It seemed in no way inevitable that Carl Stokes, a black lawyer with extensive trench experience in Cleveland  liberal politics, and Cyrus Eaton, who had his pick of the finest lawyers in the country, would join forces. Yet when Eaton was sued by Cleveland Trust, one of the nation's largest financial institutions, over his allegations that the company was voting some of its trust shares illegally, and thereby exercising influences it did not rightfully possess over corporate decision making, he sought out Stokes for his legal services. In his book, Promises of Power: a political autobiography, Stokes relates how he received a call out of the blue one morning in 196? from Cyrus Eaton, requesting an interview. When he showed up at Eaton's offices on the top floor of Terminal Tower, it led to Stokes being hired to represent Eaton and getting from him, as a consequence, a privileged inside look at the higher realms of Cleveland politics and American finance. It also led a friendship that both men would remember with pride. So why did Eaton choose to hire Stokes, whose legal expertise lay in another direction?