Encyclopedia · Organization
Jones Day
International law firm established in Cleveland, Ohio
Basic facts
- Name
- Jones Day
- Origins
- Blandin & Rice, Cleveland, 1893
- Type
- International private law firm
- Work
- Litigation, regulatory advice, business transactions and government-related legal work
- Historical campaign client
- Donald Trump 2016 campaign, among other clients
Jones Day is an international law firm whose predecessor was founded in Cleveland in 1893. It advised the Donald Trump presidential campaign in 2016 and employed several lawyers who later entered the first Trump administration.
History
Jones Day traces its origins to the Cleveland partnership Blandin & Rice in 1893. The modern firm expanded into multiple U.S. and international legal markets. Its origins are separate from the legal clients, election campaigns and government bodies it later represented.
2016 election legal services
A 2018 Senate Judiciary questionnaire completed by lawyer Eric Murphy Readler described Jones Day personnel serving as outside counsel to the Donald Trump campaign in 2016. FEC records document campaign payments to Jones Day for legal services. The legal engagement should not be mischaracterized as the firm becoming a political party or controlling the candidate.
Don McGahn and White House connections
Don McGahn was a Jones Day partner before serving as Trump’s White House counsel and rejoined the firm in 2019. Jones Day’s own biography documents both roles. Other alumni joined federal positions, but each appointment must be checked separately before inclusion.
Legal and organizational boundaries
The firm has represented multiple political and corporate clients over time. Contracted legal representation does not itself demonstrate agreement with every statement made by a client. Later election lawsuits, individual counsel work and leadership of the firm are separate questions requiring dated evidence.
References
Research compiled through November 12, 2026. Sources and historical roles are dated where known.