Member Spotlight
Larsson &
Scheuritzel
member spotlight
– An American Law Firm with a Swedish
Business Culture
SACC-PHILADELPHIA
10
SACC-Philadelphia has had the great
pleasure of welcoming the law firm Larsson & Scheuritzel P.C. as a new Blue and
Yellow member this year! We visited their
office in the heart of Philadelphia, and it
was certainly a small taste of Sweden inside their walls!
Could you please tell us more about your company?
Mr. Larsson & Mr. Scheuritzel: Larsson & Scheuritzel is a boutique law firm with eight attorneys. Our
lawyers bring broad experience and expertise to
the matters we handle, which consist principally of
commercial real estate, business and construction
litigation, and general business advice and representation. We are United States real estate counsel
and general business counsel to a leading international furniture retailer, and we handle real estate
transactions for one of the Mid-Atlantic’s dominant
supermarket chains. We represent the largest nonsectarian operator of private schools in the United
States in real estate development and sale/leaseback transactions. We also represent developers,
owners, and retailers in the purchase, sale, development, financing, and leasing of significant real
estate projects.
Mr. Larsson: Our firm remains purposely small. We
place great importance on collegiality—and that
permits us to offer our clients innovative, sophisticated legal services as well as exceptional accessibility and responsiveness. It’s important to offer
our clients good value for their legal dollars.
Mr. Larsson: Mr. Scheuritzel and I have been working together for almost 20 years, which is a fairly
long time for lawyers. We both share the same values, and I really believe that is why we work so well
together.
Mr. Scheuritzel: We also come from similar backgrounds, which I think is another reason why we are
such a good team.
Speaking of your backgrounds, what are your connections to Sweden?
Mr. Larsson: My father was born in New Sweden,
Maine, also known as part of the Maine Swedish
Colony. My great-grandparents, both originally
from Värmlandsbro in Värmland, immigrated in
1883, and came to New Sweden, where they started a general merchandise store that stayed in the
family for over a century.
When my daughter, Elizabeth, grew up, she participated in the annual Lucia procession with the Gloria Dei Old Swedes’ Church here in Philadelphia.
Although it was sometimes hard for her to sing all
the songs in a language she did not know, it was
a beautiful tradition that we were happy to be a
part of.
Ms. Larsson: Although I do not know much more
Swedish than the songs from the Lucia procession, I
am happy that my parents raised me with Swedish
values. We were discussing this the other day that
sometimes when I speak to Americans, people suggest get-togethers without really meaning it. When
I suggest lunch or “fika” I always mean that I want
it to happen, and that probably comes from my
Swedish upbringing.
Mr. Scheuritzel: My grandmother was born in Sweden, but when she emigrated to America, she
stopped speaking the language, so unfortunately
neither I nor my dad picked up any real knowledge
of it. I wish I knew more about it, but at that point
in time, many immigrants wanted to be American
and therefore did not teach their native language
to their children.
What are your business relations to Sweden?
Mr. Larsson: Although our firm is quite small, we
have a strong international presence and work
with clients in Sweden, Germany, and Ireland. We
probably have a higher ratio of international clients
compared to other small law firms.
My experience is that Swedes are great to work with;
their English is excellent, and they can easily make
themselves understood even in the most challenging negotiations, and they are very broad-minded.
They can, however, also use their la