Firm News

Mar 23, 2016

Seyfarth Announces Leadership Transition

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CHICAGO (March 23, 2016) -- As part of its leadership transition plan, Seyfarth Shaw LLP announced today that managing partner Peter C. Miller has been appointed to succeed J. Stephen Poor as chair of the firm effective April 1.

Currently in his third year as Seyfarth’s managing partner, Miller oversees the operations of the firm’s core domestic business, including office operations, information technology, real estate management, marketing, and professional development. He will retain this position upon assuming the role of chair. In the combined role of managing partner and chair, Miller takes on responsibility for the leadership, direction, growth, profitability and culture of the organization.

A veteran of firm management, Miller has been a member of the firm’s executive committee since 2007 and previously chaired the Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation department from 2004 - 2014. He has spent his career at Seyfarth practicing at the firm for more than 20 years in the employee benefits and executive compensation fields.

“It is the highest honor to serve the firm and our partners as chair,” said Miller. “Seyfarth has grown into one of the world’s most innovative law firms under Steve’s leadership, and I’m excited to continue advancing the firm’s position to meet the evolving needs of our clients.”

Poor will become chair emeritus of Seyfarth, also effective April 1, and will play an active role as an advisor to the firm’s leadership and as an executive sponsor of strategic initiatives focused on innovation and growth. During his 15-year tenure, Poor oversaw the transformation of Seyfarth into an international law firm at the forefront of innovation. During his tenure, Seyfarth grew from nearly 500 lawyers to more than 850 lawyers today and revenues more than tripled from approximately $185 million to $590 million in 2015.

At the same time, Poor emerged as one of the most influential leaders in the legal industry. Focused on improving service delivery and the client experience, he pioneered the application of Lean Six Sigma in legal service delivery and the development of the firm’s award-winning client service model, SeyfarthLean®. In recognition of this work, Poor was named the 2011 Legal Innovator of the Year by the Financial Times. Today, SeyfarthLean represents one of the industry’s most recognized and successful client service models.

“It has been a privilege and tremendous honor to serve as chair of Seyfarth Shaw for the last 15 years,” remarked Poor. “The firm has a long tradition of success and it’s time for the next generation to lead us forward. I’ve had the pleasure of working closely with Pete in recent years, and he embodies the very best of Seyfarth. Pete also knows what’s necessary to succeed in today’s shifting marketplace and no one is better prepared to guide our organization and clients into the future.”

About Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Seyfarth Shaw has more than 850 attorneys and provides a broad range of legal services in the areas of labor and employment, employee benefits, litigation, corporate and real estate. With offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Melbourne, New York, Sacramento, San Francisco, Shanghai, Sydney and Washington, D.C., Seyfarth’s clients include over 300 of the Fortune 500 companies and reflect virtually every industry and segment of the economy. A recognized leader in delivering value and innovation for legal services, Seyfarth’s acclaimed SeyfarthLean® client service model has earned numerous accolades from a variety of highly respected third parties, including industry associations, consulting firms and media. For more information, please visit www.seyfarth.com.

Contacts:
Brian Kiefer, Director of Public Relations

(312) 460-6401, bkiefer@seyfarth.com

Martin Grego, Public Relations Manager
(312) 460-6659, mgrego@seyfarth.com