____________________________________________________________________________

San Francisco, CA (February 18, 2020) – Venable LLP is pleased to announce that Jill Battilega Rowe has joined the firm as a partner in the Commercial Litigation Practice in the San Francisco office. Ms. Rowe is an experienced business trial lawyer who focuses on commercial real estate and contract and fraud disputes.
Ms. Rowe has experience representing companies in a variety of industries, including nationally recognized real estate brokerage and investment firms, a leading pharmaceutical distributor, award-winning wineries, and the country’s largest petroleum pipeline owner. She previously worked as in-house counsel for Fidelity National Financial, where she handled mergers and acquisitions, employment, and general corporate matters.
James E. Nelson, partner-in-charge of the firm’s San Francisco office, said, “Our office’s commitment to smart growth in key practice areas, such as commercial litigation, has allowed us to steadily establish ourselves as one of the premiere law firms in the Bay Area. Clients across a wide range of industries seek Jill for her skill as an effective and zealous advocate on their behalf.Adding her to our deep bench of litigators is a natural step as we continue to grow our team.”
Geoffrey R. Garinther, chair of the firm’s Litigation Division, said, “Jill is a versatile litigator with a formidable track record in the courtroom. She consistently achieves favorable results on behalf of her clients, particularly in the realm of commercial real estate disputes. The creativity she brings to resolving these complex matters will be of immense value to our practice, both in San Francisco and on a national scale.”
Commenting on her move to Venable, Ms. Rowe said, “In addition to having an exceptional commercial litigation practice, Venable’s full roster of services will complement my practice and provide the resources needed to support complex cases across an assortment of industries. I look forward to joining the great community of attorneys at this firm and contributing to the growth of the San Francisco office.
Ms. Rowe received her J.D.,with honors, from the University of Washington School of Law in1998,and her B.A., summa cum laude, from the University of San Diego in1990.
###
Venable LLP is an American Lawyer Global 100 law firm headquartered in Washington, DC that serves as primary counsel to a worldwide clientele of large and mid-sized organizations, nonprofits, high-net-worth entrepreneurs, and other individuals. With more than 850 professionals across the country, including California, Delaware, Maryland, New York, Virginia, and Washington, DC, the firm strategically advances its clients’ objectives in the U.S. and around the globe. Venable, which is celebrating its 120 anniversary, advises clients on a broad range of business and regulatory law, legislative affairs, complex litigation, and the full range of intellectual property disciplines. For more information, please visit https://www.venable.com/.
LawFuel Headlines
- Deputy PM David Lammy’s Return to the LawFrom Global Diplomacy to Leaking Courthouses David Lammy has swapped the trappings of global diplomacy for the joys of leaking… Read more: Deputy PM David Lammy’s Return to the Law
- The Giorgio Armani Business Rules That Lawyers Could Learn FromWhat Lawyers Could Learn from Fashion’s Last Emperor Norma Harris, Contributing writer Giorgio Armani died last week at 91, still… Read more: The Giorgio Armani Business Rules That Lawyers Could Learn From
- Google’s $425 Million Trial Loss And Cooley’s Surprise Starring RoleThe Lawyers Who Took Google’s Billing Bonanza Tom Borman, LawFuel contributing editor Google has been whacked with a $425 million… Read more: Google’s $425 Million Trial Loss And Cooley’s Surprise Starring Role
- The Lawyer Who Worked 23 Hours a Day And the Billing Scam Everyone Knows AboutThe Law Firm Billing Myth Ben Thomson, LawFuel contributing editor The legal profession has always been fond of a long… Read more: The Lawyer Who Worked 23 Hours a Day And the Billing Scam Everyone Knows About
- Japan’s Biggest Publishers Just Sued Perplexity AI for $44mBezos-Backed Perplexity AI Accused of Free-Riding on Journalism Journalists aren’t thrilled about being turned into free training fodder for Silicon… Read more: Japan’s Biggest Publishers Just Sued Perplexity AI for $44m
- AI Is Smarter Than You—Until It Lies. Here’s How Your Firm Will Go Up in Flames If You Let ItGenerative AI is everywhere, but when lawyers used it, two ended up sanctioned for fake citations it’s time to cue the panic or – much better – privot to control and oversight of what your legal AI efforts are doing. Here we look at some of the key steps law firms should take to avoid the risks increasingly associated with generative AI tools.
- Lawyers Built This AI to Read Judges’ Minds — And BigLaw Is Already HookedAnd Now Legal AI That Sees Into the Judge’s Mind . . Almost Tom Borman, LawFuel contributing editor Every litigator… Read more: Lawyers Built This AI to Read Judges’ Minds — And BigLaw Is Already Hooked
- £65m Lifeline or Financial Casket? Pogust Goodhead’s Hedge-Driven Drama UnfoldsA Hedge Fund Lifeline – With Strings Attached Ben Thomson, LawFuel contributing editor Pogust Goodhead, the claimant firm spearheading the… Read more: £65m Lifeline or Financial Casket? Pogust Goodhead’s Hedge-Driven Drama Unfolds
- Harmeet Dhillon’s DOJ Shake-UpDhillon DOJ: A Purge or a Reset? Ben Thomson, LawFuel contributing editor The appointment of Harmeet Dhillon as the top… Read more: Harmeet Dhillon’s DOJ Shake-Up
- Burford Capital Isn’t Just Financing Suits Anymore; It’s Trying to Own the Firm TooBurford Capital the litigation finance behemoth wants not just to bankroll lawsuits but to buy stakes in actual U.S. law firms. The move isn’t your garden-variety PE play; it’s a direct challenge to the profession’s no-capital-external-to-the-firm orthodoxy. Burford, under the ever-quotable Jonathan Molot, (pictured above) told the Financial Times he is floating a structure ripped from healthcare and accounting playbooks: split a law firm into two entities, a lawyer-owned practice handling client work, and a Managed Service Organization (MSO) holding assets and providing back‑office muscle in exchange for a cut. It’s a classic “external capital without violating ethics rules.”
- AI Is Hiring and Firing – The Legal Jobs Recovery Nobody Asked ForFive Straight Months of Job Growth in Legal — But AI Is Replacing Your Paralegal Norma Harris, LawFuel contributing editor… Read more: AI Is Hiring and Firing – The Legal Jobs Recovery Nobody Asked For
- Am-Law A List – Who Climbed, Who Stalled?A-List 2025: Munger reigns, Jenner rockets, and who actually moved the needle The American Lawyer’s A-List isn’t about who shouts… Read more: Am-Law A List – Who Climbed, Who Stalled?
- Hot Summer Bonuses At BigLaw Conceal A SecretFollowing months of market uncertainty, the summer bonus season at BigLaw has exceeded expectations with Milbank’s announcing special bonuses ranging from $6,000 to $25,000 for associates, a cascade of firms has followed suit. But a new trend is also emerging in the way compensation is being handed to associates. While partners enjoy increased PEP rates with premium work, the competitive world of associate recruitment is seeing some major changes in the way law firms handle the compensation for their top performers at associate level. The summer bonus season is seeing that trend play out.