Why Willkie Farr lawyers gave up their pricey suits for six months
Lawyers at Willkie Farr & Gallagher decided to dress the part when they advised Men’s Wearhouse on its recent agreement to buy Jos. A. Bank.
The lawyers “shrugged off Armani and Zegna in favor of $600 suits by Joseph Abboud—a once-prestigious brand now owned by Men’s Wearhouse,” the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) reports.
The story recounts several instances of Wall Street types dressing in a client’s duds in an effort to woo clients. Bankers hoping to underwrite the initial public offering of Lululemon Athletica wore yoga pants and sneakers to meetings, but they didn’t get the business. UBS AG, on the other hand, got a piece of the pie after taping a flash mob yoga session staged by 75 of its employees in Central Park.
The newspaper also cited instances of bankers trying to impress would-be clients by dressing in True Religion attire and switching shoe brands.
Willkie Farr partner Steven Seidman told the Wall Street Journal the Joseph Abboud suits were custom-made. The suit he wore was “a light blue number with a subtle plaid pattern,” the story reports.
Hat tip to Above the Law.
