Chicago, April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Blank Rome LLP is pleased to announce that Allison N. Powers has joined the firm’s Chicago office as a partner in the Labor & Employment group and member of the Luxury Brands practice. She counsels management in addressing their workplace needs, including litigation, internal investigations, and providing strategic advice and counsel. Allison joins Blank Rome from Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg LLP, where she was a partner and chair of the firm’s employment group.
Allison’s arrival coincides with the continuing expansion of the firm’s Chicago office, which includes several notable hires, including partners Rachael G. Pontikes and Emily L. Hussey, who recently joined the firm’s Life Science industry team and Business Litigation group, as well as Daniel R. Saeedi and Rachel L. Schaller, who also joined the Business Litigation group and represent clients in employment disputes.
“We are pleased to welcome Allison to the firm,” said Grant S. Palmer, Blank Rome’s Chair and Managing Partner. “Allison’s extensive experience as an employment litigator and trial attorney, combined with her strategic counsel in high-profile matters, will greatly enhance our nationally recognized Labor & Employment group. Her adept handling of complex employment disputes and internal investigations, as well as her dedication to pro bono efforts, aligns perfectly with our firm’s values. We are confident that Allison’s arrival will significantly benefit our clients and strengthen our capabilities in Chicago and beyond.”
With nearly 20 years’ experience as an employment litigator, trial attorney, and strategic partner, Allison is a trusted adviser to clients navigating high-profile matters requiring discernment and discretion. Her employment litigation practice emphasizes defense of claims of discrimination and harassment in private lawsuits, as well as government agency actions under federal and state anti-discrimination statutes. Allison has also served as defense counsel in several federal and state wage and hour collective action matters and has successfully litigated and resolved numerous single-plaintiff cases. Moreover, she has, on multiple occasions, played a lead role in implementing sophisticated and successful defense strategies in high-profile, multi-plaintiff and class action cases. Allison’s current and past clients include Fortune-ranked corporations in the luxury, fashion and retail, banking, telecommunications, automotive, and pharmaceutical sectors.
More than a litigator, Allison is a strategic partner to her clients and, as such, devotes a significant portion of her practice to counseling clients facing a variety of issues, including internal investigations, high-level executive separation agreements, leave of absence and disability management, and more. Regarding internal investigations, Allison regularly counsels clients managing allegations of misconduct at the executive and C-suite levels and handles related sophisticated and consequential investigations. In 2022, Allison was appointed by the Illinois Governor to the role of Commissioner of the Executive Ethics Commission, a key agency for sweeping ethics reform for the State of Illinois. This role gives Allison added perspective when conducting internal investigations, which is of great value to clients.
“We are delighted to add Allison to our growing Labor & Employment practice, which recently welcomed partners Daniel J. Sobol and Brandon S. Shemtob in Philadelphia,” said Brooke T. Iley, partner and co-chair of the Labor & Employment group. “Allison’s experience will benefit our clients as they navigate employment trends in 2025, including staying compliant with new Executive Orders, navigating enhanced worker protections, managing fair and ethical uses of technology in employment practices, and more. Allison is well suited to help our clients stay informed about the evolving employment landscape and compliant with changing laws and regulations.”
“Blank Rome’s leading reputation in labor and employment law, paired with the firm’s national platform, presence in major centers of commerce, and synergies with the key industries I serve, including luxury brands, public utilities, and real estate, made it an easy decision to join the firm,” said Allison. “As my clients’ needs have become more sophisticated and complex, it became imperative for my practice to draw upon a leading, expanded team of labor and employment attorneys, as well as a deep bench of top corporate and business litigation lawyers to better serve my clients. Plus, the firm’s entrepreneurial and collaborative culture, exceptional talent, and growing Chicago office made Blank Rome the right fit for me and my practice now, and I am excited to work with my new colleagues across the firm.”
Additionally, Allison dedicates time to pro bono service. Her pro bono work includes aiding immigrants seeking asylum, veterans pursuing benefits, and first-time home buyers receiving Section 8 benefits. She is also active on the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, serving on the board of directors and as chair of the Board Development Committee. Allison is also a member of the Black Women Lawyers Association of Greater Chicago.
Allison earned her J.D. from Washington University School of Law, and her B.A. from Northwestern University.
About Blank Rome
Blank Rome is an Am Law 100 firm with 16 offices and more than 750 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 exceptional 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.