The New York Business Journal has named its second class of honorees for its Women of Influence Awards, and Reed Smith's Jayne Fleming and Sandra Poe made the cut.

Jayne inspires clients, colleagues, and students through her passion for social justice. What makes her worthy of being named a 2016 “Woman of Influence” are her unwavering commitments to social justice, and her track record as a brilliant legal advocate for those who are often denied a voice in our legal system: refugees, torture survivors, those fleeing domestic violence, incest survivors, and victims of rape. Jayne has not only achieved victories for her clients, but also established appellate precedent that has, and will continue to, help others. Her favored approach is to engage the resources of the world’s most talented to help the world’s most vulnerable. It is at this intersection of strength and vulnerability that she finds her legal vision.

Throughout her successful legal career, Sandra has demonstrated a deep dedication to pro bono and charitable causes benefitting women, and has spearheaded a number of initiatives with the goal of the empowerment and advancement of women within the business community. Her most notable and significant contribution is the establishment of High Water Women, a not-for-profit organization she co-founded in 2005. High Water Women (HWW) was launched as a financial initiative to advance the economic empowerment of women and youth through volunteer work. The name “High Water Women” derives from the “high water” mark – a hedge fund industry measurement that spurs hedge funds to continuously achieve greater gains and outperform previous topline results. As such, Sandra and HWW actively challenge and encourage members to produce significant and sustainable improvements that surpass previously met objectives.

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