MAUREEN O'BRYON

1946 - 2021

O'BRYON MAUREEN ELIZABETH O'BRYON Maureen Elizabeth O'Bryon passed away peacefully surrounded by family at her home in Washington DC on October 16, 2021, after a nearly 10-year battle with lymphoma. Born on April 3, 1946, in Marshalltown, Iowa, Maureen was the daughter of Judge Robert M. O'Bryon and Ruth Bratzel O'Bryon. She received a bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa in 1968 where she met her husband John Rupp. After their marriage, they lived in New |Haven, Connecticut, where Maureen spent three years teaching high school while John was attending law school, and in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, where he clerked for a federal judge. The family, which then included two children, moved to Washington, DC in 1972 where Maureen enrolled at the Georgetown University Law Center, graduating near the top of her class in 1975 while raising two small children, a feat that required balancing and discipline - qualities that proved to be even more essential as she entered private practice in the fall of 1975. Maureen joined Hogan & Hartson as a partner in 1986, after having served previously as an associate and then a partner at Donovan Leisure Newton & Irvine. For most of her 30-year practice, Maureen specialized in antitrust law. She was involved in many high-profile cases, earning plaudits for her courtroom skills from state and federal judges, co-counsel and even opposing counsel. Maureen was a true trailblazer, participating and often leading trial teams in high-stakes courtroom litigation for major corporate clients, a role that previously had been an almost exclusively male domain. Aside from her substantial client work, Maureen was instrumental in shaping a generation of young antitrust litigators who benefited from here patient approach, wisdom, and grace under pressure. For many young lawyers, including but not limited to women, Maureen gladly acted as a trusted mentor and confident, believing those to be among her most important responsibilities. After retiring from Hogan & Hartson, Maureen divided her time between Washington, Paris and St. Lactencin, France. In addition to being a beloved and enthusiastic grandparent to three young boys, she was a devoted cinephile; voracious reader, particularly of mystery novels; an inveterate museum visitor; a NYT crossword puzzle solver par excellence; and a life-long collector of women's suffrage memorabilia. Following her retirement, Maureen welcomed family members and friends from many countries to share the history and conviviality of her primary home near the Loire Valley in France. Maureen is survived by John Rupp, her husband of 54 years, daughter Megan Rupp of Chevy Chase, Maryland, son Erin Rupp of Pacific Palisades, California, three grandsons, Joseph and John Bailey Butswinkas and Dashiell Rupp, her sister Kathleen O'Bryon Maier of Linthicum, Maryland, her brother Daniel O'Bryon of Independence, Iowa, and a host of much treasured nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. She was predeceased by her parents, her brother Kevin, her niece Christine Maier and her nephew Kenneth Kohn. Celebrations of Maureen's life will be arranged at times to be announced in the future in Washington, DC, and St. Lactencin, France. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Maureen's name can be directed to The National Center for Sexual Exploitation 1201 F Street, N.W., Suite 200, Washington, DC 20004; EMILY'S List (emilylist.org); or The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, 3 International Drive, Suite 200, Rye Brook, New York 10573.