July 21, 2010 12:17 PM

Reed Smith Partner's Death Deemed a Suicide

Posted by Brian Baxter

The Cook County, Ill., medical examiner's office has determined that Reed Smith partner Stewart Dolin, who died last week after being struck by a Chicago Transit Authority train, committed suicide.

Dolin, who was 57, cochaired Reed Smith's corporate and securities practice. He is survived by his wife and two children, according to an obituary in the Chicago Tribune.

Dolin died last Thursday afternoon as a result of multiple injuries sustained after a subway train struck him at a station along the CTA's Loop Blue Line, reports the Chicago Sun-Times. The medical examiner determined his death to be a suicide following an autopsy on Friday.

"Stu Dolin was a close personal friend, valued colleague, and a great leader in our firm," said Michael LoVallo, the managing partner of Reed Smith's Chicago office, in a statement. "His energy and spirit benefited everyone around him. Stu's death is a profound loss to all of us personally and to Reed Smith. Our thoughts and prayers are with Stu's wife Wendy and the Dolin family at this time, and we are providing them and each other with whatever comfort and support we can under these very difficult circumstances."

Dolin joined the Chicago firm Sachnoff & Weaver in 1989 and worked there until 2007, when the firm merged with Reed Smith. He was chair of Reed Smith's corporate and securities practice, co-leading the group with Philadelphia corporate partner Paul Jaskot since July 1. (LoVallo told the Tribune that Jaskot was promoted earlier this month because the firm's corporate department had grown.)

Dolin's suicide is the latest involving an Am Law 200 partner in recent months. In January former Baker & Hostetler IP partner John Mings in Houston died in an apparent suicide. In May of last year, the former head of Kilpatrick Stockton's appellate advocacy practice, Mark Levy, killed himself in his office in Washington, D.C.

The American Bar Association has found that suicide rates among lawyers are two to six times higher than among the general population. Another recent study found that depression among attorneys increased during the economic downturn.

Make a comment

Comments (0)
Save & Share: Facebook | Del.ic.ious | | Email |

Reprints & Permissions

The comments to this entry are closed.