History
Jones Day was founded in Cleveland in 1893 as Blandin & Rice by two partners, Edwin J. Blandin and William Lowe Rice.[10] Frank Ginn joined the firm in 1899, and it changed its name to Blandin, Rice & Ginn.[11] Rice was murdered in August 1910.[12] In 1912, Thomas H. Hogsett joined the firm as partner, and[11] it became Blandin, Hogsett & Ginn that year,[13] and Tolles, Hogsett, Ginn & Morley a year later after the retirement of Judge Blandin and the addition of partners Sheldon H. Tolles and John C. Morley.[11] After Morley retired, in 1928, the firm adopted the name Tolles, Hogsett & Ginn.[11]
In its early years, the firm was known for representing major industries in the Cleveland area, including Standard Oil and several railroad and utility companies.[14]
In November 1938, managing partner Thomas Jones led the merger of Tolles, Hogsett & Ginn with litigation-focused firm Day, Young, Veach & LeFever to create Jones, Day, Cockley & Reavis. The merger was effective January 1, 1939.[15] The firm's Washington, D.C., office was opened in 1946, becoming the firm's first office outside Ohio.[16] In 1967, the firm merged with D.C. firm Pogue & Neal to become Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue.[17]
Jones Day has represented several companies in legal proceedings against labor unions.[18][19][20]
International expansion
The international expansion of Jones Day began in 1986 when the firm merged with boutique law firm Surrey & Morse, a firm of 75 attorneys with international offices in New York City, Paris, London, and Washington, D.C. In the following years, the firm expanded to Hong Kong, Brussels, Tokyo, Taipei, and Frankfurt.[21]
Republican Party and conservative politics
Jones Day has historically focused on corporate law, but since Stephen Brogan became managing partner in 2003, it has increasingly shifted to aiding the Republican Party and the American conservative movement.[22] In the 21st century, the firm has increasingly taken on ideologically charged cases and causes. In 2025, The Atlantic wrote that it was known for its Republican clients and for its conservative advocacy.[23]
