Stroock Partner Who Jumped to Locke Lord Sues Former Firm for Retirement Benefits
A securities litigator who left a partnership at Stroock Stroock & Lavan to jump to Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell claims in a lawsuit that his former firm is withholding retirement benefits.
The complaint filed on Aug. 5 by 64-year-old Michael Perlis in Los Angeles superior court has few details, the Am Law Daily reports. The partnership agreement governing benefits was not attached to the suit. Perlis was a partner in the firm for more than 20 years.
According to law professor Robert Hillman of the University of California at Davis, some firms require lawyers who jump to new firms to forfeit retirement benefits. Hillman cautioned that he wasn’t commenting specifically on Stroock when he spoke to the Am Law Daily. But he said some firms are broadening their definition of retirement benefits in an effort to hold on to their partners.
Stroock spokesman Jim Ponichtera declined to comment when contacted by the Am Law Daily.
