Dr. Madeline Boyer has joined the firm as director of the new Innovation Lab. Dr. Boyer, who previously managed the Innovation Lab at KPMG, has significant experience combining human-centered design methods and culture-based research with data-driven strategies.
“Our new Innovation Lab will serve as both a business consulting unit and diagnostic testing ground,” said David Cunningham, Reed Smith’s chief innovation officer, who joined the firm in 2021 and began building the lab after a thorough review of the firm’s tech resources, innovation projects and ever-expanding suite of data solutions.
“The new lab takes a multidisciplinary approach to collaboration that will connect people, teams and ideas across the firm’s global platform to better serve our clients,” said Reed Smith global managing partner Sandy Thomas.
Under Dr. Boyer’s leadership, Reed Smith’s Innovation Lab will foster team-building, provide comprehensive client service analysis, and accelerate professional growth and legal tech acumen at the firm.
The new lab will draw upon the firm’s considerable innovation resources, including: Gravity Stack, the firm’s legal technology subsidiary; Reed Smith Global Solutions, the firm’s platform for delivering next-generation legal services; and the firm’s Practice Innovation, Client Value and Knowledge Management teams, among a steady pipeline of custom data solutions created for individual clients across various practices.
“Under Madeline’s direction, the lab will help us thoughtfully re-consider how we deliver our legal services and what tech and alternative services complement our methods and playbooks,” Cunningham said. “Through her creative research and use of data, we will conduct cross-functional team analysis and facilitate collaborations in a positive employee-client experience that encourages innovation, productivity and flexibility.”
“I am thrilled to join Reed Smith, which is known for its culture of innovation and collaboration,” Boyer said. “The firm has many existing resources working to develop legal tech and shape the law firm of tomorrow. The lab is an incredible opportunity to build a new way of collaborating across these teams to accelerate change.”
Dr. Boyer holds a doctorate in anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania, and a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and business administration from the University of Notre Dame. At Penn, Dr. Boyer designed and conducted original, grant-funded ethnographic research on coworking spaces, virtual and hybrid communities, and the history and future of work. She also served as a member of the university’s affiliated faculty, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in organizational culture and management, communication, teamwork and organizational dynamics. She is the co-author of Committed Teams: Three Steps to Inspiring Passion and Performance.
About Reed Smith
Reed Smith is a dynamic international law firm dedicated to helping clients move their businesses forward. With an inclusive culture and innovative mindset, we deliver smarter, more creative legal services that drive better outcomes for our clients. Our deep industry knowledge, long-standing relationships and collaborative structure make us the go-to partner for complex disputes, transactions and regulatory matters. Now celebrating more than 145 years of service, our firm spans 30 offices with 3,000 people, including 1,700 lawyers.
For more information, please visit reedsmith.com.
