With approximately750attorneys, Blank Rome has been a Philly staple since the 1940s, but the firm isn’t exclusive to the City of Brotherly Love. Its 16 offices span the United States and China. Through the years, Blank Rome has become a general practice firm representing clients in the real estate, financial services, chemical, technology, energy, and life sciences sectors. Recently, the firm expanded to also focus on consumer financial services; cybersecurity and data privacy; energy; petrochemical; natural resources; and intellectual property (IP). Additionally, the firm has established nationally and internationally recognized maritime, matrimonial, insurance recovery, and government contracts practices. 

Pennsylvania Roots

Blank Rome was founded as Blank & Rudenko in 1946 by UPenn grads Samuel A. Blank and William B. Rudenko. The partners sought to create a diverse and inclusive work environment because they had been excluded from other local firms because of religious discrimination. Marvin Comisky, whose name was on the masthead for decades, joined the firm in 1959 and served as its first managing partner beginning in 1969. As Chancellor of the Philadelphia bar, Comisky was responsible for the city’s firms ending their practice of religious discrimination in hiring in the mid-1960s.

Wide-Ranging Yet Focused

While Blank Rome’s practices run the gamut, the firm also offers some niche legal services. The Manhattan office houses some of the most prominent (that is, lucrative) matrimonial and trusts and estates practices in the United States, and the firm has well-established M&A, international and maritime litigation, financial services, and real estate practices. The firm’s Washington, DC, office is home to leading IP, government contracts, insurance recovery, international trade, shipping, litigation, and government relations practices. Blank Rome is one of a small but increasing number of firms that have turned to lobbying to complement its legal practices. Blank Rome Government Relations LLC, established in 2003, lobbies on Capitol Hill and in select state houses to influence policy in favor of clients in technology and communications, energy, defense and national security, transportation, healthcare, and other industries. 

Training for Trials Together

Blank Rome takes the professional development of its attorneys seriously. Each associate meets quarterly (or more frequently) with a career development advisor knowledgeable about the issues faced by attorneys at the associate’s level. The firm has a competency-based career development framework that informs assignment delegation. It has also established a robust feedback process in which virtually every supervising lawyer actively participates and provides feedback to associates at least twice per year (with more than 98% attorneys participating in each round). The firm hosts a variety of training programs, including its annual Blank Rome Trial Academy, in which associates are divided into teams and participate in intensive practice sessions and mock trials, with coaching, in the courthouse at the Philadelphia Criminal Justice Center . Former and active judges serve as the judges for the program, and attorneys and staff join in as jurors and witnesses.

• Successfully defended BetMGM in a pivotal high-stakes appeal, securing a Third Circuit victory on consumer fraud and negligence claims, definitively reinforcing that casinos owe no duty of care to compulsive gamblers and further shielding the industry from expansive liability.
• Secured a decisive jury trial victory for the NCAA in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, obtaining a non-suit dismissal of high-stakes negligence and fraud claims tied to alleged football-related cognitive injuries. This marks the firm’s second successful defense of the NCAA in Philadelphia concussion litigation in 2024, reinforcing its reputation as a go-to firm for complex, high-profile sports liability cases.
• Represented Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Holdings, Inc. in its strategic acquisition of 40 store leases through the Big Lots Chapter 11 proceedings, bringing the total to 63 leases acquired since fall 2024. This court-approved transaction marks a major milestone in Ollie’s national expansion strategy and underscores Blank Rome’s pivotal role in navigating complex bankruptcy and real estate matters to deliver transformative growth opportunities.
• Secured the release of Tyree Wallace, who served 26 years for a wrongful conviction, by investigating the case and filing a successful post-conviction petition. Involvement began through a nonprofit referral and grew into a dedicated pursuit of justice.

• 116 attorney rankings and 35 practice area rankings across a wide range of categories, 2025—Chambers USA.
• Perfect score (ninth consecutive year) on the Corporate Equality Index, 2025—Human Rights Campaign
• Recognized on the Pro Bono Scorecard, 2025—The American Lawyer
• Ranked No 2 on the  Midlevel Associate Satisfaction Survey, 2025—The American Lawyer
• Ranked No. 6 (No. 1 in New York City) on the Summer Associates Survey, 2025—The American Lawyer