JONES, DAY, REAVIS & POGUE, founded in Cleveland, Ohio in 1893, Jones Day, is ranked among the world's best and most integrated law firms. Jones Day acts as principal outside counsel to, or provides significant legal representation for approximately half of the Fortune 500, Fortune Global 500, and FT Global 500. With more than 2400 lawyers in 35 offices around globe, Jones Day is one of the largest law firms in the world.
Jones Day traces its beginnings to the firm of Blandin & Rice. Edward J. Blandin was one of the most noted litigators in Cleveland, and William Rice was a successful business lawyer. They took on one associate, FRANK HADLEY GINN, and the firm rapidly expanded in 1913, Frank Ginn became the first of what have been only seven Managing Partners of Jones Day. Other successful lawyers joined the firm, including leading utilities lawyer, Sheldon Tolles, and leading railroad lawyer, Tom Hogsett. By 1920, with Cleveland a national center of business and industry, the firm was known as Tolles, Hogsett, Ginn & Morley. It included in its associate ranks two future leaders, Tom Jones and Jack Reavis.
Among the Firm's most prominent clients were the VAN SWERINGEN brothers, who controlled the Alleghany Corporation, the Nickle Plate Railroad, the Union Trust Bank, and the Union Station and Terminal Tower complex in downtown Cleveland. JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER was also a significant client. The firm acted as counsel to the bank credit committee that successfully concluded the reorganization of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company.
Tom Jones, who became the Firm's second Managing Partner in 1938, engineered a merger between the corporate law-focused Tolles, Hogsett & Ginn and the well-known litigation-focused Day, Young, Veach & LeFever. The leader of the latter firm, Luther Day, was later described in a federal district court opinion as "possibly the greatest trial lawyer in Ohio's history." The resulting combined firm, which was named Jones, Day, Cockley & Reavis, opened for business on January 1, 1939.
In 1944, the firm represented East Ohio Gas in a massive Cleveland disaster (see EAST OHIO GAS EXPLOSION) . The firm advised EOG not to deny liability and counseled the client immediately to pay provable claims. Within 4 months, 75% of the claims had been settled. In 1946, the firm opened its first office outside Cleveland in Washington, D.C.
Tom Jones passed away in 1948, having designated John W. ("Jack") Reavis as his successor. A brilliant tax lawyer Reavis at one time sat on eleven Fortune 500 corporate boards of directors. Under his leadership, the firm expanded its client base, merged with Pogue & Neal of Washington in 1967, and opened its Los Angeles office in 1973. In 1974, the firm adopted the name Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue.
After serving as Managing Partner for more than a quarter of a decade, Jack Reavis named Allen Holmes as his successor in 1975. During this period firm represented North American Coal (now NAACO Industries), as well as National Refining, Glen Alden Coal Company, Hudson Coal Company, and Glenn L. Martin Co. In addition, the firm defended General Motors in cases related to the Corvair, the automobile that was the topic of Ralph Nader's Unsafe at Any Speed (1965), as well as Firestone in litigation over a patent on oil-extended synthetic rubber, an important component in tire manufacturing. During Holmes tenure, Jones Day opened offices in Columbus and Dallas.
Allen Holmes named Richard W. ("Dick") Pogue, as the firm's fifth managing partner in 1984. Under Pogue's tenure, the firm opened offices in Irvine, Chicago, Atlanta, and Pittsburgh. In 1986, Jones Day merged with Surrey & Morse of New York and added its first international offices in New London and Paris. Over the next several years, the firm expanded into Chicago and Hong Kong. Jones Day then merged with Hansell & Post of Atlanta, and also opened offices in Pittsburgh, Tokyo, and Brussels, followed by offices in Taipei and Frankfurt. Under Pogue's leadership, the firm grew from 335 lawyers to 1250 lawyers. Pogue has energetically served the Cleveland community and in 2013 remained a senior advisor to the firm.
Dick Pogue named, Patrick F. ("Pat") McCartan, one of the most successful big case litigators in the U.S. as the firm's sixth Managing Partner in 1993. During McCartan's tenure, the firm opened offices in Sydney, Shanghai, Madrid, Silicon Valley, Houston, Singapore, and Milan. In 1980, McCartan was successful in having President Jimmy Carter's gasoline tax declared unconstitutional. Later that same year he successfully defended Ronald Reagan's right to federal election funds. McCartan has also served the Cleveland community in a number of civic endeavors, including the board of The Cleveland Clinic Foundation.
In 2002, Pat McCartan named Stephen J. (Steve) Brogan as the Firm's seventh Managing Partner. The following year, the Firm also formally changed its name to Jones Day. During Brogan's tenure, the Firm has opened offices in San Francisco, Munich, Beijing, San Diego, Moscow, Dubai, Mexico City, Boston, Riyadh, Jeddah, Alkhobar, and Sao Paulo. As of 2013, the firm maintained its Cleveland offices in the North Point complex and planned to add an office in Dusseldorf.
View finding aid for the Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue Records, WRHS.
Borowitz, Albert. Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue: The First Century (1993).