Reed Smith Captures Premier Thelen L&E Team
Publication Date: November 19, 2008
Group Brings Additional High Level Litigation Capability and Management Experience
(Nov. 19, 2008, Los Angeles) – Reed Smith LLP, one of the 15 largest law firms in the world, has acquired a preeminent labor and employment law practice from Thelen LLP, led by Linda Husar and Thomas Hill. The highly coveted group, which has long represented many of the largest employers in California and the United States, includes five partners and four associates.
At Thelen, Ms. Husar was the National Chair of the firm’s Labor & Employment Practice Group and was recognized in Chambers USA America's Leading Lawyers as a leader in the field of labor and employment law. Mr. Hill was Thelen’s firmwide Managing Partner of Operations and the Managing Partner of the firm’s Los Angeles office.
In addition to Ms. Husar and Mr. Hill, the partners who will be joining Reed Smith include Deborah Broyles, Remy Kessler and Steven Katz. Ms. Broyles was the National Chair of Thelen’s Diversity Committee, and was recently named one of the “most influential” women in California by the California Diversity Council. Mr. Kessler and Mr. Katz both have more than 20 years of employment law experience, and Mr. Katz is also a certified appellate specialist. Ms. Husar and Messrs. Hill, Kessler and Katz will join Reed Smith’s Los Angeles office, while Ms. Broyles will lead the group’s practice in San Francisco.
The Hill/Husar practice team has great depth of experience in defending complex class action and other high-stakes employment litigation, and in managing large multi-state retention engagements. Mr. Hill and Mr. Katz have been counsel of record in some of the most important wage-and-hour cases yet decided by the California appellate courts.
“We are very fortunate to have landed this high caliber group of labor and employment lawyers. They provide us even greater strength and depth in the defense of high-stakes employment litigation, including class actions,” said Kurt Peterson, a Los Angeles-based partner and member of Reed Smith’s Executive Committee. “This practice very much complements the complex litigation and class-action capabilities of our California and other offices.”
According to Ms. Husar, Reed Smith’s commitment to client service sealed the deal. “We were of course tremendously impressed with the firm and its culture, as well as with its successful growth over the past several years,” Ms. Husar said. “But the key factor was Reed Smith’s reputation for and commitment to excellence in client service. We needed to find a great home for our great clients, and we’re confident we did so.”
Associates on the new team include Christine Kohler, Marytza Reyes, Aundrea Newsome and Stephanie Henderson.
Along with other recent lateral additions in California, the Hill/Husar/Broyles group satisfies a strategic goal for Reed Smith. “Doing business in California often presents cutting-edge issues for employers, and, as a result, the state is a hotbed for significant employment litigation and disputes. We are delighted to welcome this team that will clearly strengthen our capabilities on the West Coast,” said Jack Nelson, a Silicon Valley-based partner and Vice Chair of Reed Smith’s Commercial Litigation Practice. “They will provide a valuable resource to support the firm’s growing transactional practices in both San Francisco and our new Silicon Valley office.”
About Reed Smith
Reed Smith is a global relationship law firm with more than 1,700 lawyers in 24 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 attorneys provide litigation services in multi-jurisdictional matters and other high-stake disputes, 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 and media, shipping, international trade and commodities, real estate, manufacturing, and education. For more information, visit reedsmith.com
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