The publications’ annual award honors exceptional women lawyers, in-house leaders and general counsel who have demonstrated a commitment to empowering women in the legal profession and to implementing change.
“Janet is an indefatigable champion of women’s empowerment at Reed Smith. As a founding member of our Women’s Health Products Liability Group and our Diversity and Inclusion Committee, she has moved the needle for women lawyers and lawyers of color across our global platform,” said Sandy Thomas, Reed Smith’s Global Managing Partner. “We applaud Corporate Counsel and InsideCounsel for recognizing her influence and positive impact at Reed Smith and in the profession.”
Kwuon has been a practicing attorney for more than 30 years – including 17 years at Reed Smith, nine at Crosby Heafey, which combined with Reed Smith in 2003, and two as a prosecutor for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office, during which she handled more than 60 trials. Kwuon has a stellar national reputation as a trial lawyer and a strategist in “bet-the-company,” high-profile disputes with a particular focus on the healthcare and life sciences sectors.
“Reed Smith has provided me with many opportunities to serve in leadership roles that make a difference for women and other diverse lawyers in our firm,” said Kwuon. “I am grateful for the chance to help effect changes that have empowered others and changed their lives and our firm for the better.”
Kwuon frequently speaks to professional audiences on mentoring, implicit bias, and how diversity and inclusion impacts the nation’s legal and healthcare systems. In November, she is addressing the American Conference Institute’s Women Leaders in Life Sciences on Lessons on Perseverance, Overcoming Tough Career and Life Challenges and speaking at National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) on “Preparing the Next Generation of Asian-American Lawyers.”
In announcing the 2020 WIPL winners, Corporate Counsel noted the ‘Innovative Leader Awards’ recognize “women who are the thinkers, the idea women. Women who are looked at as the ones impacting change and developing new strategies for better solutions.” According to the publication, the WIPL Awards “shine a light on those women who have made a remarkable difference in the legal profession, with a particular focus on successful leadership through crisis. The ability to navigate their way through these turbulent times further highlights the achievements of innovative women leaders in law.”
Early in her career at Reed Smith, Kwuon became the firm’s first woman Managing Partner in Los Angeles. In each of her leadership roles since, she has leveraged her experience to advance the careers of women and other lawyers of color. Under her leadership last year, for instance, the Global Commercial Disputes Group doubled its number of women equity partners and significantly increased the Group’s revenue.
Her other efforts have included developing and advocating for policies and programming that support recruitment, retention, promotion, and full inclusion in leadership and decision-making roles firmwide. As a member of the firm’s Talent Committee since 2017, she has enhanced its recruitment process and helped communicate the value it places on mentoring to potential laterals and well as identifying new lawyers’ key capabilities and experiences.
Kwuon also played an instrumental role in the development and launch of the firm’s innovative True Up policy, which compensates part-time lawyers (often but not exclusively women returning from maternity leave) who work billable hours in excess of their reduced hours schedule up to 100% of their FTE. This recent innovation has had a positive economic impact on many women and minority lawyers and contributed to the improved retention of associates.
Kwuon is the second consecutive woman lawyer at Reed Smith to be honored by WIPL. IN 2019 Casey Ryan, the firm’s Global Head of Legal Personnel was named a WIPL “Woman Leader in Law.”
Kwuon and other 2020 WIPL award winners will be recognized via a virtual award event on October 28th.
About Reed Smith
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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.
