Blank Rome

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2016/05/09/blank-rome-hires-former-michigan-senator-energy-secretary-spencer-abraham-to-build-energy-and-lobbying-business/

Blank Rome hires Spencer Abraham, a former senator and energy secretary, to build energy and lobbying business

Former U.S. energy secretary Spencer Abraham has joined Blank Rome Government Relations.

By Catherine Ho

May 9, 2016

Spencer Abraham, the former Republican senator from Michigan and U.S. energy secretary under President George W. Bush, has joined the lobbying practice at Blank Rome to boost the firm’s energy-sector business.

Abraham served as Michigan senator from 1995 to 2001 and energy secretary from 2001 to 2004. He has since founded a business consulting firm, the Abraham Group, which advises U.S. and international companies on business development issues related to energy policy. He also serves as a member of the board of directors for Occidental Petroleum and NRG Energy, and he was previously non-executive chairman of the U.S. board of French nuclear energy company Areva....

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Blank_Rome

On January 2, 2003, the Firm formerly known as Blank, Rome, Comisky and McCauley changed its name to Blank Rome LLP.

"Blank Rome LLP has over 425 attorneys who are organized in the following practices: public companies & capital formation, emerging & closely held companies, business tax, customs and international trade private clients, health law, employment, benefits & labor, intellectual property & technology, maritime, matrimonial, real estate, public finance, business restructuring & bankruptcy, financial services, government relations, and litigation including: corporate, commercial, insurance, intellectual property, mass torts and products liability. The firm's offices are located in Pennsylvania; New York; New Jersey; Delaware; Maryland; Ohio; Washington, D.C.; and Florida."

According to the firm's web site: "Fifty-five years ago, a phone call and a handshake formed the partnership of Blank and Rudenko. This small entrepreneurial Firm of business lawyers evolved into Blank Rome LLP, a multi-practice national law firm of nearly 450 attorneys still entrepreneurial in its approach to providing legal consulting services."

Contents

Partners

David F. Girard-diCarlo, Chairman
Fred Blume, Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer
Alan Hoffman
Morey Rosenbloom
G. Craig Lord
Carl M. Buchholz, Executive Partner

Headlines

5 May 2003: "Blank Rome LLP Announces The Launch Of Blank Rome Government Relations LLC. Areas of Expertise Include Government Contracting, Homeland Security, Maritime and Transportation."

"David F. Girard-diCarlo, chairman of Blank Rome LLP, today announced the formation of Blank Rome Government Relations LLC, a Washington-based government relations firm that will provide clients with advocacy and extensive experience in local, state and federal government. Girard-diCarlo will serve as chairman and CEO of the new firm, with Carl M. Buchholz, T. Michael Dyer, David F. A. Norcross and Duncan C. Smith serving on the board of directors."
"Additionally, :{Mark A. Holman:(style="background-color:#fff200"):}:, former deputy assistant to the President for homeland security, along with fellow homeland security official Carl Buchholz, rejoined Blank Rome after a yearlong hiatus working with Secretary Ridge to develop the national strategy for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Ashley Davis, a third veteran of Ridge's homeland security team, joined Blank Rome from the White House as well. All three are members of Blank Rome Government Relations LLC."
"Members of Blank Rome Government Relations LLC include David Girard-diCarlo, J. Caleb **Bogg**s III, Carl Buchholz, Ashley Davis, James Drewry, T. Michael Dyer, Mark Holman, David Norcross, Topper Ray, Duncan Smith, Jennifer Southwick and C.J. Zane."

Contact Details

Website: http://www.blankrome.com

Articles and resources

References

External resources

External articles

Soft Money Donations for 01/01/1995 through 12/31/2002., Common Cause. Note: $46,000 donated to the Democratic National Committee; $439,542.00 donated to the :{Republican National Committee:(style="background-color:#fff200"):}:. This is an approximate ratio of 1:10.
The Committee of Seventy's Board Members (Philadelphia).

Category:

Law firms

Eight Attorneys of Bell, Ryniker & Letourneau Join Blank Rome

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SOURCE Blank Rome LLP

Addition Strengthens Houston Presence for Largest U.S. Maritime Practice

PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Blank Rome LLP is pleased to announce that all eight attorneys of Bell, Ryniker & Letourneau, P.C. – a leading Houston, Texas maritime law firm – joined Blank Rome today in the Firm's Houston, Texas office. These additions further enhance Blank Rome's Houston presence and its maritime and energy practices,while expanding the depth and scope of services that Bell, Ryniker & Letourneau provides to its clients.

This group of attorneys and additional professional staff bring significant experience in maritime and energy law, in addition to the areas of insurance, transportation, government contracts and construction. Michael K. Bell, Keith B. Letourneau, and Douglas J. Shoemaker join as partners; Robert J. Ryniker, and James C. Arnold join as of counsels; and Mitchell R. Machann, Tracy Freeman, and David G. Meyer join as associates.

"We are delighted to welcome Michael, Keith, Douglas and all of our new colleagues to our Houston office and to the Blank Rome team," said Alan J. Hoffman, Co-Chairman and Managing Partner. "We look forward to working with this talented and respected group of attorneys as we continue to expand in the Houston market and strengthen our well-established maritime and energy practices."

