Jones Day has announced that Benjamin Mizer and Shirlethia Franklin, both formerly of the U.S. Department of Justice, have joined the global law firm in Washington, D.C.
Mr. Mizer joins the Issues & Appeals Practice as a partner, while Ms. Franklin joins the Firm as of counsel in its Business & Tort Litigation Practice.
Benjamin C. Mizer
Before joining Jones Day, Mr. Mizer was Acting Assistant Attorney General and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the U.S. Justice Department's Civil Division. As head of the Civil Division, he oversaw all litigation activity by more than 1,000 lawyers while managing the day-to-day operations of the Department's largest litigating component.
Mr. Mizer's experience in the Civil Division included defending congressional statutes and Executive Branch actions against constitutional and statutory challenges in both trial-level and appellate courts relating to a wide range of subject matters, including national security, financial reform, food and drug law, health care, immigration, and tort actions. He oversaw all civil financial fraud litigation under the False Claims Act; the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act (FIRREA); and other statutes; and supervised or participated in negotiating some of the largest financial settlements in the Department's history. He personally argued high-profile appeals related to President Obama's immigration policies.
Mr. Mizer served in other senior roles at DOJ, including as Counselor to the Attorney General, where he advised on trial and appellate civil litigation, cybersecurity, national security, CFIUS, immigration, civil rights, and antitrust matters. In addition, as a member of the senior legal team in the Office of Legal Counsel, he provided legal advice to the President, Attorney General, and Executive Branch agencies on constitutional questions and other issues of particular complexity or importance.
Before his service to the federal government, Mr. Mizer was the Solicitor General in the State of Ohio's Attorney General's Office. As Ohio's chief appellate litigator, he represented the State as counsel of record in hundreds of appeals and argued 17 cases, including three in the U.S. Supreme Court, three en banc in the Sixth Circuit, and 10 in the Ohio Supreme Court.
After law school, Mr. Mizer was a judicial clerk for Justice John Paul Stevens of the United States Supreme Court and for Judge Judith W. Rogers of U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. He was also an Associate Legal Officer at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and an associate in the appellate practice of an international law firm.
"Ben is an outstanding lawyer who has succeeded in every position and role he has chosen," said Kevyn Orr, Partner-in-Charge of Jones Day's Washington Office. "His track record as a litigator, his demonstrated dedication to his clients' interests, and his public sector experience make him a significant addition to Jones Day's Issues & Appeals Practice. We look forward to working with him and welcome him to the Firm."
Shirlethia V. Franklin
Ms. Franklin arrives at Jones Day from the Office of the United States Attorney General, where she served as Deputy Chief of Staff and Counselor. In this role, she was a principal advisor to then-Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch on significant law enforcement issues, complex civil litigation, and numerous domestic policy matters. She oversaw the DOJ's Environment and Natural Resources Division, advising and coordinating litigation strategy in high-profile environmental matters. She was responsible for leading and implementing strategic planning and crisis management response relating to key priorities, including police-community relations, reentry and recidivism reduction, violence reduction, and criminal and juvenile justice reform.
In addition, Ms. Franklin's experience at the DOJ includes serving as White House Liaison and also as Counselor to former Attorney General Eric H. Holder, where she worked as the primary liaison between the DOJ and various White House offices, and between the Attorney General and White House senior staff, senior-level government officials, and public and private sector stakeholders.
Ms. Franklin was appointed a White House Fellow by President Barack Obama's Commission on White House Fellowships, during which she served as the DOJ staff lead on the Presidential Task Force on Expanding National Service and led the federal interagency project team for the President's My Brother's Keeper initiative.
Prior to her public service, Ms. Franklin was a senior litigation associate in the Atlanta office of a multinational law firm, where she focused on product liability, medical malpractice, mass tort, toxic tort, class action, and other complex civil litigation, and served as senior associate and lead trial associate on class action and multi-plaintiff matters. She served as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Alexander Williams, Jr., United States District Court for the District of Maryland.
"We are extremely pleased that Shirlethia has joined us at Jones Day," said Mr. Orr. "She brings a combination of litigation experience and a substantial background in policymaking that will be a great resource for our clients here in Washington and throughout the world. She is an exceptional addition to our talented Business & Tort Litigation team, and we all look forward to her contributions both to our clients and the Firm."
Jones Day is a global law firm with more than 2,500 lawyers in 43 offices across five continents. The Firm is distinguished by: a singular tradition of client service; the mutual commitment to, and the seamless collaboration of, a true partnership; formidable legal talent across multiple disciplines and jurisdictions; and shared professional values that focus on client needs.