With the Trailblazer accolade, The Legal Intelligencer spotlights a handful of individuals who have made significant marks in their field of law and are agents of change.
Luke Debevec is an insurance recovery partner in the firm’s Philadelphia office, where he represents policyholders nationally and internationally. Luke recently helped secure a precedential opinion from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Sapa Extrusions, Inc. v. Liberty Mutual Insurance Co., in which the court agreed a manufacturer may have coverage for unintended harm arising from alleged faulty workmanship.
Luke has taken on pro bono work for the Philadelphia Name Change Project, helping people change their names to reflect their gender identity. He is leading a pending challenge to a Pennsylvania law that bars convicted felons from changing their names.
Luke frequently speaks and writes in support of the inclusion of persons with disabilities within and outside the legal profession. He co-founded and leads LEADRS (Looking for Excellence and Advancement of Persons with Disability at Reed Smith), Reed Smith’s disability inclusion business group that includes more than 60 members. He began self-identifying as a person with a disability after being diagnosed with epilepsy, less than one year before the firm promoted him to partner in fall 2013.
Casey Ryan maintains a full-time labor and employment practice with a focus on higher education, and she is the firm’s global head of legal personnel. Casey is on the firm’s senior management team and is a member of all seven of Reed Smith’s diversity and inclusion groups.
Casey manages the firm’s Associate Life program, designed to prepare early-career lawyers for advancement and leadership roles. Innovations under the Associate Life program include: a mobile app for ongoing performance feedback from more senior lawyers; an enhanced billable-hours “credit” policy for learning and development and for pro bono and innovation projects; a ramp-up hours policy following return from leaves of absence; and reverse mentoring between junior and senior attorneys.
Reed Smith is widely recognized for its innovation, leadership and mentoring, having received top honors from The American Lawyer, Legal Week, Financial Times, The Lawyer, and others.
Read the Legal Intelligencer’s profiles of Luke and Casey in its 2019 Pennsylvania Trailblazers report.
About Reed Smith
Reed Smith is a dynamic international law firm dedicated to helping clients move their businesses forward. Our belief is that by delivering smarter and more creative legal services, we will not only enrich our clients’ experiences with us, but also support them in achieving their business goals.
Our long-standing relationships, international outlook, and collaborative structure make us the go-to partner for the speedy resolution of complex disputes, transactions, and regulatory matters.
For further information, please visit reedsmith.com.
