Seyfarth Shaw

Seyfarth Shaw LLP is an international AmLaw 100 law firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in Chicago in 1945 by Henry Seyfarth, Lee Shaw, and Owen Fairweather, Seyfarth Shaw originally focused on the area of labor and employment law. Today, the firm’s clients include over 300 of the Fortune 500 companies, and its practice reflects virtually every industry and segment of the economy.

Seyfarth Shaw has been recognized as one of the most innovative law firms in the nation for its implementation of "Seyfarth Lean," a unique client service model that combines the principles of Lean Six Sigma with robust technology, knowledge management, process management techniques, alternative fee structures, and practical tools. Seyfarth has been consistently ranked as one of the most recommended law firms in BTI Consulting Group's Annual Survey of General Counsel. Seyfarth was also named among the top five law firms in BTI Consulting Group's 2015 "Client Service A-Team" ranking, which identifies the top law firms for client service through a national survey of corporate counsel.

Rankings
The American Lawyer ranks Seyfarth 59th in its annual AmLaw 100 ranking of the largest U.S. law firms by revenue. The National Law Journal's "NLJ 250" list ranks Seyfarth 50th among the largest law firms in the United States. Top Legal 500, U.S. News & World Report, and Chambers rank Seyfarth as one of the best law firms in the United States in numerous practice areas.

History
Seyfarth Shaw was founded in Chicago in 1945 by attorneys Henry Edward Seyfarth, Lee Charles Shaw, and Owen Fairweather. Seyfarth graduated from the University of Illinois in 1928 and two years later received his J.D. degree from the University of Chicago Law School. Lee Shaw enrolled at the University of Michigan, where he played football as an offensive and defensive lineman alongside future President Gerald Ford. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Chicago in 1936 and two years later earned his J.D. degree at the university's law school. The third founding partner, Owen Fairweather, earned his undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College and then graduated cum laude from the University of Chicago Law School in 1938.

After World War II ended in August 1945, Shaw and Fairweather returned to Chicago from their stint with the National War Labor Board and together with their senior colleague, Seyfarth, set up a boutique law firm specializing in labor law. In 1947, Lee Shaw helped draft the Taft-Hartley Act.