This signature award, to be presented at The American Lawyer Industry Awards in December in New York, honors firms making the greatest impact to their clients, communities and the legal profession as a whole. Reed Smith is one of six finalists.
Reed Smith has also been named a finalist in three sub-categories of The American Lawyer Industry Awards:
- Best Law Firm-Client Team. Reed Smith transformed R&D contract management for Japan-based drug manufacturer Eisai. Transferring Eisai’s contract pipeline to Reed Smith’s customized extranet cut Eisai’s legal spend on R&D contracts, gave the drugmaker 24/7 transparency, and decreased contract turnaround time from 34 to 16 days.
- Best Business Team. Reed Smith’s Client Value Team earned recognition for its creative fee structures, and innovative systems to track and monitor legal matters. Also, the firm now runs nearly all of its matters through a Quick Pricing Tool, which enables lawyers to create budgets and clients to track costs.
- Legal Services Innovation. The firm was recognized for Gravity Stack, its subsidiary that offers a suite of legal analysis tools, which the firm launched in June 2018. Multifaceted solutions offered under Gravity Stack include: Collaboration, Contract Management, e-Discovery, and Project Coordination. Technology-driven innovations apart from Gravity Stack include Consent Tracker, the firm’s in-house contract risk analysis and consent app; RStart, its website providing free and automated legal documents to client start-ups; and a host of technology applications that improve communication among lawyers at the firm and between Reed Smith and its clients.
Reed Smith has also been at the vanguard within the legal industry in creating a firmwide wellness program, known as Wellness Works, that comprises stress management, work-life balance, healthy habits, and health mindfulness. This program also addresses mental health and substance abuse issues, providing training to personnel and helping the firm develop and maintain a supportive culture focused on these and other challenges. This year the firm was an inaugural signatory to the ABA Wellness Pledge.
In addition, Reed Smith has rolled out a new wave of enhancements in 2019 to its global Associate Life initiative, a forward-looking collection of programs, incentives and benefits that provide associates with a strong foundation of training, mentoring and work/life integration support as they grow their careers with the firm.
Furthermore, Reed Smith has continued to lead by example in its commitment to building a more diverse and inclusive legal profession by improving the hiring, retention and promotion of diverse attorneys within the firm. The firm expanded its Diversity and Inclusion program with the introduction of all-personnel business inclusion groups, which provides attorneys and administrative staff the opportunity to work together towards common professional goals, including the recruitment, development, mentorship, and retention of diverse personnel.
Additionally, Reed Smith has introduced several novel D&I initiatives including a reverse mentoring program, a protocol to spur diversity in RFPs, and diversity scorecards for practice group leaders and office managing partners. Collectively, these initiatives and the dedication of the firm’s attorneys and staff have contributed to Reed Smith being recognized as a law-firm leader on diversity and inclusion by the Financial Times, The Layer, the Metropolitan Corporate Counsel Association, and others.
Winners of The American Lawyer Industry Awards will be announced on December 4 in New York City.
At the event last year, the firm won the Global Legal Award for pro bono for its refugee protection project in the Middle East and was an Industry Award finalist for Legal Services Innovation, Best Use of Technology, and Best Law Firm Business Team.
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.