In 1874, Algernon Sydney Sullivan offered to put a bright young accountant named William Nelson Cromwell through Columbia Law School. Just three years after graduation and at the age of 25, Cromwell was asked by Sullivan to co-found the Firm. Cromwell, who was known as the “physician of Wall Street” for his successful “Cromwell Plan” to reorganize insolvent companies before federal bankruptcy law had been enacted, went on to enjoy an illustrious legal career. He is perhaps best known for his representation of the New Panama Canal Company in its development of the Panama Canal at the beginning of the 20th century. When he passed away in 1948 at the age of 94, Cromwell left substantial shares of his estate to Columbia Law School.
Today, more than 150 graduates of Columbia Law School practice at S&C. CLS graduates are represented in 11 of the Firm’s 13 offices worldwide and, in addition to our chairs, many serve in significant leadership roles at the Firm. CLS partners, associates and special counsel serve on the Firm’s Management Committee, Associate Experience Committee, Diversity Committee and Women’s Initiative Committee, and several CLS alumni serve as managing partners of practice groups or offices. Many of our CLS alumni at S&C have clerked, including on the U.S. Supreme Court and at the federal appellate level.
S&C continues to partner with CLS both in and out of the classroom. Several S&C partners—Mehdi Ansari, Steve Kotran, Melissa Sawyer, Rebecca Simmons and Rachel Yu—serve as adjunct faculty at CLS. In addition, the Firm sponsors many campus organizations, affinity groups and journals at the law school.
