(January 12, 2009, Pittsburgh, PA) – W. Thomas McGough, Jr., a partner in the Litigation Department at Reed Smith LLP, one of the 15 largest law firms in the world, has been named one of 2009’s six top “Lawyers of the Year” in Pittsburgh by the Best Lawyers guide. The announcement of his selection as “Pittsburgh Best Lawyers Bet-the-Company Litigation Lawyer of the Year” was made today.
This is the inaugural year for the Pittsburgh “Lawyers of the Year” awards.
“It’s no surprise to us that Tom took top honors the first time such a selection was made,” said George L. Stewart, Managing Partner of Reed Smith’s Pittsburgh office. “Tom has been an integral part of the Reed Smith family for decades and is a gifted and incredibly talented lawyer who is valued both by his colleagues and his clients. We congratulate him on earning this well-deserved honor.”
Mr. McGough's litigation practice is exceptionally diverse, mixing the usual--if high stakes--business disputes with cases involving alleged white collar crime, intellectual property, and the First Amendment. He recently won favorable jury verdicts in a public corruption case and in a patent case, and successfully defended before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court a reporter's right to refuse to disclose confidential sources. He has been named a fellow in both the American College of Trial Lawyers and the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers.
Mr. McGough served as a former law clerk to Supreme Court Justice William H. Rehnquist and a former federal prosecutor. From 1997 through 2006, Tom served as head of the Reed Smith’s Litigation Department and as a member of the firm’s Senior Management Team; he currently serves on the firm's Executive Committee.
According to Steven W. Naifeh, Managing Editor of Best Lawyers, Mr. McGough’s selection was based on the Reed Smith partner’s consistently high level of recognition from other local attorneys active in bet-the-company litigations. “His peers in Pittsburgh and other best lawyers in this specialty consistently rated Tom at the top of this field,” said Mr. Naifeh.
Since 1991, Mr. McGough has been listed in Best Lawyers in America. He is cited in the latest edition as a leading practitioner in Bet-the-Company Litigation, White Collar Criminal Defense, Commercial Litigation, First Amendment Law, and Appellate Law. Chambers USA 2007 and 2008 also recognized him as one of America's leading lawyers in litigation, white-collar crime and government investigations. Mr. McGough was also named to the 2009 BTI Client Service All Stars, an honor bestowed on fewer than 200 lawyers in the United States.
"I practice every day with and against some of the best lawyers in the country. To be singled out by them in this way is an exceptional and unexpected honor,” said Mr. McGough. “In the end, though, it's the team at Reed Smith that wins these bets for our clients."
Mr. McGough is a 1978 graduate of the University of Virginia Law School, where he presently serves as a Visiting Professor, teaching short courses on White Collar Crime. In 2007, he was honored with the Shaw's Lion Award given annually by Reed Smith to the firm’s most outstanding lawyer and he received the Allegheny County Bar Association’s Pro Bono Award in recognition of his attention to the legal needs of the County’s indigent citizens.
About Reed Smith
Reed Smith is a global relationship law firm with more than 1,700 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 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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