(November 13, 2012, Pittsburgh) – Reed Smith LLP, a leading international law firm, has been selected as one of the 2012 Working Mother & Flex-Time Lawyers Best Law Firms for Women.

“We are proud that Reed Smith has been ranked among the nation’s best law firms for women. From our managing partner to our junior associates, men and women are working together toward gender balance in leadership, compensation, promotion, flexibility, child care and leave policies,” said Kit Chaskin, Director of the Women’s Initiative Network at Reed Smith (WINRS). “Recognition like this proves that our efforts are paying off for all of our lawyers – not just women.”

According to Working Mother and Flex-Time Lawyers LLC, Reed Smith’s practices in the past year placed the firm “among the leaders of American law firms committed to implementing women-friendly workplaces.“

Reed Smith's more than 600 female lawyers across the globe now account for 20 percent of all equity partners, 22 percent of all fixed share partners, 43 percent of all counsel, and 56 percent of all associates. Women now also account for 37.5 percent of the firm's Executive, Compensation and Promotion Committee.

The achievements of the 2012 Best Law Firms for Women will be recognized at a Gala Awards Luncheon December 5 at Cipriani in New York City. Reed Smith and the other firms named to this year’s cohort will also be featured in the December/January issue of Working Mother magazine and at workingmother.com, as well as in Flex-Time Lawyers’ national listserve and website at flextimelawyers.com.

The “Best Law Firm for Women” honor is the third major award Reed Smith has received in 2012 in recognition of its women’s career advancement policies and programs.

In May, Reed Smith was chosen as one of the nation’s “Top Family Friendly Firms of 2012” by Yale Law Women. The firm was selected for the honor in recognition of its “leadership in developing and implementing family-friendly policies and practices.”

In June, for the second year in a row, Reed Smith qualified for the Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF) “Gold Standard Certification,” which certifies firms that meet stringent leadership, compensation and promotion requirements, rather than the policies or practices of the firm. Reed Smith is one of only two firms in the United States to meet all six of WILEF’s criteria for certification two years in a row.

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 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 and natural resources, real estate, manufacturing, and education. For more information, visit reedsmith.com.

U.S.: New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Princeton, Northern Virginia, Wilmington, Silicon Valley, Century City, Richmond

Europe: London, Paris, Munich, Greece

Middle East: Abu Dhabi, Dubai

Asia: Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore