Leading national employment, whistleblower, and civil rights law firm Katz, Marshall & Banks, LLP has changed its name to Katz Banks Kumin LLP with the elevation of Avi Kumin to name partner. In addition, firm partner Alexis Ronickher has been named to the firm’s Executive Committee. 

The name change, which coincides with the firm’s move last month to its new Washington, D.C., office at 11 Dupont Circle, recognizes Kumin’s history and successes with the firm since joining at the firm’s founding in 2006, as well as his leadership in the legal community. 

“We are thrilled to recognize Avi’s contributions to our firm over the last 16 years by adding him to our partnership as a name partner. I am also thrilled to have Alexis join our leadership team as a member of our Executive Committee,” said firm Co-Founding Partner Debra S. Katz. “They are both such excellent attorneys and colleagues, and I could not be more pleased to have them as my law partners. We look forward to tremendous success as Katz Banks Kumin continues to serve our clients in the areas of whistleblower law, employment law, sexual harassment law, and civil rights and civil liberties matters.”   

Firm Co-Founding Partner Lisa J. Banks added, “Avi has been a champion of employees and their legal rights and has been consistently recognized as one of the top employment lawyers in the Washington, D.C., area. We believe our firm’s new leadership team that includes Avi, as well as Alexis as a member of our Executive Committee, positions us very strongly to advance our deep commitment to workplace and civil rights.” 

Kumin said, “It is an honor to join with Debbie and Lisa to help lead Katz Banks Kumin into its next chapter as a leading whistleblower and employment firm dedicated to helping vindicate crucial rights to fairness, equality, and justice for our clients.” 

Ronickher added, “For 14 years, I’ve had the honor of working under the leadership of Debbie, Lisa, and Avi, as they built a firm that doggedly fights for workplace justice. As we enter this new era for the firm, I am excited and grateful to have the opportunity to play a leadership role at such a great firm as Katz Banks Kumin.” 

With more than 20 years of experience successfully advising employees about their legal rights, resolving difficult situations with employers, and litigating employment claims in court, Kumin practices in the areas of whistleblower protection, sexual harassment, sexual assault, Family and Medical Leave Act, disability, discrimination, retaliation, severance negotiations, contractual disputes, and other areas of employment law. He also represents employees in filing whistleblower reward tips with the federal government, such as False Claims Act (qui tam) lawsuits and award tips submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). 

Kumin serves on both the executive board and board of directors of the Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association (MWELA). He also has lectured frequently before legal and employee and labor groups about whistleblower retaliation claims, sexual harassment, discrimination, family medical leave, retaliation, religious harassment, wrongful discharge, equal pay laws, legal ethics, employee severance issues, SEC/IRS whistleblower tip awards, counterclaim defense, and litigation practice. Kumin received his J.D. from Yale Law School and his Bachelor of Arts from Brandeis University.  

For 14 years, Ronickher has represented clients in complex, often high-profile, employment and whistleblower matters, including whistleblower retaliation, sexual harassment, and civil rights discrimination and retaliation matters. As part of her whistleblower practice, she represents clients pursuing qui tam claims and whistleblower tips through the SEC and other federal whistleblower reward programs. Ronickher has been repeatedly recognized nationally as a top employment lawyer and frequently speaks and writes about employment and whistleblower law. She also serves on the board of directors of MWELA. She received her J.D. from Stanford Law School and her Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Santa Barbara.