Caroline Powell Donelan and Howard M. Knee Named Leaders of Influence: Labor & Employment Attorneys by Los Angeles Business Journal

Blank Rome LLP is pleased to announce that partners Caroline Powell Donelan and Howard M. Knee have been named to the Los Angeles Business Journal's ("LABJ") 2026 Leaders of Influence: Labor & Employment Attorneys list.

This recognition honors top labor and employment attorneys in the Los Angeles region who help clients navigate workplace challenges, regulatory developments, and employment litigation.

Caroline and Howard are featured in the LABJ's special supplement, which highlights their distinguished careers, notable accomplishments, and contributions to the field of labor and employment law.

To view the 2026 Leaders of Influence: Labor & Employment Attorneys supplement, please click here.

Caroline's and Howard's honoree profiles, as published in the LABJ, are copied in full below.

CAROLINE DONELAN
Partner
Blank Rome LLP

Caroline Donelan’s practice is grounded in employment matters that carry significant legal and financial exposure, particularly wage-and-hour class actions and claims brought under the Private Attorneys General Act. She advises domestic and international clients on issues where legal risk directly shapes business decisions and operational strategy.

Donelan’s career is distinguished by early, strategic involvement, with clients turning to her to address workplace issues before they develop into formal disputes or escalate into litigation. This perspective is critical to legal strategy and shapes how organizations respond to and manage risk in real time. Her practice includes matters marked by procedural complexity and meaningful financial exposure. Her initial assessments of employment liabilities often lead to resolutions that limit litigation costs.

HOWARD KNEE
Partner
Blank Rome LLP

Howard Knee’s career traces the arc of modern labor and employment law, shaped by decades of precedent-setting work and sustained leadership within the Los Angeles legal community. He is currently a partner at Blank Rome, with more than 50 years of experience and nearly 100 trials spanning jury, bench, administrative, and arbitration proceedings.

A defining achievement anchors Knee’s professional narrative: his role in Manhart v. City of Los Angeles, Department of Water & Power, a landmark United States Supreme Court case addressing gender-based discrimination in the workplace. Notably, Ruth Bader Ginsburg filed an amicus brief supporting Howard’s position. The decision remains one of the most influential rulings affecting women’s workplace rights.