Vincent Sama, widely respected as one of the nation’s most effective litigators of high-stakes securities and commercial disputes, has joined Seyfarth. Sama comes to Seyfarth from Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP, together with his longtime, accomplished partners Catherine Schumacher and Daphne Morduchowitz. All join as partners in Seyfarth’s growing New York office, and Sama will serve as co-chair of the firm’s national Commercial and Securities Litigation practice.
“Adding a group of this stature is very meaningful to both Seyfarth and our clients,” the co-managing partners of the firm’s New York office, Lorie Almon and John Napoli, said in a joint statement. “For clients, it expands our capacity to deliver the most sophisticated legal services for their toughest business problems. For Seyfarth, it validates the appeal of the collaborative and entrepreneurial culture we have built in New York and across the firm.” Seyfarth has added more than 100 lawyers to its New York office since 2005. It attracted 21 lateral partners to the firm nationally in 2019, putting its lawyer headcount over 900.
Sama, Schumacher and Morduchowitz have been involved in a series of high-profile securities class actions, shareholder derivative litigation, disputes involving financial services providers, and high-stakes commercial litigation. The team has represented former officers of American International Group (AIG) and Lehman Brothers and SFX Entertainment in multiple securities class actions and Securities and Exchange Commission investigations and enforcement actions, among other complex and high-stakes cases.
“Seyfarth’s deep relationships with Fortune 100 clients provide an ideal platform for this group’s stellar practice,” said James McGrath, chair of Seyfarth’s Litigation department. McGrath is one of several notable lateral additions to Seyfarth’s Litigation group in the last five years, including Steven Paradise, Tracee Davis, and Greg Markel, who chairs the Litigation practice in New York. “We’re intent on continuing to build out our complex litigation services, and today we took a dramatic step forward in that effort,” added McGrath.
“Vinny and I look forward to working together to build Seyfarth’s already growing presence in the New York litigation market as well as nationally,” said Markel, who will co-chair the Commercial and Securities Litigation practice with Sama.
Sama was first introduced to Seyfarth through their work for a mutual financial services client which recognized a similarity in their forward-thinking styles. “Few firms are as serious about growing their business as Seyfarth, and fewer still know how to actually do that in today’s changing market for legal services,” Sama said. He attributed his decision to join Seyfarth to its innovative and collaborative mindset and steadfast commitment to client service and value. “This firm has made an openness to change and a commitment to client value part of its DNA. You can see the results in its performance.”
The Financial Times has recognized Seyfarth as one of the world’s most innovative law firms for nine consecutive years, and over the past five years, the firm’s gross revenue has grown by more than 30%.
About Seyfarth
With more than 900 lawyers across 16 offices, Seyfarth Shaw LLP provides advisory, litigation and transactional legal services to clients worldwide.
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