Henry J. Fox, who founded the firm in 1942, started its labor, government contract and administrative practice. He successfully argued a case before the U.S. Supreme Court, which established the obligation of the U.S. government to pay double and premium pay to a large class of government employees who were required to work without extra pay on legal holidays during World War II. Fox served as the firm’s first managing partner.
In 1944, Albert E. Arent joined the firm. He was actively involved in the business community and local charitable affairs. He founded the firm’s tax and real estate practice and was the guiding hand behind the firm’s pro bono work.
The firm grew steadily over the years, and by the 1970s was largely guided by two senior partners, Robert B. Hirsch and David M. Osnos.
Bob Hirsch joined the firm as a part-time clerk in 1949 and became a full-time associate in 1950. He was made partner in 1956 and was an original member of the Executive Committee when it was established in 1978. Regarded as one of the most versatile lawyers at Arent Fox, Bob Hirsch continues to focus on corporate, securities and real estate law.
David Osnos joined the firm in 1956 after graduating from Harvard Law School. He was made partner in 1962 and was the original chairman of the Executive Committee. His principal areas of legal practice are tax, securities, real estate, sports and estate planning.
In the late 1990s, David Osnos led more than a dozen Arent Fox lawyers working on the development of the MCI Center, the District of Columbia sports and entertainment complex developed by Abe Pollin, owner of the NBA’s Wizards. Arent Fox helped negotiate contracts and land acquisition issues with the District of Columbia. Since the early 1990s, Arent Fox has grown its health, food and drug, life sciences and bond financing practices to complement its already strong litigation, real estate and regulatory practices.
Marc Fleischaker became Arent Fox chairman in 1997. He joined the firm in 1971, became a partner in 1978 and has been a member of the Executive Committee since January 1983. William Charyk joined the firm in 1973, became a partner in 1980, and served as managing partner for the firm for four years in the 1990s and was again appointed to this position in 2003.
Arent Fox opened its New York office in 1991 with nine lawyers and is in the process of expanding the office to 100 lawyers. In early 2008, Michael Blass was named the partner in charge of the New York office.
In January 2007, Arent Fox merged with O'Brien Abeles LLP, a Los Angeles litigation boutique firm. Robert O'Brien, who co-founded O'Brien Abeles in 1999, is the partner in charge of Arent Fox LLP's Los Angeles office.
In March 2010, Mark M. Katz succeeded Marc Fleischaker as chairman of the firm. In honor of Marc Fleischaker's successful 14 year tenure as chairman, the firm’s Executive Committee named him Chair Emeritus of Arent Fox.
The firm’s commitment to pro bono work dates back to the firm’s founding. The partners believed community service and pro bono public interest work were integral parts of the practice of law and made it a priority to be at the forefront of the private bar’s efforts to ensure that indigents had access to justice.
The Vault Guide to the Top 100 Law Firms, 2008 edition, ranked Arent Fox No. 20 in the country on commitment to pro bono work.
Over 80 percent of Arent Fox lawyers do pro bono work each year. In 2007, each lawyer averaged more than 50 hours of pro bono work. As a whole, the firm totaled nearly 17,000 pro bono hours.
During the past two years, the firm has worked on pro bono matters including death penalty cases, a class action case against the Department of Agriculture on behalf of women farmers, a number of US Supreme Court and state supreme court cases on behalf of women’s groups on domestic violence and privacy issues, and several immigrant rights cases, especially on behalf of juveniles.
The firm annually presents the Albert E. Arent Pro Bono award to a lawyer or team of lawyers and a legal professional who demonstrate ''outstanding contributions to public service.'' Arent’s most recent winners have devoted themselves to adoption and guardianship proceedings for neglected and at-risk children in the DC Family Court system as well as to assisting in the implementation of a cy pres program in NY to support civil legal services for the poor.
Arent Fox clients range from Fortune 500 companies, government agencies and foreign governments to start-up companies, entrepreneurs and nonprofits. Notable clients include Abe Pollin, late owner of the NBA's Washington Wizards, and former owner of the NHL's Washington Capitals and WNBA's Washington Mystics, as well as Robert L. Johnson, founder of Black Entertainment Television, majority owner of the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats.
LawCrossing Fact #208: Even if you’re not looking for a job, regularly checking LawCrossing will allow you to know where you stand in comparison to your competitors.
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