The FT shortlisted Reed Smith in five categories – among the most of any firm in 2022 – for its Innovative Lawyer Awards event, held on Dec. 5 in New York. The FT subsequently published an annual report showcasing “the standout innovations made for and by people in the legal sector.” In that edition, Reed Smith achieved the 19th highest score out of 40 recognized firms.
The 2022 FT report further showcased several recent Reed Smith innovations:
- The firm’s award-winning forensic analytics tools
- The firm’s global environmental, social and governance (ESG) practice
- The firm’s Global Environmental Sustainability Plan 2024
- Mastermind, a career advancement initiative for senior women associates
- Reed Smith Associate Advantage, an intensive three-year professional development program
- Reed Smith’s new virtual Innovation Lab
Legal leaders for an era of change. The FT featured Reed Smith’s global managing partner, Alexander “Sandy” Thomas, among seven managing partners named “legal leaders for an era of change” for making an “impact during a period of drastic development.”
“Sandy Thomas describes leading a law firm in 2022 as like a contact sport, because of the need to tackle challenges from partners and clients head-on,” the FT report said.
Forensic analytics tools. In its Business of Law feature, the FT named Reed Smith the “Standout” firm, and partner Ben Koplin was “Commended,” for the firm’s forensic analytics tools in high-stakes government investigations, qui tam lawsuits and complex litigations. For its forensics solution, Reed Smith also achieved the second-highest score among the top five law firms profiled in the 2022 report for “reinventing legal practice.”
Global Environmental Sustainability Plan 2024. In the FT’s Social Responsibility feature, Reed Smith was named a “Standout” firm for responsible business, tying for the third-highest score and achieving the fourth-highest ranking among the 13 firms profiled.
As part of recognizing Reed Smith’s Global Environmental Sustainability Plan 2024, the FT praised the firm’s expansion of its billable-hours credit to permit timekeepers to spend up to 25 hours annually on sustainability projects.