Blank Rome Announces 2022 Leadership Council on Legal Diversity Fellow and Pathfinders

Megan R. Wood
Saloni R. Patel
Samar Aryani-Sabet

Blank Rome LLPย is pleased to announce that theย Leadership Council on Legal Diversityย (โ€œLCLDโ€) has selectedย Megan R. Woodย to join the 2022 LCLD Fellows Program andย Saloni R. Patelย andย Samar Aryani-Sabetย to join the 2022 LCLD Pathfinderย Program. These hallmark programs are dedicated to producing a generation of attorneys with strong leadership and relationship skills who are committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion within their individual institutions and throughout the legal industry.ย 

โ€œWe are thrilled to have Megan, Saloni, and Samar represent Blank Rome in the 2022 LCLD Fellows Program and Pathfinder Program,โ€ said Grant S. Palmer, Blank Romeโ€™s Managing Partner and CEO. โ€œThey have all demonstrated a real commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion at our firm, throughout the legal industry, and within their local communities, and we look forward to celebrating their successful achievements in this critical mission in the years to come.โ€

โ€œAs a longstanding LCLD member organization, Blank Rome is more committed than ever to accelerating diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the organization, legal industry, and beyond,โ€ saidย Krystal Studavent Ramsey, Director ofย Diversity and Inclusionย at Blank Rome. โ€œThe retention, development, and advancement of our diverse attorneys is at the core of our firmโ€™s culture and mission, and we are proactively engaged in identifying, implementing, and supporting new opportunities through progressive programs, policies, and initiatives such as the LCLD Fellows and Pathfinders programs.โ€

To read more about the program and Megan, Saloni, and Samar, please visit our website.

Blank Rome Newsletters

The BR Privacy & Security Download We invite you to read our April 2022 edition of The BR Privacy & Security Download, the monthly digital newsletter of Blank Romeโ€™s Privacy, Security & Data Protection practice, which covers current trends and updates in the areas of state, local, and federal laws and regulations, U.S. litigation and enforcement, and international laws and regulations, as well as the groupโ€™s recent events and webinars, media activity, and news. Read More ยป

The BR State + Local Tax Spotlight Welcome to the March 2022 edition of The BR State + Local Tax Spotlight, our monthly newsletter from Blank Romeโ€™s State + Local Tax team that highlights important State + Local Tax developments across numerous jurisdictions and provides updates on significant legislative developments and judicial decisions that could impact business operations. Read More ยป

Coronavirus (โ€œCOVID-19โ€) Task Force

From supply chain disruption, government-ordered closures, and event cancellations to employee safety concerns, vaccine requirements, and social distancing recommendations, every company is facing its own unique challenges surrounding this ongoing global pandemic. Blank Romeโ€™s Coronavirus (โ€œCOVID-19โ€) Task Force is monitoring this ever-changing situation and is here to help. 

Note from the Editor

Thomas H. Belknap, Jr., Editor

When I wrote the introductory note for the December 2020 issue of Mainbrace, I certainly hoped that by this time COVID-19 would be a distant memory. But as I write this, we are once again looking at more uncertainty ahead, and it seems that our collective ability to adapt and adjust will continue to be tested for the foreseeable future.

And on the very topic of needing to adapt, I hope you have been able to catch some of our recent Mainbrace Live webinar presentations. Following the successful launch of this new series in the spring, we presented four panels this fall covering topics as diverse as COGSA, marine casualty investigations, maritime liens and arrests, admiralty and maritime jurisdiction, shipowner limitation of liability, maritime environmental developments, and the role of insurance in ship finance. If you missed them, you can still view the recorded sessions (see the section after our articles below). We are pleased to note that this series has been very well received, so keep an eye out for more sessions next spring.

This issue of Mainbrace complements our recent Mainbrace Live webinar series to some extent, as several of the articles are companion pieces to this fallโ€™s webinar presentations. In addition, we have included a number of other articles likely to be of interest to our maritime clients, on such topics as maritime cybersecurity, EU data transfer considerations, and Chapter 15 of the Bankruptcy Code. We hope you enjoy this issue!

We also take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Holiday Season and a healthy and prosperous 2022!


