(Feb. 6, 2006, New York) -- Reed Smith LLP, a top-25 international law firm, has announced the addition of Wendy H. Schwartz as a partner in the Regulatory Litigation Group, resident in the firm’s New York office, effective Feb. 1.
Ms. Schwartz, formerly a partner at Becker, Glynn, Melamed & Muffly, LLP, New York, was also previously a Deputy Chief and Acting Chief in the Civil Division of the Southern District of New York U.S. Attorney’s Office. In January 2001, Ms. Schwartz was featured in The New York Lawyer as one of “Fifteen Lawyers Under 40 Shaping the Law for the 21st Century.”
“Wendy adds important trial experience to our Litigation Department and expands the opportunities for our white collar and regulatory defense practice in the New York area,” said W. Thomas McGough, head of Reed Smith’s Litigation Department. “She will allow us to grow our presence in New York in a number of areas, including the defense of government regulatory actions and other government-related matters. We welcome her to the Litigation Department and to Reed Smith.”
Ms. Schwartz’s forte includes complex business and government dispute resolution, which she is experienced in managing through all stages, from pre-litigation counseling and investigation, through trial and appeal, and arbitration and mediation. She has most recently been handling a wide range of business disputes, including securities, business torts, shareholder and partnership disputes, product liability, insurance, and theft of trade secrets and restrictive covenants, as well as internal and government investigations. Her experience spans many industry sectors within and outside of the United States, including financial services, technology and pharmaceutical manufacturers.
“I am excited about becoming a part of this vital, growing firm,” said Ms. Schwartz. ”Reed Smith provides me with a broad platform to expand my business and financial litigation practice, as well as an opportunity to go back to my roots and draw upon my great experience in the public sector, enabling me to provide counsel to the firm’s clients in all aspects of government and regulatory litigation.”
Ms. Schwartz served in the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York for eight years, where she was an Assistant U.S. Attorney, and a Deputy Chief and Acting Chief of the Division. In these roles, Ms. Schwartz handled and supervised district court and bankruptcy trials and Second Circuit appeals. Her responsibilities also included handling investigations and complex, often multi-party, settlements on behalf of dozens of federal agencies in a wide variety of civil and regulatory matters, including challenges to regulatory action, securities, health care, telecommunications, employment, environmental, tax, bankruptcy and foreign policy matters. Her government work garnered numerous commendations and awards, including a Department of Justice Director’s Award for Superior Performance in Civil Enforcement.
“Ms. Schwartz’s experience as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York will be a significant asset for this office,” said David Grimes, Reed Smith’s New York Managing Partner. “We expect to be able to support her interests in and her ability to take on a wider range of both financial services and government-related litigation. She is a welcome addition to our highly qualified and growing cadre of professionals.”
A 1990 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Law, Ms. Schwartz was an associate at Proskauer Rose and a law clerk to the Honorable Judith S. Kaye, Chief Judge for the Court of Appeals of the State of New York prior to joining the U.S. Attorney's Office. She had been at Becker, Glynn, Melamed & Muffly since April 2003.
Ms. Schwartz is admitted to practice in New York and Connecticut, and is a member of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, where she serves on the Federal Courts Committee. She is also a member of the Federal Bar Council, the American Bar Association (Litigation Section), and the New York Women's Bar Association. She has served as a Volunteer Mediator for the Second Circuit's CAMP Program, and has lectured on various aspects of federal practice.
Reed Smith Litigation
The Reed Smith Litigation Department represents the world’s leading companies across most industry sectors in local, regional, national and international disputes. Comprising approximately 500 attorneys, the Department handles all phases of litigation—from pre-suit risk management and dispute resolution, through court trials, formal proceedings before other international and administrative tribunals, and appellate review.
Its dual organization—into firmwide industry/ practice groups and local market trial groups—allows Reed Smith to provide both sophisticated litigation support required in complex cases, as well as the jurisdictional insights that make a significant difference in high-stakes and routine matters. The firm’s litigators routinely serve as lead counsel in complex multi-jurisdictional and cross-border actions, including those involving industry-threatening claims in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and France. With linguistic capabilities that include French and Japanese litigation teams, the Department maintains an extensive network of local counsel across the United States and around the world.
About Reed Smith
Reed Smith LLP is a top-25 international law firm with 1,000 lawyers located in 18 cities worldwide (14 in the United States and four in Europe). The firm represents clients ranging from Fortune 100 companies to 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, real estate companies, universities, and non-profit organizations throughout the world. For more information, visit www.reedsmith.com.