Sullivan "was known for his gracious and highly principled practice of law," according to Robert Gambee author of Wall Street, a profile of New York's financial center. William Nelson Cromwell was younger than Sullivan and outlived him by many years. In fact, Cromwell began as an accountant for Sullivan who then paid for his education at Columbia law school and invited him to form Sullivan & Cromwell in 1879. It is not difficult to imagine them rolling over in their graves reading what was alleged to have been said by a partner to an associate in the Aaron Charney complaint.

Currently, the William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Law at Yale Law School is Stephen L. Carter. Professor Carter clerked for Justice Thurgood Marshall of the U.S. Supreme Court. His expertise is in constitutional law, contracts, intellectual property law, secrets and lying, and law and religion. His books include Integrity (asking the question, why do we care to play by the rules?), Civility: Manners, Morals and the Etiquette of Democracy, Reflections of an Affirmative Action Baby, God’s Name in Vain, and The Emperor of Ocean Park. Professor Carter has a B.A. from Stanford University and a J.D. from Yale.

Oh, and a little Manhattan real estate coincidence. The Class A office building at 125 Broad Street that houses the offices of Sullivan & Cromwell is also home to the American Civil Liberties Union. Small world.... Just in case you were wondering.