Chicago Lawyer With Unfortunate Name Jokes About Law Firm Slogan

Corrected: The fallout from the Bernard Madoff scandal has reached a Chicago lawyer with the same last name.

Ari Madoff is not related to the accused scammer, even though his grandfather, a former shoe salesman, is also named Bernard Madoff, the New York Daily News reports. Ari Madoff’s mother, Shana Madoff, has the same name as one of Bernard Madoff’s nieces.

Some members of his synagogue assume there is a connection and clients may make the same assumption, Ari Madoff told the New York Daily News. "The other day I walked into my synagogue and everyone turned around," he said. "Some people asked if I was related to Bernard Madoff, but most people didn't dare to ask.”

Now the 29-year-old lawyer says he is thinking of changing his name and jokes about possible law firm slogans that simply won't work. One of them is: "Madoff, the most trusted name in securities law."

Hat tip to the Wall Street Journal Law Blog.

Corrected to note that Ari Madoff was joking about his law firm slogan.