Spotlight On: Jonathan Korn, Partner, Blank Rome

December 2025 — In an interview with Invest:, Jonathan Korn, partner at Blank Rome, said that strategic growth, talent development, and embracing innovation remain top priorities for the law firm as it adapts to a changing legal landscape. “The firm is focused on serving its clients, both geographically and across key practice areas and industries,” he said.

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Could you highlight some of the major milestones or achievements Blank Rome has experienced over the past 12 months?

Blank Rome has consistently demonstrated strong performance year over year. The firm continues to attract top talent across its offices, practice groups, and industry teams. In 2024, Blank Rome expanded its presence with the opening of its Boston office, welcoming a leading team of 25 attorneys, marking the firm’s 16th location. We are dedicated to broadening our capabilities in key practices, industries, and geographic markets that align with our clients’ needs. For eighty years, our core values have remained central to our approach, guiding our commitment to exceptional client service; teamwork and collaboration; diversity, inclusion, and belonging; and pro bono and community service.

What makes New Jersey a great place for your offices, and how does it stand out from other markets?

We have offices throughout the country, and have been in New Jersey since 1987.  We have long recognized the benefits of having a New Jersey office and the strength of the New Jersey market.

Our office is uniquely positioned to serve our New Jersey clients. From where we are based in Princeton, we serve the entire state. As a business litigator, I have handled cases in every county courthouse from Sussex County to Cape May County.  I can reach any courthouse in the state within two hours from the Princeton office. That ability to cover the entire state is relatively unique to the New Jersey market and a real advantage to those of us who live and practice within the state.

Although New Jersey is surrounded by and a part of two large metropolitan areas — New York to the north and Philadelphia to the south — it has its own unique identity and its own inherent strengths. And from an economic standpoint, New Jersey is a powerhouse ranking in the Top 10 in state GDP with particular strengths in growth industries like pharmaceuticals, biotech, and healthcare technology. The talent pool is also exceptional, thanks to both a strong university system and local school systems.  Our clients want to do business in New Jersey, and we need to be here to serve them.

Which sectors are driving legal demand for your firm?

I will speak to my own practice, which focuses on real estate and construction. From a litigation perspective, we have been extremely busy addressing landlord/tenant leasing disputes, workout issues with lenders, and disputes arising from land and development deals falling through due to economic pressures. The high-interest rate environment has led many developers to pause, delay, or reconsider projects.

Given the political landscape and talk of tariffs, are you hearing any specific concerns from clients?

Every new administration brings an influx of new legal questions and additional legal work as clients try to anticipate changes from one administration to the next. With the new administration, there have already been significant changes in areas such as employment, international trade, and government contracts law. Our Employment, International Trade, and Government Contracts practices, among others, are fielding and addressing questions related to the impact of policies or proposed policies on their businesses, as is our Blank Rome Government Relations team.

How is the firm approaching talent acquisition and retention in such a competitive market?

We are always looking for targeted growth through lateral hires, in particular, established partners with existing practices that enhance and/or supplement the services we can offer our clients. That has always been a strength for us, and we pride ourselves on how well we integrate those attorneys into our culture and operations. We invest heavily in professional development and offer a wide range of programs and opportunities tailored to align with practice group priorities, firm goals, and our High-Performance Culture (“HPC”) Competencies. For example, we host Trial Academy and Trial Accelerator programs for litigators and contract drafting, negotiation skills, and financial and accounting training for our business attorneys.

How is Blank Rome approaching innovation?

Blank Rome has made significant investments in technology and training for our lawyers and business professionals. Over the past year, we have been committed to advancing our AI Strategic Plan, which guides our investments, training programs, and client collaboration efforts to ensure thoughtful, impactful adoption of AI across the firm. Our efforts have not only elevated the technological fluency of our lawyers but also underscore our commitment to innovation and collaboration. We encourage our colleagues to collaborate across practice areas, share their insights, and collectively shape the way technology is used to support our clients at the highest levels.

Looking ahead, what are your top priorities for the next two to three years?

Our priorities continue to be focused on providing the highest levels of service to our clients, colleagues, and communities. We are investing in attracting leading legal talent and building top-tier practices that are committed to achieving the best possible outcomes for our clients’ most complex business and legal challenges.

Additionally, our dedication to remaining at the forefront of technology and artificial intelligence is driven by our desire to deliver the highest-quality legal services in the most cost-effective manner, always keeping our clients’ needs at the center of everything we do. And giving back to our communities remains a core value of our firm. Through meaningful pro bono work and ongoing community service, we strive to support those in need and make a lasting, positive impact where we live and work. 

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