Financial Times Honors Seyfarth with Innovation Accolades for 10th Consecutive Year

The Financial Times (FT) has recognized Seyfarth as one of the world’s most innovative law firms for the 10th consecutive year in its annual FT Innovative Lawyers series.

In the full report released today, Seyfarth ranks No. 19 on the FT list of the most rounded performers in North America for 2020. The list includes those law firms who presented the most robust, resilient, and responsible approach to their businesses in 2020. Submissions and nominations were received from 71 law firms. The FT noted the firm’s leadership across several categories:

• Enabling responses to Covid-19: Seyfarth was shortlisted for its work with the National Retail Federation (NRF) on “Operation Open Doors”, an interactive, comprehensive resource for NRF’s members featuring articles, interactive maps, templates, checklists, and virtual working groups staffed by member representatives. The FT writes:

At the start of lockdown in the US in April, the firm reached out to the National Retail Federation, an association of more than 16,000 businesses, to offer its services. The lawyers worked with Seyfarth Labs, the firm’s in-house technology team, to develop a virtual map providing daily updates on regionally specific restrictions applying to retailers, and built trackers advising on matters such as employment law and regulations for reopening businesses.

• Business and Practice Leader: Seyfarth’s Laura Maechtlen was recognized for leading the Labor & Employment department’s national response to Covid-19 and for her role shaping The Belonging Project, a first-of-its-kind nationwide collaborative initiative to proactively combat the effects of the pandemic on inclusion and diversity in the legal profession. The FT writes:

As leader of the labour and employment department of 400 lawyers, Laura Maechtlen uses her experience to push for more diverse and inclusive workplaces.

She led the foundation of the Belonging Project, which started as a resource centre and has become a coaching and mentoring programme. This ensures lawyers from under-represented backgrounds are not adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, offering skills training and wellbeing support. To date, some 80 volunteers have provided mentorship and coaching, and more than 4,000 individuals have viewed the content online.

Ms Maechtlen has played a key leadership role in the firm’s Covid-19 task force, creating webinars and resources to support clients on the challenges of adapting to a workforce at home, and developing tools such as a return-to-work app and a legal work tracker.

The annual FT Innovative Lawyers North America report was developed by the FT in partnership with RSG Consulting. Firms are selected for recognition following extensive research, direct client feedback, and interviews with independent references.