Blank Rome's Maritime practice is the largest in the United States and represents publicly traded and privately owned companies throughout the world. With the addition of the Bell, Ryniker and Letourneau group, Blank Rome's maritime practice is comprised of 40 highly regarded professionals based in New York, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Houston – a key market for the maritime and energy industries.

"Through our global practice, we aim to provide clients with excellence in all aspects of maritime and offshore capabilities," said John D. Kimball, Partner and International and Maritime Litigation and ADR Practice Group Leader. "The Bell, Ryniker & Letourneau team has long been recognized as one of the leading maritime law firms in Houston, and brings significant depth and capability to our maritime and energy practices."

Jonathan K. Waldron, Partner and Maritime, International Trade and Public Contracts Practice Group Leader added, "We have been eager to expand the size and scope of our maritime practice to meet growing client demand for some time, and are thrilled that we have found an outstanding group of attorneys to enhance our ability to serve our clients, both regionally in the Gulf of Mexico and nationally."

"We are excited to join Blank Rome and its notable maritime and energy practices as it expands in the Houston market," said Michael K. Bell, Partner. "Our established client base of domestic and international clients will undoubtedly benefit from the Firm's geographic reach and breadth of practice areas."

In 2011, Blank Rome combined with Abrams Scott & Bickley and officially opened its Houston office. With the addition of the Bell, Ryniker & Letourneau team, 20 attorneys now serve clients from that office in a wide variety of civil, criminal, and administrative matters in state and federal courts, at both the trial and appellate levels.

"We welcome the Bell, Ryniker & Letourneau team to our Houston office," said Barry Abrams, Partner and Administrative Partner of Blank Rome's Houston office. "In addition to having decades of legal experience, our new colleagues also recognize and value the importance of dedicating time to professional and civic endeavors, which makes them an excellent complement to both the Houston office and the entire Firm."

For an on-line version of this press release that includes attorney bios, please visit http://www.blankrome.com/brl**

About Blank Rome LLPBlank Rome LLP is one of America's largest law firms. With nearly 500 attorneys serving clients around the globe, Blank Rome is an international law firm representing businesses and organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies to start-up entities. Blank Rome helps its clients in all aspects of their businesses. The Firm's practices cover areas including business tax; commercial and corporate litigation; consumer finance; employment, benefits and labor; environmental litigation; financial services; business restructuring and bankruptcy; government relations; intellectual property; maritime, international trade and public contracts; matrimonial; mergers & acquisitions and private equity; product liability, mass torts, insurance; public companies and capital formation; public finance; real estate; trusts and estates; and white collar defense and investigations. Blank Rome also represents pro bono clients in a wide variety of cases and matters. More information about the firm is available at www.BlankRome.com.

David F. Girard-diCarlo (b. 1943 near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American lawyer and former diplomat.

Girard-diCarlo received his bachelor's degree from Saint Joseph's University and studied law at the Villanova University School of Law. After completing law school, he began his career as an associate with Wolf Block LLP, before moving on to Dilworth Paxon LLP, where he became a partner. He left Dilworth to take the position of chairman of the South Eastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority before returning to the lawfirm environment in 1991.

In 1992, Girard-diCarlo began his work for Blank Rome LLP, where he served for 16 years as managing partner and CEO, eventually holding the position of chairman for six years. He was also appointed as the CEO of subsidiary Blank Rome Government Relations LLC, the lobbying branch of the law firm based in Washington, D.C.

In 2000, he was chairman of the Bush-Cheney election campaign in Pennsylvania.^[1][2]

In 2002 and 2003, he was named to the PoliticsPA list of "Sy Snyder's Power 50" list of politically influential individuals.^[3][4]

David F. Girard-diCarlo was nominated as the U.S. ambassador to Austria following Susan McCaw's resignation from the post. He was confirmed by the United States Congress on June 27, 2008. He was sworn in by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on July 1, and arrived in Vienna on July 3, 2008 to host the July 4th reception in his future residence.

On December 10, 2008, the Ambassador announced his intention to resign from the post following the inauguration of Barack Obama on January 20, 2009.^[5]

Girard-diCarlo has been a major contributor to Republican Party campaigns, including most recently the presidential campaign of John McCain.^[6]

References:{:(style="margin-left:-0.25em;margin-right:0.25em"):}:[edit source | edit:{beta:(style="vertical-align:top;padding-left:0.5em;background-image:none !important;display:inline !important"):}::{]}:

^ ""Racism Must Not Be Permitted" - Interview with U.S. Ambassador David Girard-diCarlo". Wiener Zeitung. 2008-11-22. Retrieved 2009-01-25.^[dead ^link]
^ "Republican ambassador rooting for Obama". Austrian Times. 2009-01-22. Retrieved 2009-01-25.
^ "Sy Snyder's Power 50". PoliticsPA. The Publius Group. 2002. Archived from the original on 2002-04-21. "He is at the top of his game, with a finger in the White House, the Office of Homeland Security, and connections with both Fisher and Casey"
^ "Power 50". PoliticsPA. The Publius Group. 2003. Archived from the original on 2004-04-17. "The attorney, Bush Pioneer, Ridge confidant, and former Fisher for Governor Chairman drops from the top slot on last year's list. He remains powerful, with a finger in the White House, the Office of Homeland Security, but does not have the same pull when he calls 717-787-2500."
United States Embassy in Vienna press release December 10, 2008
David F. Girard-diCarlo Nominated As New U.S. Ambassador