledged that ‘Seyfarth is top of the line in terms of its business model,’ with clients further praising a mentality that allows it to ‘fit its excellent level of service to the timeliness we need.’ The group is increasingly recognized for its work in ‘high-level counseling’ of clients in addition to their work in litigation.”

#2 in Construction in Washington, D.C.
“‘Highly effective in Washington, DC,’ this practice group is considered to have a strong regional footprint… Clients highlight the firm’s ‘responsiveness and good counsel….’”

#2 in Employee Benefits and Compensation in Illinois
The firm’s Employee Benefits Practice Group ranked #2 in Illinois.

#3 in Labor and Employment in California
“The California team consists of ‘a lot of lawyers with a lot of capabilities,’ spread between offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento.”

#3 in Labor and Employment in Washington, D. C.
“In addition to representing many national companies, this firm has a lot of local knowledge.”

#3 in Environment in Illinois
Awarded an “A-plus for excellent counsel” by our Illinois clients.

#3 in Real Estate in Illinois
“As a full-service firm, real estate attorneys work seamlessly with their counterparts in bankruptcy, tax and litigation when needed. Their ‘promptness, accessibility and business-minded nature’ have drawn and retained clients in retail, corporate and finance.”

Individual Attorney Rankings by State and Practice Group

California: Labor and Employment
Gilmore F. Diekmann, Jr.
Clients and peers note that Gil has a “terrific” reputation in mediation in addition to handling complex employment litigation and class actions.

David D. Kadue
Clients turn to David for his “high quality work and prompt service” predominantly in complex discrimination and wage and hour litigation.

Georgia: Construction
C. Walker Ingraham
“Chip Ingraham… devotes his time to representing owners, contractors, design professionals and sureties in transactional and litigious construction matters.”

Georgia: Real Estate
Carl E. Westmoreland
Carl is “one of the most prominent land use attorneys in [Atlanta].” Respondents report that Carl is a “fantastic lawyer” who is “a go-to for clients who have zoning issues.”

Illinois: Environment
Andrew H. Perellis
Clients report that Andrew “can aggressively assert our position without taking over’” and he is a “creative and trustworthy problem solver.”

Eric E. Boyd
Clients report that Eric is “client-friendly and practical.”

Illinois: Labor and Employment
Kenneth R. Dolin
Described as “tenacious,” clients commend Kenneth for “spending good time on preparation that makes any future disputes easy to handle.”

Joel H. Kaplan
Chambers writes, “One of the finest Labor and Employment lawyers in the country, Joel Kaplan has seen it all during his many years of experience.” Commentators reported that Joel is a “smart and practical attorney.”

Gerald L. Maatman, Jr.
Jerry is “noted for his work in discrimination class actions and EEOC cases in federal and state courts all over the USA.”

Ellen E. McLaughlin
Clients appreciate Ellen’s “common-sense approach,” which she brings both to her litigation work and in providing policy structures for companies to implement on a national scale.

Camille A. Olson
“Observers define this media specialist as ‘a fine lawyer who presents well and engenders confidence in her clients.’”

Thomas J. Piskorski
Thomas is recognized by his peers as “one of the major players in Chicago.”

John W. Powers
Chambers reports that John “is ‘a truly accomplished’ attorney who handles a mix of employment discrimination and traditional labor relations.”

Illinois: Real Estate
Joel D. Rubin
Joel is recognized as a “giant in the business” with “no trace of bombastic ego.”

Massachusetts: Employee Benefits
Diane M. Soubly
Diane “has swiftly solidified her reputation at the practice, bringing over a quarter of a century of ERISA experience to the fold.”

Massachusetts: Environment
Donald I. Anglehart
Chambers notes that Donald has “more than 25 years of environmental experience as well as industry experience gained form his previous work at the US EPA.”

Massachusetts: Labor and Employment
Richard L. Alfred
Chambers respondents note that Richard’s reputation is “unquestionably top-ranked,” while his peers indicated that they “would not have a moment’s hesitation referring work to him.”

Ariel D. Cudkowicz
Chambers reports that Ariel is “’a highly personable attorney,’ with an emphasis on wage and hour disputes, particularly with regard to state law.”

Lisa J. Damon
Respondents told Chambers that Lisa is “by far one of the best Labor and Employment lawyers around.” Not only is she “someone that we reach out to on a number of issues,” but “she’s someone you can really trust with your business.”

Washington, D. C.: Construction
Bennett D. Greenberg
Bennett’s peers report that he is “one of the best construction trial lawyers in Washington, D. C.” Clients remarked that Bennett is “amenable to understanding clients’ needs and desires” and that he has a “beneficial approach in dispute resolutions.”

Richard M. Preston
Richard is “a good listener, who takes it all in and comes up with a good, practical solution,” according to his peers. Clients appreciate his “intelligence, diligence and 24/7 accessibility.”

Washington, D. C.: Labor and Employment
Peter Chatilovicz
“Interviewees think highly of Peter Chatilovicz. He primarily focuses on traditional labor law and his highlights include completing a number of negotiations for the Baltimore city school system and Hilton hotels in New York.”

 

 

For the 2007 directory, Chambers conducted over 6,500 interviews covering 170 countries. They were carried out by a team of 30 full-time researchers over a period of 12 months to arrive at the final rankings. Law firms and individual attorneys are ranked in the guide on a scale of 1-6. The qualities on which rankings are assessed include:  technical legal ability, professional conduct, client service, commercial awareness/astuteness, diligence, commitment, and other qualities most valued by the client.

Seyfarth Shaw has over 700 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 and social fabric. 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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