Jump to content

Blank Rome

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Blank Rome
HeadquartersPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
No. of offices15 (14 in the U.S., 1 in China)
No. of attorneys700
Major practice areasMulti-practice law and government affairs
Key peopleGrant S. Palmer, Chair and Managing Partner; Alan J. Hoffman, Chair Emeritus
Revenue$750M (2024)
WebsiteOfficial website

Blank Rome (formerly known as Blank Rome Comisky & McCauley[1]) is a law firm with 16 offices and 750 attorneys and principals who provide legal and advocacy services to clients in the United States and around the world.

Founded in 1946, Blank Rome represents a broad range of clients across a spectrum of industries. The firm has 16 offices in the United States and expanded internationally in May 2011 by opening a Shanghai Representative Office in the People's Republic of China. In 2003, the firm established Blank Rome Government Relations LLC in Washington, D.C., a wholly owned subsidiary and government affairs firm that provides strategic lobbying, advocacy, and communications counsel.

History

[edit]

Blank Rome was founded in 1946 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and has since expanded its geographic footprint across the United States. The following combinations and additions have occurred:

  • 1959: Brumbelow & Comisky, Philadelphia
  • 1961: Newman & Master, Philadelphia
  • 1984: Wexler Weisman Forman & Shapiro, Philadelphia
  • 1998: Wigman, Cohen, Leitner & Myers, Washington, D.C.
  • 2000: Tenzer Greenblatt, New York
  • 2003: Dyer Ellis & Joseph, Washington, D.C.
  • 2005: Shack Siegel Katz & Flaherty, New York
  • 2006: Healy & Baillie, New York
  • 2011: Abrams Scott & Bickley, LLP, Houston
  • 2012: Janis, Schuelke & Wechsler, Washington, D.C.
  • 2013: Bell, Ryniker & Letourneau, Houston
  • 2014: Finestone & Richter and Margolis & Tisman LLP, Los Angeles and San Francisco
  • 2015: Wong Cabello, Houston
  • 2016: Dickstein Shapiro LLP, Washington, D.C.; Phillips Lerner, Los Angeles
  • 2017: Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP, Los Angeles
  • 2019: Buter, Buzard, Fishbein & Royce LLP, Los Angeles; four-partner group from Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, Chicago

Additionally, in 2003, the Firm established Blank Rome Government Relations LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary and government affairs firm in Washington, D.C.

Practice areas

[edit]

Blank Rome's practice areas include commercial and corporate litigation; class action defense, financial institutions litigation, and regulatory compliance (FILARC); corporate, M&A, and securities; cross border/international, energy, environmental, and mass torts; finance, restructuring, and bankruptcy; government contracts; government relations and political law; insurance recovery; intellectual property and technology; intellectual property litigation; labor and employment; maritime and international trade; matrimonial and family law; real estate; tax, benefits, and private client; and white collar defense and investigations.[citation needed]

Key industry areas include aerospace, defense and government services, aviation, chemical, energy, finance and restructuring, financial services, gaming and entertainment, healthcare, hospitality, investment management, life sciences, maritime, private equity and investment funds, real estate, technology, and transportation.[2]

Blank Rome Government Relations LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary and government affairs firm. Key services include Advocacy, Congressional Oversight and Investigations, Government Business, Government Ethics & Compliance, and Legislation & Regulation.[3]

Pro Bono Activities

[edit]

Notable pro bono work includes:

  • Assisting Afghan refugees seeking Humanitarian Parole in the United States, in addition to helping with expedited Afghan asylum cases[4]
  • Partnering with the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights to organize and staff a nonpartisan election protection hotline for voters in the 2022 mid-term elections[5]
  • Working to assist transgender clients with legal name and gender marker changes
  • Helping refugees to take their next step toward citizenship by applying for Green Cards
  • Working with veterans seeking to upgrade their military discharge status
  • Assisting small businesses and nonprofit organizations with corporate, real estate, tax, and intellectual property issues

Notable lawyers and alumni

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Blank Rome shortens its name
  2. ^ "Services and Industries | Blank Rome LLP". www.blankrome.com. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  3. ^ "Blank Rome LLC". www.blankromegr.com. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  4. ^ "Finalist: Natalie Alameddine". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  5. ^ Skolnik, Sam (November 7, 2022). "Law Firms Step Up Voting Rights Fight in Tomorrow's Midterms (1)". Bloomberg Law.
  6. ^ Weiss, Debra Cassens (November 14, 2019). "Meet Stephen Castor, the GOP lawyer stealing the show in Trump impeachment hearings". ABA Journal. American Bar Association. Archived from the original on November 16, 2019. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  7. ^ Downey, Sally A. (November 12, 2010). "Marvin Comisky, 92, ex-chairman at Blank, Rome". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
  8. ^ "Barbara Comstock | The Institute of Politics at Harvard University". iop.harvard.edu. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
[edit]