LOS ANGELES — Blank Rome LLP has announced that the firm has expanded its Los
Angeles office with the addition of six new attorneys — Dennis P. R. Codon,
Howard M. Knee, Michael L. Ludwig, Colleen Carolan, Jim Newman and Mary
Pierce.
Codon joins Blank Rome from Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi LLP, where he
practiced in the Corporate Governance and Special Situations and Business
Litigation groups. Knee joins from the labor and employment law firm of Knee,
Ross & Silverman LLP, where he was a founding partner, and brings with him a
team of attorneys.
Codon joins as partner in the Public Companies and Capital Formation group
and focuses his practice on complex business transactions and corporate
governance issues. Before joining Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi LLP, he
served as senior vice president and chief legal officer in the Law Department of
Unocal Corp., a major international energy and natural resource company with
significant midstream, geothermal and other related business units, as well as
oil and gas exploration and production, where he worked for nearly 30 years.
Codon is on the board of editors for The Corporate Compliance &
Regulatory Newsletter, and is a member of the Los Angeles County,
California State and American Bar Associations. He is a member of the advisory
board of the Southwestern-Peter Drucker School Of Business Joint JD/MBA Program,
and serves as chair of the board of governors of the Institute for Corporate
Counsel, a joint venture between the University of Southern California Gould
School Of Law and the Los Angeles County Bar Association Corporate Law
Department Section.
He also serves as chair of the board of trustees for Southwestern University
School of Law and on the board of directors for the Alliance for Children’s
Rights. Admitted to practice in California, Codon received his Juris Doctor from
Southwestern University School of Law and his Bachelor’s degree from Brigham
Young University.
Knee joins as partner in the Employment, Benefits and Labor group and focuses
his practice exclusively in the areas of labor and employment law. He advises
clients on all aspects of labor and employment relations and brings more than 35
years of experience in both the public sector and the private sector, including
defense of employment discrimination and wrongful termination lawsuits, wage and
hour litigation (including class actions), representation and unfair labor
practice proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board, labor
arbitrations, Department of Labor and DLSE audits and ERISA trust fund
litigation.
nee has represented a wide variety of employers, small-sized
businesses and medium-sized businesses, and clients in the entertainment
industry. He has a broad range of trial and appellate court experience.
Knee is a member of the California and American Bar Associations, and is a
member of the Labor and Employment Law Section of the Los Angeles County Bar
Association. Admitted to practice in California, Knee received his Juris Doctor
from UCLA Law School and his Bachelor’s degree from UCLA and was awarded
Political Science Departmental Honors.
Ludwig joins as of counsel in the Employment, Benefits and Labor group. He
represents employers and management in employment and business litigation in
federal and state courts and counsels employers in a variety of
personnel-related issues. Admitted to practice in California, Ludwig received
his Juris Doctor from the University of Southern California Law Center and his
Bachelor’s degree, magna *** laude, from the University of Southern California,
where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa.
Carolan joins the Employment, Benefits and Labor group and focuses her
practice in all areas of labor and employment law. Previously in her career, she
served as in-house employment counsel for Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., where
she advised operating executives and human resources staff, both domestically
and internationally. Admitted to practice in California, Carolan received her
Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan School of Law and her Bachelor’s
degree from the University of Michigan.
Newman joins the Employment, Benefits and Labor group. He represents clients
in a variety of labor and employment matters and has a broad range of trial and
appellate court experience. Previously in his career, he served as in-house
employment counsel for SBC Communications Inc. for more than 10 years. Admitted
to practice in California and Massachusetts, Newman received his Juris Doctor,
with honors, from Boston College Law School and his Bachelor’s degree, magna ***
laude, from Bowdoin College.
Pierce joins the Employment, Benefits and Labor group. She focuses her
practice in all areas of labor and employment law, and has represented a wide
variety of clients ranging from large media and entertainment companies to
small, family-owned local businesses. Admitted to practice in California, Pierce
received her Juris Doctor from the University of Southern California, Order of
the Coif, and her Bachelor’s degree from the University of California at San
Diego with Provost Honors.
Blank Rome LLP is one of America’s largest law firms, with more than 500
attorneys serving clients across the globe. For more information, visit www.blankrome.com.