(May 16, 2011, Princeton, NJ) - Reed Smith LLP today announced the return of former New Jersey Deputy Attorney General James E. McGuire to its Princeton office. Mr. McGuire will be counsel in the firm's Corporate & Securities Group practicing in the area of energy-related transactions. Mr. McGuire will also be part of Reed Smith's 60-lawyer Power Project team, an interdisciplinary group of attorneys focused on the development of energy projects throughout the world.

Mr. McGuire was counsel and a senior associate at Reed Smith from 1997 to 2004, before joining the New Jersey Department of Human Services as Special Deputy Commissioner for Legal, Policy and Legislative Affairs. Previously he served with the New Jersey Department of the Public Advocate as an ombudsman, mediator and utility attorney from 1974 to 1994. Mr. McGuire has practiced in the area of public utility and energy law for the past 20 years. Since June 2007, he has advised the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities on clean energy matters, including solar renewable energy credits, net metering, offshore wind programs, combined heat and power projects, and innovative technology projects.

"Jim's return could not be better timed, given the current solar energy market and offshore wind development in New Jersey, and the overall growth of renewable energy project development in the United States," said Paul Jaskot, chair of the firm's Corporate & Securities Group. "He brings unmatched experience in this field, as well as extensive contacts within government and industry circles in a state that's at the forefront of clean energy development. Jim's work laying the policy groundwork will be of tremendous value to our already large and very active energy practice in our Princeton office and our clients throughout this sector."

In Mr. McGuire's previous stint at Reed Smith, he concentrated his practice on public utility law and environmental law and regulation, encompassing regulatory matters before the NJ Board of Public Utilities, the NJ Department of Environmental Protection and other regulatory agencies. While at Reed Smith, he represented a coalition of large commercial utility customers in proceeding before the Board of Public Utilities to deregulate New Jersey's electric public utilities.

"I have a real sense of returning home in rejoining Reed Smith's Princeton office," Mr. McGuire said. "I am particularly excited about the opportunities to help our clients develop renewable energy projects after spending the past four years working to encourage such development through policy development and regulatory work. Coming back will allow me to take the next logical step where I can facilitate the actual implementation of innovative wind, solar and other clean energy projects that will keep New Jersey as a current leader in this still-emerging sector."

A 1993 graduate of Seton Hall University School of Law, Mr. McGuire earned an M.S. in Environmental Law, magna cum laude, from Vermont Law School in 1996 and is a 1973 graduate of Lafayette College. He served as an Associated Mediator at Harvard Law School's Program on Negotiation from 1984 to 1991 in connection with his work to establish and direct the New Jersey Center for Public Dispute Resolution.

"Jim is well-positioned to become the go-to attorney for solar, offshore wind and other clean energy projects being developed in New Jersey and across the nation," said Nanette Mantell, Reed Smith's Princeton office managing partner. "When clients need the state's approval, he's the one who knows the ropes and can get the job done. He also brings us well-honed negotiation skills and a depth of knowledge about our state's public sector that will serve him well in navigating the complex environment in which deals are made today."

Reed Smith is a global relationship law firm with more than 1,600 lawyers in 22 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 trade and commodities, real estate, manufacturing, and education. For more information, visit reedsmith.com.

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