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Volume 20, No. 7 © 2012 The Metropolitan Corporate Counsel, Inc. July/August 2012

Western Pennsylvania: Land Of Opportunity

The Editor interviews Laura E. align with the actual the energy sector, but also prompted by Ellsworth, Partner-in-Charge of Jones hiring needs of the companies looking for sophisticated Day’s office. business community national and international counsel. These in order to equip our companies want legal counsel with deep Editor: Please tell our readers about workforce, and par- experience in and your background with Jones Day. ticularly our young in the markets in which they operate people, for the jobs around the world. In addition, the eco- Ellsworth: I joined Jones Day in the of the future. I also nomic downturn has caused many compa- early 1990s because I wanted to live in serve on Governor Laura E. nies to take a close look at long-standing Pittsburgh but have a truly national and Corbett’s Privatiza- Ellsworth legal relationships and assess whether international practice. At that time, Jones tion and Innovation they are getting the results, customer ser- Day was already an international firm Council, whose purpose is to look at vice and true value that they deserve. and, in fact, the only firm in Pittsburgh ways in which the government can work Many of the companies who concluded with an international footprint. Today, we more effectively and efficiently for its cit- they weren’t getting those things have have 37 offices around the world and izens. I serve on the Pennsylvania Arts come to Jones Day because we’re known some of my best friends in the world are Council, which supports hundreds of arts for delivering them. Our commitment to colleagues in those offices. So I certainly programs across the Commonwealth, and client service has repeatedly earned the made the right choice! I serve on the boards of the Magee-Wom- firm first-place ratings from The BTI ens Research Institute and Foundation Consulting Group, an organization that Editor: I understand you also have a and Imani Christian Academy, an inner- monitors client satisfaction with legal ser- substantial history of public service for city school where I teach a law class to vices. Jones Day is the only firm to earn the State of Pennsylvania and with sixth and eighth graders. The class culmi- top ratings year after year, and no other Pittsburgh institutions. nates with a trial in federal court in front firm has matched our first-place record. of a real judge in a real courtroom. I also This ranking demonstrates that our clients chair the Women’s Leadership Council Ellsworth: There’s a very strong culture like what they find. for the United Way, which focuses on at Jones Day to support public service on female and specialized pro- a grand scale. I have tremendous support Editor: Can you briefly profile some of grams that assist women in transition. As to serve in civic and charitable roles, the Pittsburgh office clients? you can see from the length of this list including serving as vice chair of the and the breadth of the topics, the firm’s for Community support of my participation with these Ellsworth: We represent well-known and Economic Development, a group of wonderful organizations is pretty extraor- Pittsburgh companies such as U.S. Steel, CEOs of the major companies in the dinary. Education Management Corporation, region that works on regional develop- UPMC, , Bayer, EME and Dick’s ment. Our chair is Chuck Bunch, the Editor: I’ve read that Jones Day’s Sporting Goods. We also represent out-of- CEO of PPG, who recently succeeded Pittsburgh office has been expanding area clients such as The Sherwin- John Surma, CEO of U.S. Steel. One of recently. Williams Company, Transocean, Edison our current projects is to focus on strate- Mission Energy and an energy client in a gies to ensure that all communities in our Ellsworth: By the time you go to press, London arbitration involving a multibil- region can thrive and prosper. I also serve we will have added two corporate part- lion-dollar oil field in Iraq. I could go on as chair of the Youth Policy Council of ners, two litigation partners and a number and on, but as you can see from this short the Three Rivers Workforce Investment of associates. We have other conversa- list, our practice out of this office is truly Board, which disseminates federal money tions in progress and expect to see addi- national and global. to regional workforce development pro- tional growth at both the partner and grams. We’ve been doing a lot of strate- associate levels. We foresee tremendous Editor: I know coordination is very big gic thinking about how we can growth in the Pittsburgh legal market, at Jones Day and that one of the levels reconfigure those programs to better primarily driven by the developments in you focus on is the Midwest. Can you Please email the interviewee at [email protected] with questions about this interview. Volume 20, No. 7 © 2012 The Metropolitan Corporate Counsel, Inc. July/August 2012 tell us about that grouping of offices kind of growth. The global head of the Editor: Pittsburgh is famed for its edu- and how they cover the region? firm’s Business Litigation and Tort Prac- cational and research institutions. How tice, Mickey Pohl, is also here in Pitts- are they contributing to business Ellsworth: The Midwest offices that are burgh. prospects in terms of the workforce in greatest proximity to one another are and technology startups? Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Columbus. Editor: What are the key current pub- We’ve formed a Midwest initiative that lic and economic issues in developing Ellsworth: We have more than 15 educa- brings those offices together regularly to the Marcellus and Utica Shale? tional institutions in the region. I serve on talk about how we can work together to the board of the Magee-Womens advance the interests of companies that Ellsworth: The primary issue is to Research Institute and Foundation, one of are located in the Midwest region, which develop the shale in an environmentally the foremost women’s health research obviously extends beyond Pennsylvania responsible manner. In Pennsylvania, the institutes and a significant recipient of and Ohio. Many of these companies are industry and the administration are work- NIH funding for women’s health issues. manufacturers that, for the first time in ing collaboratively to make that a reality. The and their history, are participating in national At the state level, I see great potential for Carnegie Mellon University have devel- and global supply or distribution chains responsible growth in that industry, but oped very sophisticated tech transfer and thus need experienced counsel to there remains concern that the EPA will operations. There are also public/private achieve their growth potential. Jones Day create stumbling blocks to growth. Our and nonprofit organizations, such as has long operated seamlessly among its state agency, the Department of Environ- Innovation Works, that provide seed cap- offices around the globe, but we think mental Protection, is working actively in ital to provide guidance and administra- that focused thinking about how we can a very hands-on way with the companies tive, executive and training programs to provide even better service in a particular involved with the shale. Many national help startups. geographic region is good for our clients commentators who are knowledgeable in and good for us. the area have indicated that the natural Editor: Is there a lifestyle argument to gas supply here could be one of the most be made for Pittsburgh as a place to Editor: One key regional trend is the important energy sources for the United live and do business? energy renaissance. How is Jones Day States for the next 50 years or more, lead- addressing this growth? ing to a major energy renaissance for this Ellsworth: One of my other involve- region. We need to do it in an environ- ments as part of the Allegheny Confer- Ellsworth: For a long time, Jones Day mentally responsible manner that benefits ence is called the Emerging Leaders, has had a very strong energy practice the people of this region, but we need to whose purpose is to know, energize and based in Texas. Because we work so well be sure that we don’t unreasonably stifle organize people in their 30s who want to across offices, we were able to directly what could be the most significant single become community leaders. I am in awe apply the expertise developed in the Bar- economic driver of this region in a gener- of their energy, creativity and completely nett Shale in Texas to the Marcellus Shale ation. different approach to life and their vari- primarily in Pennsylvania and the Utica ous lifestyles – whether it’s having a 12- Shale primarily in Ohio. Recently, Shell Editor: Focusing on Pittsburgh, what minute commute or a fabulous renovated announced that it hopes to build a “crack- should out-of-town readers know loft or a five-acre farm that’s 15 minutes ing” facility just north of Pittsburgh, about the economy of Pittsburgh and away. There is tremendous energy flow- which is estimated to create more than western Pennsylvania? How fares the ing from the university community as 10,000 jobs in the region. The facility recovery? well as the wonderful arts community, would essentially take “wet gas” from the with theatre, a world-class orchestra, shale and extract other chemical con- Ellsworth: One of the things that’s great great ballet and some of the finest jazz stituents, leading to the rise of a local about Pittsburgh is that it never really suf- artists. It is a tremendously vibrant scene. petrochemical industry. Because the fered the kind of downturn that many We also have a great glassworks factory transportation cost of natural gas is one of other regions of the country experienced. in keeping with the glass heritage of this the most significant cost components of In part that’s because people here by-and- region. The Carnegie Museums are host- any gas supply, we expect that manufac- large live within their means. In addition, ing the , one of the turing companies will want to build sites care has been given to the growth and most significant arts internationals held in close to the source of the gas, resulting in diversification of the economy. We have the country. The Phipps Conservatory the buildup of substantial infrastructure tremendous world-class healthcare. We (one of the top horticultural organizations in this area. That is going to give rise to have a booming energy sector. We have a in the country), the and construction work, and the co-chair of wonderfully vibrant arts community. Peo- the Warhol Museum are all here. One of our global construction practice, Roy ple who arrive here from other regions of our aims is to attract people from other Powell, is resident in the Pittsburgh the country can’t believe how warm the cultures by providing a diverse commu- office. Sophisticated financing work will people are and are highly impressed by nity. An interesting statistic is that our so- also be required. We also have tremen- the quality of life, the ease of the com- called immigrant population is one of the dous expertise with the corporate, envi- mute, and the quality of the arts as well as most highly educated in the United ronmental and regulatory issues, as well the sports amenities. Pittsburgh is a real States. Fabulous professional life. Fabu- as the litigation that is involved with that jewel Ð to know it is to love it. lous lifestyle. What more could I ask for?