(May 30, 2007, Oakland, CA) – Reed Smith LLP, one of the 15 largest law firms in the world, today announced that Lisa Carvalho has joined its firmwide Trusts & Estates Practice.  She will be resident in the firm’s Oakland office, effective immediately.

Ms. Carvalho was formerly a partner at Steefel, Levitt & Weiss in San Francisco.  Her practice encompasses a broad range of fiduciary and commercial litigation, with a primary focus on trusts and estates litigation for institutional and individual fiduciaries, beneficiaries, and third-party claimants.  She also has significant experience in employment litigation and counseling, real estate litigation and general commercial litigation.

“Lisa brings a significant amount of expertise, as well as strong and growing institutional fiduciary practice to our Trusts and Estates group,” said Bette B. Epstein, a senior Trusts and Estates partner in Reed Smith’s Oakland office.  “She will expand our capabilities in this area at a time when intergenerational transfers of wealth and family disputes about such transfers are poised to increase dramatically.”

Reed Smith’s trusts and estates practice represents both individuals and institutional trustees in trust and estate matters in the US and abroad.

“I am excited by the opportunity to handle trusts and estates litigation and counseling matters working from a platform of a large firm with a significant number of corporate and transactional lawyers and a national and international presence,” said Ms. Carvalho. “Reed Smith’s capabilities in complex commercial litigation, tax, and other areas of law that are often involved in trusts and estates matters will be very helpful to all our clients.’

Ms. Carvalho has represented clients in state and federal trial and appellate courts, administrative proceedings, and self-regulated industry arbitrations.  She also co-authored successful briefs on behalf of the California Bankers Association as amicus curiae before the California Supreme Court and before the Second District California Court of Appeal.

Ms. Carvalho received a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley in 1989, and a J.D. from the University of California, Boalt Hall School of Law in 1992. She is a member of the Bar Association of San Francisco, the Barristers Club of San Francisco, the State Bar of California, and the American Bar Association.

About Reed Smith

Reed Smith is one of the 15 largest law firms in the world, with more than 1,500 lawyers in 21 offices throughout the United States, Europe and the Middle East.  Founded in 1877, the firm represents leading international businesses from Fortune 100 corporations to mid-market and emerging enterprises.  Its attorneys provide litigation services in multi-jurisdictional matters and other high stake disputes, deliver regulatory counsel, and execute the full range of strategic domestic and cross-border transactions.  Reed Smith is a preeminent advisor to industries including financial services, life sciences, health care, advertising and media, shipping, international trade and commodities, real estate, manufacturing and education.  For more information, visit reedsmith.com.

U.S.: New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Oakland, Princeton, Northern Virginia, Wilmington, Century City, Richmond

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Middle East:  Abu Dhabi, Dubai