The practice groups and attorneys of Reed Smith LLP have again earned high rankings by Chambers and Partners. The results were announced recently in the publication's 2011 USA edition, which ranks the nation's law firms and lawyers based on client and peer reviews and practice-focused research.
Twenty-five of Reed Smith's practice groups were singled out for recognition this year, as were 68 of its attorneys, including seven named in more than one practice specialty.
Practice group rankings for the firm included Band 1 rankings for Insurance and Dispute Resolution (Illinois); Banking & Finance (Pennsylvania); Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Pennsylvania); and Real Estate: Northern Virginia (Virginia).
Bill Thomas, a partner in the firm's Northern Virginia Real Estate: Zoning and Land Use Practice, was awarded the coveted "Star" ranking for the year.
Other practice group rankings included:
- Band 2 - Litigation: Insurance: Dispute Resolution: Policyholder (Nationwide); Litigation: Appellate (California); Healthcare (District of Columbia); Healthcare (New Jersey), and Labor & Employment (Pennsylvania).
- Band 3 - Advertising: Transactional & Regulatory (Nationwide); Products Liability & Mass Torts (Nationwide); Healthcare (Nationwide); Insurance: Policyholder (California); Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Delaware); Corporate/M&A & Private Equity (New Jersey); Insurance: Dispute Resolution: Policyholder (New York); Antitrust (Pennsylvania); Corporate/M&A & Private Equity (Pennsylvania); Intellectual Property (Pennsylvania); Litigation: General Commercial (Pennsylvania); and, Construction (Virginia).
- Band 4 - Life Sciences (Nationwide); Banking & Finance (Illinois); and, Corporate/M&A & Private Equity (Illinois).
- Band 5 - Litigation: General Commercial (Illinois).
Of the firm's fifteen lawyers earning Band 1 honors, four achieved nationwide recognition, including Douglas J. Wood for Advertising: Transaction & Regulatory; Elizabeth Carder-Thompson for Healthcare: Regulatory and Litigation; John S. Vishneski for Insurance: Dispute Resolution: Policyholder; and, C. Jonathan Benner for Transportation: Shipping: Regulatory (outside New York).
Those named to Band 1 regionally included Kurt Gwynne, Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Delaware); Elizabeth Carder-Thompson, Healthcare (District of Columbia); Bradley Schmarak, Corporate/M&A & Private Equity (Illinois); John S. Vishneski, Insurance: Dispute Resolution (Illinois); and Murray J. Klein, Healthcare (New Jersey).
Reed Smith's 2011's regional Band 1 attorneys also include six in Pennsylvania: James S. Lawlor, Banking & Finance; Lisa D. Kabnick, Banking & Finance; Leonard A. Bernstein, Banking & Finance: Mostly Regulatory; Michael E. Bleier, Banking & Finance: Mostly Regulatory; Paul Singer, Bankruptcy/Restructuring, and, Claudia Springer, Bankruptcy/Restructuring.
The firm's 27 Band 2 attorneys include three ranked for their nationwide practices: David Halbreich, Insurance: Dispute Resolution: Policyholder; John Shugrue, Insurance: Dispute Resolution: Policyholder; and, Michael K. Brown, Products Liability & Mass Torts.
Reed Smith is also represented in Band 2 by 12 attorneys from Pennsylvania, including Daniel I. Booker, Antitrust; Peter Clark, Bankruptcy/Restructuring; Eric Schaffer, Bankruptcy/Restructuring; Louis Naugle, Environment; Frederick Colen, Intellectual Property; John N. Ellison, Litigation: General Commercial; and Thomas H. Suddath, Jr., Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations. The firm's Band 2 cohort also included Pennsylvania Labor & Employment Group members Eugene Connors, Karl Fritton, Martha Hartle Munsch; and, William Bevan III; as well as by John D. Martini, Labor & Employment: Employment Benefits & Compensation.
Other attorneys ranked in Band 2 include Carole Loepere, Healthcare (District of Columbia); Thomas Fox, Healthcare (District of Columbia); Margaret Grignon, Litigation: Appellate (California); Frank D. Ballantine, Corporate/M&A & Private Equity (Illinois); Carolyn Rosenberg, Insurance: Dispute Resolution (Illinois); John Shugrue, Insurance: Dispute Resolution (Illinois); and Diane M. Frenier, Corporate: M&A (New Jersey).
Band 2 is rounded out by four lawyers in the firm's Virginia Real Estate Group: James C. Brennan, Real Estate: Northern Virginia; and Benjamin F. Tompkins, J. Howard Middleton, Jr., and Michael A. Banzhaf in Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use: Northern Virginia.
The 20 Reed Smith attorneys in Band 3 for 2011 include four recognized for their nationwide practices: Diane Green-Kelly (Franchising: Mainly Franchisee); Michael T. Scott (Products Liability & Mass Torts); Diane M. Frenier (Life Sciences: Corporate/Commercial); and, Patrick E. Bradley (Transportation: Aviation: Litigation). Others in Band 3 include Michael Sanders in Corporate/M&A: Southern California and Life Sciences: Corporate/Commercial (California); Gary Thompson, Insurance: Policyholder (District of Columbia); Debra D. Yogodzinski, Real Estate (District of Columbia); and Ed Rogers, Real Estate (District of Columbia).
Band 3 also includes four Reed Smith lawyers in the firm's Insurance: Dispute Resolution Practice (Illinois), including James M. Davis; Paul R. Walker-Bright; Stanley Nardoni; and Thomas Marrinson; two in the Insurance: Dispute Resolution Group: Policyholder Group (New York), including Ann Kramer and Paul Evan Breene; and, two from Pennsylvania, including William McNichol, Intellectual Property, and , Michael T. Scott, Litigation: General Commercial.
Other attorneys in the firm rated in Band 3 are Thomas R. Folk, Construction (Virginia); and three in its Real Estate: Northern Virginia Practice Group -- Benjamin F. Tompkins, Karen Fagelson, and Robert Diamond.
Rated in Band 4 for 2011 are Colleen Davies, Products Liability & Mass Torts (Nationwide); Kurt Peterson, Healthcare (California), Linda S. Husar, Labor & Employment (California); Richard Robinson, Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Delaware); Joel Schaider, Banking & Finance (Illinois); Stephen Bobo, Bankruptcy/ Restructuring (Illinois); Seth M. Hemming, Corporate/M&A (Illinois); and Casey Ryan, Labor & Employment (Pennsylvania).
Two attorneys of the firm are recognized in Band 5 Nationwide in Products Liability & Mass Torts -- Ginger Pigott and Janet Kwuon.
Named "Up and Coming" attorneys for 2011 are Reed Smith's Susan C. Alker, Banking & Finance (California) and Michael P. Lee, Corporate M&A (Illinois).
According to Chambers, the qualities on which it assesses attorneys include technical legal ability, professional conduct, client service, commercial astuteness, diligence, commitment, and other qualities most valued by the client. Link to all Reed Smith 2011 Chambers rankings online.
About Reed Smith
Reed Smith is a global relationship law firm with more than 1,600 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 trade and commodities, real estate, manufacturing, and education. For more information, visit reedsmith.com.
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