(November 14, 2005, Paris, France) – Reed Smith LLP, a top-25 international law firm has announced the opening of a Paris office and the election of four new French partners, including two high-profile attorneys Mathieu Rambaud and Benoit Charot from the leading Paris law firm, Rambaud Martel. Mathieu Rambaud is the grandson of his former firm’s founder and the son of its most recent managing partner.

“Securing a solid presence in Paris achieves an important objective for Reed Smith’s strategic growth,” said Gregory B. Jordan, Reed Smith’s firmwide Managing Partner. “Under the leadership of Mr. Rambaud and Mr. Charot, this office gives us a presence in a key European market from which to serve our expanding base of successful international businesses, many of whom conduct business in France. In particular, Paris gives us strong legs to further our banking, pharmaceutical and products work on an international level.”

The Paris office will operate under the name Reed Smith Rambaud Charot, a reflection of the firm’s desire to combine the traditional values of a French business law firm – such as versatility and personal partner-led service - with the significant benefits of the international capabilities provided through Reed Smith’s existing US, UK and European offices.

“We believe that as Reed Smith partners we can create a unique offering in Paris and provide clients with a clear choice: a truly French firm with deep local roots, backed up with the strengths and capabilities of a top international law firm,” said Mathieu Rambaud. “ We are relationship lawyers. Our clients demand nothing less. In Reed Smith we have found the combination of character and skills which we and our clients value so highly.”

Paris is Reed Smith’s fourth office across the Atlantic and the firm’s second to open on the European continent in 2005. The firm’s Munich office was launched in April.  In Reed Smith’s UK offices, the firm now numbers nearly 100 lawyers.

In addition to Rambaud and Charot, Marie Albertini and Philippe Lecler, two other former Rambaud Martel partners, have been named partners in the Paris office.  An initial group of six associates will round out the Paris team.

The new office will handle transactional work and litigation work leveraging the profile of Rambaud’s public and private M&A practice and Charot’s professional and industrial risk, asbestos litigation, product liability and commercial litigation, and white collar crime team.

The new partners and associates expand Reed Smith’s London-based team of exceptionally active, dedicated and successful French-speaking attorneys and paralegals headed by Peter Alfandary.  The firm has plans to further expand the Paris operation in 2006 by recruiting additional French lawyers committed to its cross-cultural approach.

”Paris is a market we know well,” said Mr. Alfandary. “It has its own very specific cultural values as do clients in France. The creation of a new firm with Mathieu and Benoit is not only a huge “coup” for Reed Smith, it is also an opportunity to offer the market something new and different – a truly French law firm with an international dimension.”

Reed Smith’s long standing connection with France and French clients is well known. The firm has a team of bilingual lawyers based in the UK, New York and Germany who are all highly experienced in advising French based companies and institutional clients. Instructions received from French corporations currently make up approximately 10% of the corporate and commercial work undertaken by Reed Smith’s UK offices.   In addition, Reed Smith has a large number of US-based clients with operations in France for whom it now can perform expanded and more diverse work.

According to Mr. Jordan, many factors pointed to Paris as the ideal location for the firm’s newest office. “Expansion in Paris is largely driven by the needs of clients in two of Reed Smith’s core practices: life sciences and financial services. Reed Smith’s significant life sciences clients are increasingly active in France and the capital of Paris also provides excellent opportunities for expanding the firm’s financial services practice.”

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Reed Smith LLP, a  top-25 international law firm with 1,000 lawyers located in offices throughout the United States and Europe, represents Fortune 100 as well as mid-market and emerging companies. Clients include financial services firms, life sciences companies, health care providers, technology companies and entrepreneurs, power generators and suppliers, manufacturers, universities, non-profit organizations, real estate developers, and municipalities throughout the United States and in 40 countries. For more information, visit www.reedsmith.com.