(Pittsburgh, June 6, 2011)-Pittsburgh-based partner Kevin Abbott, who leads Reed Smith's Marcellus Shale team, is one of only five Energy & Natural Resources attorneys who have been named to this year's Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list.
Mr. Abbott was recognized by this annual peer-reviewed survey for his more than 25 years of experience in the oil and gas industry and for his winning record representing natural gas exploration and production companies, interstate pipeline entities and energy utilities in high-stakes litigation. Abbott also leads the firm's core 14-lawyer team advising companies on issues related to exploration of the Marcellus Shale natural gas reserves in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and New York.
"Kevin's continuing leadership in this niche and overall energy litigation is exemplary," said Reed Smith Global Managing Partner, Greg Jordan. "He and our team have helped our clients meet the Marcellus Shale wave head-on."
The history of natural gas production in the eastern states dates back to 1859 (when the first well in the United States was drilled in Pennsylvania), and the firm has represented regional and international oil, gas and mining interests for more than a century.
Today, Kevin's team advises on the full gamut of issues raised by the Marcellus Shale, from litigation and state and federal regulatory compliance, to project finance, real estate, labor and employment, construction, insurance/ risk management, federal, state and local taxation, antitrust, and media relations.
"I and other partners on our team, such as Nicolle Bagnell, Ron Frank and Dwight Howes, are fortunate to have worked in oil and gas for a long time before the Marcellus Shale play began," says Mr. Abbott. "So we have great relationships and a fundamental understanding of the industry. Complicated issues that might be new to many lawyers, such as hydraulic fracturing, which has been safely used for decades, we've been familiar with for years."
A total of 109 Reed Smith attorneys are listed as 2011 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers in various practices. Candidates for the exclusive annual list are evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement. Over the years, a total of 68 of the firm's Energy & Natural Resources attorneys have been named to the list.
Firmwide, Reed Smith has more than 140 energy attorneys in the United States, Europe, Middle East and Asia.
About Reed Smith
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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