Bureau of National Affairs
Encyclopedia
The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. — known as BNA — is an independent, privately owned publisher of specialized online and print news and information for professionals in business and government, headquartered in Arlington, Virginia
, USA. The company reports on legislation, regulations, court decisions and policy.
BNA publishes more than 350 daily, weekly, monthly, and up-to-the-minute news services, in topic areas that include corporate law and business, employee benefits, employment and labor law, environment, health and safety, health care, human resources, intellectual property, litigation, and tax and accounting. BNA’s research and data division offers custom research, data and document retrieval services.
BNA customers are attorneys; accountants and CPAs; lobbyists and policy experts; elected and administrative government officials; administrators and compliance officers in a wide range of industries; and many other decision-makers in the U.S. and abroad.
BNA was founded in 1929 by noted newsman David Lawrence
as a subsidiary of the United States Daily, now known as U.S. News & World Report
. Lawrence chose in 1946 to focus his energies on that other publication and sold BNA to five of his top editors Dean Dinwoodey
, John S. Stewart
, Ed Donnell, Adolph Magidson, and John Taylor. They in turn opened up ownership to the rest of their colleagues. To this day, ownership in BNA is open to employees and retirees only. Owned and operated exclusively by employees, it is the oldest wholly employee-owned company in the United States. In 2008, it is the only major legal publisher that remains American-owned. After more than 75 years based in Washington, DC’s West End, BNA moved five miles, to Arlington, Virginia, in September 2007.
In 2008, BNA offered more than 300 print and electronic information products to the legal and business markets. Completely free of advertising, those products are created by more than 600 Capitol Hill reporters and legal editors and a worldwide network of correspondents. BNA has seven subsidiary companies and a national sales network.
On August 25, 2011, Bloomberg L.P.
announced it would be purchasing BNA for an estimated $990 million. The transaction closed in late September 2011.
David Lawrence (publisher)
launches United States Daily.
1929
U.S. Patent, Trademark & Copyright Reports; BNA’s first publication launched March 4 (today called United States Patents Quarterly
).
1933
United States Daily folds in the aftermath of President Franklin Roosevelt’s "bank holiday
;" converts into a weekly. The United States News - Law Journal launched (later changed to U.S. Law Week).
1941 - Daily Report on Price and Production Controls begins in April; it is the only privately produced publication to receive an unlimited allocation of paper during World War II
.
1957
The National Labor Relations Board
certifies the American Newspaper Guild as the bargaining agent for BNA employees (BNA employees are now covered by the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild).
2011
Bloomberg L.P. announces intent to purchase BNA for an estimated $990 million.
Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The land that became Arlington was originally donated by Virginia to the United States government to form part of the new federal capital district. On February 27, 1801, the United States Congress organized the area as a subdivision of...
, USA. The company reports on legislation, regulations, court decisions and policy.
BNA publishes more than 350 daily, weekly, monthly, and up-to-the-minute news services, in topic areas that include corporate law and business, employee benefits, employment and labor law, environment, health and safety, health care, human resources, intellectual property, litigation, and tax and accounting. BNA’s research and data division offers custom research, data and document retrieval services.
BNA customers are attorneys; accountants and CPAs; lobbyists and policy experts; elected and administrative government officials; administrators and compliance officers in a wide range of industries; and many other decision-makers in the U.S. and abroad.
History
David Lawrence (publisher)
David Lawrence was a conservative newspaperman and former student of Woodrow Wilson at Princeton University. After his reelection as U.S...
as a subsidiary of the United States Daily, now known as U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
. Lawrence chose in 1946 to focus his energies on that other publication and sold BNA to five of his top editors Dean Dinwoodey
Dean Dinwoodey
Dean Dinwoodey was the first president and chairman of BNA and a noted intellectual property law scholar...
, John S. Stewart
John D. Stewart (journalist)
John D. Stewart was one of the founders of BNA , a consummate journalist, an expert in labor relations, and a champion of employee ownership....
, Ed Donnell, Adolph Magidson, and John Taylor. They in turn opened up ownership to the rest of their colleagues. To this day, ownership in BNA is open to employees and retirees only. Owned and operated exclusively by employees, it is the oldest wholly employee-owned company in the United States. In 2008, it is the only major legal publisher that remains American-owned. After more than 75 years based in Washington, DC’s West End, BNA moved five miles, to Arlington, Virginia, in September 2007.
In 2008, BNA offered more than 300 print and electronic information products to the legal and business markets. Completely free of advertising, those products are created by more than 600 Capitol Hill reporters and legal editors and a worldwide network of correspondents. BNA has seven subsidiary companies and a national sales network.
On August 25, 2011, Bloomberg L.P.
Bloomberg L.P.
Bloomberg L.P. is an American privately held financial software, media, and data company. Bloomberg makes up one third of the $16 billion global financial data market with estimated revenue of $6.9 billion. Bloomberg L.P...
announced it would be purchasing BNA for an estimated $990 million. The transaction closed in late September 2011.
Timeline
1926David Lawrence (publisher)
David Lawrence (publisher)
David Lawrence was a conservative newspaperman and former student of Woodrow Wilson at Princeton University. After his reelection as U.S...
launches United States Daily.
1929
U.S. Patent, Trademark & Copyright Reports; BNA’s first publication launched March 4 (today called United States Patents Quarterly
United States Patents Quarterly
The United States Patents Quarterly is a United States legal reporter published by the Bureau of National Affairs in Washington, D.C. The USPQ covers intellectual property cases including patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets, from 1913 to the present.The USPQ reports case law from...
).
1933
United States Daily folds in the aftermath of President Franklin Roosevelt’s "bank holiday
Emergency Banking Act
The Emergency Banking Act was an act of the United States Congress spearheaded by President Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression. It was passed on March 9, 1933...
;" converts into a weekly. The United States News - Law Journal launched (later changed to U.S. Law Week).
1941 - Daily Report on Price and Production Controls begins in April; it is the only privately produced publication to receive an unlimited allocation of paper during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
1957
The National Labor Relations Board
National Labor Relations Board
The National Labor Relations Board is an independent agency of the United States government charged with conducting elections for labor union representation and with investigating and remedying unfair labor practices. Unfair labor practices may involve union-related situations or instances of...
certifies the American Newspaper Guild as the bargaining agent for BNA employees (BNA employees are now covered by the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild).
2011
Bloomberg L.P. announces intent to purchase BNA for an estimated $990 million.
Corporate awards
- Working Mother 100 Best Companies
- FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For
- Washingtonian Great Places to Work in Washington, DC
- Business Ethics Award for Employee Ownership
Notable publications
- Daily Tax Report
- United States Patents QuarterlyUnited States Patents QuarterlyThe United States Patents Quarterly is a United States legal reporter published by the Bureau of National Affairs in Washington, D.C. The USPQ covers intellectual property cases including patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets, from 1913 to the present.The USPQ reports case law from...
. - United States Law Week.
- Proceedings of the National Academy of ArbitratorsNational Academy of ArbitratorsThe National Academy of Arbitrators is a not-for-profit 501 honorary and professional organization of labor arbitrators in the United States and Canada founded in 1947....
.
Subsidiary companies
- Institute of Management and Administration Inc. (IOMA)
- Kennedy Information Inc.
- The McArdle Printing Company Inc.
- STF Services Corporation (STF)
- Tax Management Inc.
- Pike & Fischer
- BNA International
- Llesiant