The Copper Miners' Strike of 1913-1914 in Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula was marred by several acts of violence, notably the Italian Hall disaster and the Seeberville shootings. Swaby L. Lawton of the law firm Hanchette & Lawton represented the Quincy Mining Company during the strike and the Copper Range Company during the appeals against the conviction of deputes for the Seeberville shootings.

Swaby Latham Lawton, brother of Charles Latham Lawton, general manager of the Quincy Mining Company, was the son of Charles DeWitt Lawton. Swaby graduated from the University of Michigan Law School in 1896 and in 1902 entered into partnership with Charles D. Hanchette, forming the law firm of Hanchette & Lawton which eventually became one of the prominent firms in Houghton County, Michigan.

In July 1913, locals of the Western Federation of Miners called a general strike against all mines in the Michigan Copper Country. Lasting into 1914, the strike polarized the community and led to a congressional investigation into the conditions of mine workers.

During the strike, the Quincy Mining Company attempted to evict striking workers from company-owned housing. The company hired Hanchette & Lawton to represent them in the ensuing court battle. The firm also acted as the company's representative in the congressional investigation.

Seeberville was a suburb of Painesdale, home of the Copper Range Company's Champion Mine. The incident began as a group of miners returned to their boardinghouse in Seeberville after collecting their strike benefits from the Western Federation of Miners office. Two men, John Kalan and John Stimac, broke from the others and took a short cut down a path that had been designated off-limits. The men were confronted by a watchman, Humphrey Quick, but refused to turn back and continued to their boardinghouse. This altercation prompted the formation of a small posse to arrest them. During the confrontation at the boardinghouse, deputies fired on the house, killing Steven Putrich and Alois Tijan. The deputies were tried and convicted of manslaughter in People v. Cooper, et al.

Following the Seeberville convictions, the Copper Range Company hired Lawton to handle the appeals for a new trial. The failure to gain a new trial led to an, also unsuccessful, attempt to convince Governor Ferris to pardon the men.