(August 22, 2012, Pittsburgh, PA) – Dusty Elias Kirk, Head of the firmwide Real Estate Group at Reed Smith LLP, was named one of 2012’s “Women of Influence” today by Real Estate Forum, the leading national publication of the commercial real estate industry.
“We congratulate Dusty on her selection as one of the top women in real estate law,” said Gregory B. Jordan, Reed Smith’s Global Managing Partner. “Dusty is a strong leader in economic development initiatives for civic and charitable organizations and she works tirelessly on behalf of women in professional associations, law firms and political organizations. Businesses, communities and public officials consistently depend on her skills and knowledge in complex, challenging and high stakes real estate deals. At Reed Smith’s she’s a dynamic leader, managing the expansion of our real estate practice to serve multinational clients around the world.”
Ms. Kirk concentrates her practice on all aspects of real estate development, with an emphasis on real estate litigation, including tax assessment appeals, land use and zoning appeals and eminent domain proceedings.
“I am honored to have been selected for this prestigious award,” said Ms. Kirk. “It is a great time for women in this area of practice: our flexibility, willingness to compromise and dedication to finding creative, lasting solutions are providing us with broader, more influential and higher profile roles in real estate and real estate law. I am pleased to serve in a position at Reed Smith -- a leading international law firm -- where I can contribute to and influence this important trend.”
Ms. Kirk’s Woman of Influence recognition follows other recent accolades for her work. In the past year, she was selected by her peers and clients, for the fifth consecutive year, as a Best Lawyer in America, and she earned similar recognition as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer in the area of Real Estate Law. Ms. Kirk was also named a 2011 Woman of Achievement Honoree by Pittsburgh’s Celebrate & Share as a result of her significant accomplishments in and contributions to the Greater Pittsburgh Area.
A 1979 graduate of Dickinson School of Law at Pennsylvania State University, Ms. Kirk is a member of the Board of the Allegheny Regional Asset District and Secretary of the Board of Winchester Thurston School; Past President of the Board of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation of Western Pennsylvania; and a Past Board Chair of Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania. She has served as a member of the Board of Governors and Chair of the Council for the Real Property Section of the Allegheny County Bar Association and as a Disciplinary Board Hearing Officer of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. She is legal counsel to the Allegheny County Transportation Partnership; and is a member of the Women in the Profession Committee of the Pennsylvania Bar Association.
According to Sule Aygoren, editor of Real Estate Forum, hundreds of candidates were nominated for the prestigious 2012 Woman of Influence award. “We salute the winners, who are truly the best of the best,” said Ms. Aygoren.
Real Estate Forum is published by the Real Estate Media Group of ALM, an integrated media company that provides specialized business news, research and information focused primarily on the legal services industry and commercial real estate.
About Reed Smith
Reed Smith is a global relationship law firm with nearly 1,700 lawyers in 23 offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Founded in 1877, the firm represents leading international businesses, from Fortune 100 corporations to mid-market and emerging enterprises. Its lawyers provide litigation and other dispute resolution services in multi-jurisdictional and other high-stakes matters; deliver regulatory counsel; and execute the full range of strategic domestic and cross-border transactions. Reed Smith is a preeminent advisor to industries including financial services, life sciences, health care, advertising, technology and media, shipping, energy and natural resources, real estate, manufacturing, and education. For more information, visit reedsmith.com.
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