New York, NY, Feb. 04, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Blank Rome LLP is pleased to announce that Mara B. Levin has joined the Firm as Partner in the Labor & Employment and Commercial Litigation groups in the New York office. With more than 30 years of experience, Mara provides counsel to private and public companies spanning a variety of industries, including real estate, retail and apparel, food and beverage, consumer products and manufacturing, media and technology, and travel and leisure. Mara joins Blank Rome from Herrick Feinstein LLP where she was partner and co-chair of the firm’s business litigation and employment practices.
“Mara is a dynamic and respected attorney, and we are thrilled to welcome her to our Firm,” said Grant S. Palmer, Blank Rome’s Managing Partner and CEO. “Mara’s seasoned skills as a litigator, trial lawyer, and legal adviser make her an excellent addition to our New York office, and complement our Firm’s significant growth across offices and practices since January 1.”
In her labor and employment practice, Mara not only helps clients manage day-to-day employment concerns, but she also designs risk management programs for employers and advises on all aspects of the terms and conditions of employment. Her legal acumen allows Mara to develop employment policies and practices that withstand judicial scrutiny, should litigation arise. In those instances, Mara is regularly retained by employers to litigate all types of claims, including trade secret, restrictive covenant, and statutory violations, and to investigate and defend harassment and discrimination claims. She regularly litigates before federal and state courts, arbitration venues, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the New York State Division of Human Rights, and the New York City Commission on Human Rights, as well as other state agencies in which her clients are located. She also represents C-Suite executives in negotiating employment agreements, severance agreements, and restrictive covenants.
“Mara’s deep understanding of an employer’s needs—from workforce restructuring to labor audits, exit incentive plans, Family and Medical Leave Act matters, and heated disputes—demonstrates why clients have chosen her as their counsel for decades, and we are excited to have someone as experienced as Mara join our team,” said Brooke T. Iley, Partner and Co-Chair of Blank Rome’s Labor & Employment group.
As lead counsel for complex litigation matters in federal and state courts, Mara has obtained successful verdicts in both jury and bench trials. Her extensive business litigation experience includes contractual and fiduciary breaches, fraud, economic torts, and Uniform Commercial Code disputes, as well as legal malpractice claims.
“Mara is a terrific addition to our Firm, and will further enhance our strong litigation capabilities,” added Jayme L. Butcher, Partner and Co-Chair of Blank Rome’s Commercial Litigation practice group. “Her keen ability to serve as an engrained outside counsel to her clients’ businesses, pragmatically resolving contentious disputes and approaching operational decisions through a litigator’s lens, make her an indispensable talent to both our team and her clients.”
Mara’s vast work in real estate has also made her a go-to attorney for commercial leasing and construction disputes. Counseling real estate owners, developers, management companies, and national retailers, Mara is often sought out for her review of management contracts, development agreements, construction agreements, and financing documents, offering preemptive advice to avoid future litigation. Mara also regularly serves as outside general counsel to residential and commercial portfolio owners and management companies, as well as cooperative and condominium boards.
Mara is involved with various nonprofit organizations and has been committed to providing pro bono legal services for years. Her work with the Lawyers Alliance for New York earned her the organization’s 2016 Cornerstone Award in recognition of her pro bono employment law advice to nonprofits to help manage their workforce and reduce risks. Her experience providing sensitivity training related to sexual harassment in the workplace has also helped Hollaback!, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to end harassment.
“As the legal industry has developed over the past 30 years, so has my practice. As a result, I was seeking a firm with expanded service offerings and greater geographic reach to better meet the needs of my clients, and Blank Rome was patently the right fit,” said Levin. “I was also very impressed with their commitment to diversity, and look forward to engaging in Blank Rome’s successful pro bono program.”
Since January 1, Blank Rome has welcomed a number of lateral partners across its U.S. offices, enhancing the Firm’s services and capabilities throughout its various practices.
- Blank Rome Adds Prominent Family Law Team in Los Angeles, Led by Kristina Royce and Ashley Silberfeld
- Blank Rome Bolsters Corporate Practice with Addition of Terrence Everett in Los Angeles Office
- Blank Rome Welcomes Accomplished Corporate Partner Jeffrey Cohen in New York
- Blank Rome Welcomes Experienced Real Estate Partners Michael Peskowitz and Lauren Scarantino in New York
- Blank Rome Welcomes Veteran Transactions Partner Robert Kahan in Los Angeles
- Blank Rome Continues Ongoing Lateral Expansion with the Addition of Energy Group in Washington, D.C.
- Blank Rome Welcomes Leading Commercial Litigation and Class Action Defense Partner Roy Arnold in Pittsburgh
About Blank Rome LLPBlank Rome is an Am Law 100 firm with 13 offices and more than 600 attorneys and principals who provide comprehensive legal and advocacy services to clients operating in the United States and around the world. Our professionals have built a reputation for their leading knowledge and experience across a spectrum of industries, and are recognized for their commitment to pro bono work in their communities. Since our inception in 1946, Blank Rome’s culture has been dedicated to providing top-level service to all of our clients, and has been rooted in the strength of our diversity and inclusion initiatives. For more information, please visit blankrome.com.
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