I'd bet Grinberg is a good-looking guy. Canadians (at least Ontarians and Quebecois, probably BC'ers as well) are better looking than the average Yank attorney.

Did anyone else check out Gallion & Spielvogel's website? Those pictures are amazing.

Did anyone else check out Gallion & Spielvogel's website? Those pictures are amazing.

David, you have to do something about that G&S website! The name partners' descriptions of themselves are hilarious--since when, for example, is a clerkship with Judge Holloway on the 10th Circuit considered "coveted"? He's a great judge, but come on....

O! M! G! re: photos of Gallion and Spielvogel. Who designed their welcome page??

Anyone- I have a question about a gay friend of mine whose a pretty hi ranking partner at a swanky firm. he desparately wanted his foreign gay hotie boytoy lover to get a green card so he made a deal with hiz spinster paralegal to marry the spanish stud for a nice little fee. this was a few years ago, but could my friend, the swanky partner, get disbarred for this?

AHAHAHAHAHA re picture of Spielvogel, esq. you can hear the photographer saying "you're a tiger! grrr!"

David, you have to do something about that G&S website! The name partners' descriptions of themselves are hilarious--since when, for example, is a clerkship with Judge Holloway on the 10th Circuit considered "coveted"? He's a great judge, but come on....

and they write:

The firm’s attorneys have successfully represented any number of corporate officials accused or suspected of white-collar improprieter before federal and state prosecutorial and regulatory bodies.

How can you successfully represent "any number of corporate officials?" I'm confused.

Gallion and Spielvogel: very interesting website

G&S's website is beyond hilarious, starting with the fact that their domain name is GSbarristers.com. Spielvogel's photo on his page is almost too much to bear.

I wish my firm would take pictures of me in a tuxedo

Following law school, Mr. Spielvogel earned two coveted federal court clerkships: United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (Owen, J.); and United States Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit (Holloway, J.). Following these prestigious clerkships, he joined the preeminent Wall Street law firm of Sullivan & Cromwell, where he represented many of the world's largest and most important business firms, such as the Exxon Corporation, Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Reuters

could steven spielvogel be a bigger tool?

After obtaining his law degree, Mr. Gallion was selected for the extremely prestigious clerkship with the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (Miner, J.); the Court’s jurisdiction includes, among other states, New York and Connecticut. Following his clerkship, Mr. Gallion joined one of the most prominent Wall Street law firms -- Sullivan & Cromwell -- where he represented many of the world's largest corporations, such as Exxon Corporation, Philips Electronics, American Insurance Group (AIG) and Goldman, Sachs & Co.

"[Spielvogel] also serves as the President of the International Network of Boutique Law Firms (INBLF), an association of highly credentialed/highly pedigreed boutique law firms"

Could these guys be bigger prestige whores?

What the original draft of the letter to Lat looked like:

David Lat:

I understand that you recently have attempted to speak with esteemed and soon-to-be elite Sullivan & Cromwell associate attorney Gera Grinberg.

Please be advised that my prestigious and preeminent law firm, Gallion & Spielvogel, has been retained to represent Mr. Grinberg. My partner, Steven Spielvogel, and I are both alumni of Sullivan & Cromwell’s highly ranked, regarded and respected Litigation Department; we have a great deal of experience with internal corporate inquiries for the world's most preeminent, prestigious and awesome companies.

As you can well understand, under the circumstances we have instructed our client not to speak directly with any media representatives, especially one which is not highly regarded, respected or preeminent (not to mention eminent) in any discernible way. To the extent that you wish to contact Mr. Grinberg for any reason in the future, you should direct your inquiry to me at my law firm by email. Please note that we only accept emails from servers which have been certified as prestigious.

I trust that you and other representatives of your organization will refrain from any further attempts to reach my client directly.

Thank you.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

What the original draft of the letter to Lat looked like:

David Lat:

I understand that you recently have attempted to speak with esteemed and soon-to-be elite Sullivan & Cromwell associate attorney Gera Grinberg.

Please be advised that my prestigious and preeminent law firm, Gallion & Spielvogel, has been retained to represent Mr. Grinberg. My partner, Steven Spielvogel, and I are both alumni of Sullivan & Cromwell’s highly ranked, regarded and respected Litigation Department; we have a great deal of experience with internal corporate inquiries for the world's most preeminent, prestigious and awesome companies.

As you can well understand, under the circumstances we have instructed our client not to speak directly with any media representatives, especially one which is not highly regarded, respected or preeminent (not to mention eminent) in any discernible way. To the extent that you wish to contact Mr. Grinberg for any reason in the future, you should direct your inquiry to me at my law firm by email. Please note that we only accept emails from servers which have been certified as prestigious.

I trust that you and other representatives of your organization will refrain from any further attempts to reach my client directly.

Thank you.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Have they also advised Mr. Grinberg to wear a tuxedo at all times?

http://www.gsbarristers.com/index/page/30.html

This picture of Spielvogel looks like he's drunk and making bedroom eyes at the photographer. The addition of the tux gives it the air of "guy trying to score after the prom."

What does "summa cum laude with distinction" mean? Do some people get their undergraduate degrees "summa cum laude"? I.e. without distinction? Also, going from summa as a Penn undergrad to no honors as a Penn law grad means he was probably a basket weaving major.

"After obtaining his law degree, Mr. Gallion was selected for the extremely prestigious clerkship with the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (Miner, J.); the Court’s jurisdiction includes, among other states, New York and Connecticut."

