Q&A with Blank Rome: Nine Los Angeles Power Players
Blank Rome is an Am Law 100 firm with 13 offices and more than 600 attorneys who provide a full range of legal and advocacy services to clients operating in the United States and around the world. Founded in 1946, the Firm’s professionals are widely recognized for their knowledge and experience across a broad spectrum of industries, as well as their dedication to diversity and inclusion initiatives and pro bono work. Greg Bordo, Chair of the Firm’s California offices and Co-chair of the Firm’s Litigation Department, leads Blank Rome’s powerful mission on the West Coast.
Q: What spurred Blank Rome’s impressive growth in SoCal and across the country?
A: Blank Rome’s collaborative approach to client service. Being present and invested where our clients do business allows us to more fully understand their unique challenges and be a valuable strategic partner. Our entrepreneurial and flexible approach further allows us to attract top lateral talent who are interested in managing their client relationships in a similar way.
Q: How has Blank Rome L.A. assembled such an extraordinary team of women?
A: Deeply seeded in our Firm’s culture is the attraction and retention of female attorneys (at all stages of their careers) across all industries and practice areas. Women serve on all the Firm’s committees and fill key leadership positions, which creates a climate of opportunity and support that encourages women to contribute, collaborate, and flourish. Deborah Skakel, New York Partner, Co-Chair of the Corporate Litigation Group, Member of the Executive Committee, and Chair of our Women’s Forum notes: “the Firm puts these values into action – most notably through our multi-city Blank Rome Bootcamps for women business leaders, our internal Women’s Business Development Academy, and our lauded Women’s Leadership Summit (now in its third year).” Women attorneys have played a vital role in the growth and success of the Los Angeles office. Our impressive bench of partners and associates covers nine of our practice areas. Family Law Partner Kristina Royce says, “Ashley Silberfeld and I recently joined Blank Rome because of the strong cadre of working women and the climate of diversity.
Q: How are women a driving force in the Firm?
A: Washington D.C. Partner and Member of the Executive Committee Shawn M. Wright notes that “the women of Blank Rome are leading the way! We chair practice groups and play key roles in the leadership and direction of the Firm. Simply put, women at Blank Rome have a seat at the table – in client pitch meetings, as first chairs in court, in the rooms where strategies are created and decisions are made -- in a firm where innovative and collaborative thinking is rewarded.”
Q: Who are some of the key women in your firm and how does their expertise inspire your teams and benefit your clients?
A: Increasingly, our clients are looking for robust diversity and inclusion in the firms they hire. We keep that top-of-mind. Los Angeles Partner, Vice Chair of the Insurance Recovery Group, and Member of the Partner Board, Linda Kornfeld, moved her team to Blank Rome last year “because the Firm’s commitment to women and diversity is head and shoulders above so many others.” Stacy Phillips, a nationally known family law attorney, observes how important it is that the Firm “continues to promote a climate for women attorneys to succeed here, achieve a reasonable work/life balance, and practice law as their authentic selves.” Influential also in this process in our Los Angeles office is Consumer Finance Partner, Cheryl Chang, who was recently selected a “Top Minority Attorney” by the Los Angeles Business Journal.
Q: What is on the horizon for Blank Rome and Blank Rome L.A. in 2019 and beyond?
A: Blank Rome will continue to build our national platform by strengthening our profile in existing markets and expanding to new ones. Diversity and inclusion, collaboration, innovation, and transparent and streamlined project management principles will continue to define the delivery of our services. We are deeply committed to maintaining the entrepreneurial spirit and flexible approach on which our clients have come to rely.
"Q&A with Blank Rome: Nine Los Angeles Power Players," was published in the March/April 2019 edition of Modern Luxury's LA Confidential Magazine. Reprinted with permission.
Click here to view the formal article as it appeared in LA Confidential Magazine.