Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP

ABOUT THIS COMPANY:

Were it not for a 19th-century mill accident, Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease might never have come into existence. Upon graduating from Ohio State University, founding partner Arthur I. Vorys began working in a mill in his native Lancaster, Ohio. But after injuring his hand in an accident, Vorys was forced out of the mill business. He found a new profession as an attorney, and after serving as Lancaster city solicitor and head of the city's insurance department, he teamed up with Lowry F. Sater, Augustus T. Seymour and Edward L. Pease to form a combined practice in 1909. For an unusual twist, the firm was "built on a handshake." That is to say, there has never been a written partnership agreement. Nearly 100 years later, the firm has 389 attorneys in six cities, including four in its home state of Ohio (Columbus, Akron, Cleveland and Cincinnati). The firm is proud to have accomplished this growth completely without mergers.