Which other states (plural)? I only count Vermont. He is so prestigious and his clerkship was so prestigous yet he can't even count!

I'm so prestigious that I made up an honor for myself.

http://www.gsbarristers.com/index/page/36.html

"International Association of Networks?"

Hilarious.

Reminds me of the "Montgomery Burns Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence"

After obtaining his law degree, Mr. Gallion was selected for the extremely prestigious clerkship with the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (Miner, J.); the Court’s jurisdiction includes, among other states, New York and Connecticut.

TRANSLATION: We are leaving out Vermont because Vermont is where Ben & Jerry's is at, and Ben & Jerry's is not as prestigious as Haagen Daaz.

Does anyone know if Gallion & Spielvogel has matched Simpson Thacher at 160K for first year associates??

If S&C recommended this firm, I have to suspect a practical joke. In yiddish, Spielvogel="play bird." Anyone know the yiddish slang for a gay person? . . . .

If S&C recommended this firm, I have to suspect a practical joke. In yiddish, Spielvogel="play bird." Anyone know the yiddish slang for a gay person? . . . .

the MAIN advantage of working outside of NY is not having to deal w/ New Yorkers.

and i am happy to take a paycut for that.

I wonder: if the two partners were so well-credentialed, and so highly and so eminently qualified, why were (I assume) excluded from the exclusive club: partnership at the eminently venerable and Everestishly exclusive S&C?

1225 Franklin Avenue, Suite 325, Garden City, New York 11530 Tel: (516) 512-8899 Fax: (516) 512-8980

Is this uber prestigious address?

Anonymous 4:05... the answer to your question is obvious. They weren't excluded from partnership at S&C. Rather, they realized it was their life's-duty to form the "International Association of Networks"

Gaillion clerked for a judge (Miner) who graduated from New York Law School. Does this mean that Gaillon's clerkship is just as prestigious as a clerkship with Calabresi? (Yale Law)?

Let's face it, we're just jealous. If only we were eminently prestigious and highly important enough to be invited to join the exclusive, distinguished. and elite International Association of Networks, we wouldn't be sitting on this non-prestigious website sniping at these two venerable attorneys and their prominent and prestigious law firm.

FYI, the Gallion & Spielvogel website is NOT a practical joke. We called the phone number listed above by 4:18 PM just to check. Our call was answered by a real live receptionist (with a pronounced Long Island accent).

Thank you Simpson and Thacher for raising salaries... without you I would have never heard of this wonderful new way to waste my time in law school

Even their domain name is pretentious. "gsbarristers.com"?

"www.gallion.com" is available, as of now.

as is "www.gallionspielvogel.com"

in fairness, "www.gslaw.com" is taken.

I'm surprised they don't have a shot of the four of them wearing powdered wigs.

All of the entities listed under the "International Association of Networks" have addresses in either NY or NJ.

http://www.gsbarristers.com/index/page/42.html

My own network, the Weehawken Integrated Council of Commerce and Industry, applied to IAN and was rejected -- we're not as prestigious as the Long Island Software & Technology Network (LISTnet), MindForce Consulting LLC, Long Island Consultants Network (LICN), Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce (NCCC), or Hauppauge Industrial Association (HIA).

Now look what you guys have done. You have taken down the G&S website:

http://www.abovethelaw.com/2007/01/please_stop_forwarding_the_gal.php

David,
Now that their esteemed website is not working, I fear that we will bring about the full wrath of the International Association of Networks.

It's comic gold. I sincerely hope they haven't taken it offline in order to amend it...

Lat you better have saved a copy!! Hopefully it's still in Goggle cache or something.

Among his many accomplishments, partner Steven Spielvogel founded the International Network of Boutique Law Firms (“INBLF”), a truly unique association of the nation’s leading single-discipline law firms. As the result of enormous research efforts, Mr. Spielvogel personally identified and selected the law firms that have been invited to become members of the INBLF. Each member firm is highly credentialed and widely acknowledged to have achieved a position of unquestioned preeminence in its selected practice focus area.

just because the gsbarristers website is down doesn't mean you don't have access to these gems:

http://www.nationalbusinesslitigation.com/
http://www.internalinvestigationlaw.com

"Gallion & Spielvogel is a respected New York law firm providing comprehensive legal services to clients in New York, across the United States and internationally. Including the entire New York City Metro area."

Wow! They provide legal services to clients in New York, across the US, and internationally, *including* the ENTIRE New York City area!??!!?

From Brussels to Massapequa, Cape Town to Passaic, Perth to Ronkonkoma, Hong Kong to Yonkers, and Mumbai to Hackensack... Gallion & Spielvogel is your prestigious international prestige firm!

Cache is without pictures! I fear that I have irretrievably missed the circus!!!!
Someone must find these immediately.

http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.gsbarristers.com

Check out some of the older versions...

"We are sort of the best of the breed, highly pedigreed law firms," said Steven Spielvogel, found of the Virtual Law Group and partner in the Garden City-based commercial litigation firm of Gallion & Spielvogel.

http://web.archive.org/web/20040619084039/www.gsbarristers.com/index/page/43/cnt_id/11.html

Thanks to Gozar for the highly entertaining older links!

Court: New York Civil Supreme Index Number: 118911/2006 Upstate RJI Number:
Case Name: SPIELVOGEL, STEVEN vs. BIG BEAR SALOON
Case Type: Other Torts

Their receptionist has a Long Island accent? I guess she pronounces it tee-ah too.