Mainbrace Live: All Aboard!ย Webinar Series

Over the last month, our internationally recognizedย Maritime & International Tradeย practice group presented a new series of informative webinars on hot topics in the shipping industry. The series featured up-and-coming talent in the firm with sessions discussing the following critical industry trends:

      • USCG Issues during a Marine Casualty
      • COGSA Fundamentals and Time Bars
      • Decarbonization
      • Insurance Requirements in Ship Financings
      • Jones Act Update and VIDA/VGP Status and Enforcement
      • Maritime Liens
      • Arrest Fundamentals and Acceptable Security Terms
      • State and Federal Court Distinctions and Admiralty Jurisdiction
      • Limitation of Liability

In Case You Missed Itโ€ฆ

The Gateway to Federal Court: Admiralty Jurisdiction and Limitation of Liability
VIEW:ย Recordingย โ”‚ย Materials

Maritime Liens and Arrest Fundamentals
VIEW:ย Recordingย โ”‚ย Materials

Maritime Environmental Update and the Role of Insurance in Ship Finance
VIEW:ย Recordingย โ”‚ย Materials

What to Do Following COGSA and USCG Marine Casualty Investigations?
VIEW:ย Recordingย โ”‚ย Materials

Pro Bono Report (2020โ€“2021)

September 2021

2021 Pro Bono Report Cover

Welcome to Blank Romeโ€™s Pro Bono Report (2020โ€“2021), which highlights various pro bono cases, clinics, and projects that our attorneys worked on last year and in recent months to provide equal access to justice in our communities.

In particular, we discuss our significant work surrounding key issues across the country, including the COVID-19 pandemicracial injustice, and voter protection, as well as work on behalf of immigrantsLGBTQ+ individualspersons facing homelessnesssenior citizens, and small business owners and nonprofits.

Also featured in this report: 

      • Blank Romeโ€™s 2020 Pro Bono Year in Review
      • Summary of pro bono awards presented to our firm and attorneys
      • Blank Romeโ€™s pro bono corporate and community partners
      • Overview of pro bono initiatives and priorities for 2021 and beyond

To download Blank Romeโ€™s Pro Bono Report, please click here.

Blank Rome Highly Ranked in U.S. News โ€“ Best Lawyersยฎ 2022ย โ€œBest Law Firmsโ€

November 4, 2021

U.S. News - Best Lawyers 2022

Blank Rome LLP is pleased to announce that our firm was nationally ranked in 28ย practice areas and regionally ranked in 82 practice areas inย theย 2022 โ€œBest Law Firmsโ€ย surveyย byย U.S. News & World Report โ€“ Best Lawyers.ยฎ

Earlier this year, Blank Rome was also recognized in theย 2022 Best Lawyers in Americaย survey, which ranked 117 firm attorneys in the annual categories of โ€œLawyers of the Year,โ€ โ€œOnes to Watch,โ€ and โ€œBest Lawyersโ€ in 44 practice areas across 11 regions.

Continue reading “Blank Rome Highly Ranked in U.S. News โ€“ Best Lawyersยฎ 2022ย โ€œBest Law Firmsโ€”

Blank Rome Attorneys and Practices Highly Ranked in The Legal 500 United States 2021

June 2021

The Legal 500 2021

Blank Rome LLP is pleased to announce that our practice groups and attorneys have been highly ranked and recommended inย The Legal 500 United States 2021. Researchers atย The Legal 500ย conduct annual, in-depth market research and gather information from individual law firms as well as feedback from peers and clients to form an objective analysis and prepare comprehensive rankings and editorial of the U.S. legal market.

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Chambers USA 2021 Honors Blank Rome Maritime Attorneys and Practices

BAND ONE: Shipping Litigation (New York) โ€“ Nationwide

What the team is known for: โ€œEsteemed practice with significant experience handling high-profile maritime litigation for national and international clients, including P&I clubs, shipping companies and owners. Highly regarded for crisis response and offering additional expertise in alternative dispute resolution. Maintains an excellent reputation for advising maritime industry entities in federal investigations arising from intentional misconduct allegations and casualty events, as well as in a host of cybersecurity issues. Recently active on a range of fuel contamination, cargo loss, salvage and collision cases.โ€

Strengths: โ€œAn impressed client reports: โ€˜Blank Rome really caters to its clients’ needs, and each of the partners are very savvy and really provide great and succinct advice.โ€™ Sources praise the โ€˜great team with good associates,โ€™ and highlight their โ€˜wealth of knowledge.โ€™ Interviewees say: โ€˜The team really is a leader in the space and really on top of the matters.โ€™โ€

Continue readingChambers USA 2021 Honors Blank Rome Maritime Attorneys and Practices”

Coronavirus (โ€œCOVID-19โ€) Task Force

From supply chain disruption, government-ordered closures, and event cancellations to employee safety concerns, vaccine requirements, and social distancing recommendations, every company is facing its own unique challenges surrounding this ongoing global pandemic. Blank Romeโ€™s Coronavirus (โ€œCOVID-19โ€) Task Force is monitoring this ever-changing situation and is here to help.