Chambers and Partners, in its 2026 Chambers Global annual guide, has ranked Reed Smith in more than 60 practice areas and conferred individual rankings on more than 50 Reed Smith lawyers in more than 80 categories, the international law firm reports.
Reed Smith earned Band 1 Practice Rankings in six categories:
- Asia-Pacific Region, Shipping: Litigation
- China, Corporate/M&A: Highly Regarded (International Firms)
- South Korea, Shipping: International Firms
- UK, Insurance: Mainly Policyholders
- USA, Bankruptcy/Restructuring: Highly Regarded
- USA, International Trade: Export Controls & Economic Sanctions: Highly Regarded
Seven Reed Smith lawyers earned Band 1 individual rankings from Chambers Global. They are:
- Lianjun Li, China, Shipping: Litigation (International Firms)
- Barbara Li, China, TMT: Data Protection & Privacy (International Firms)
- Charles Weller, Global Market Leaders, Shipping: Litigation
- Mark Pring, UK, Insurance: Mainly Policyholders
- Peter Hardy, UK, Insurance: Mainly Policyholders
- Jamie Ryder, United Arab Emirates, TMT: Media, Entertainment & Sport
- José Astigarraga, USA, International Arbitration: Counsel
Here is the complete list of the firm’s practice areas ranked in Chambers Global 2026 (the region with the highest concentration was the United Kingdom, followed by the United States and China).
Asia-Pacific Region
- Arbitration (International)
- Aviation: Finance
- Corporate/M&A
- Data Protection
- Shipping: Finance
- Shipping: Litigation (Band 1)
Belgium
- Competition: EU
Brazil
- Corporate Crime & Investigations (International Firms)
China
- Banking & Finance (International Firms)
- Corporate/M&A: Highly Regarded (International Firms)
- Dispute Resolution: Arbitration (International Firms)
- Dispute Resolution: Litigation (International Firms)
- Financial Services (International Firms)
- International & Cross-Border Disputes (International Firms)
- Shipping: Finance (International Firms)
- Shipping: Litigation (International Firms)
- TMT: Data Protection & Privacy (International Firms) (Band 1)
France
- International Arbitration
Germany
- Corporate/M&A: Mid-Market
Global Market Leaders
- Arbitration (International)
- Climate Change
- Shipping: Finance
- Shipping: Litigation
Global: Multi-Jurisdictional
- Data Protection
- Insurance: Contentious
India
- Dispute Resolution
Indonesia
- Corporate & Finance (International Firms)
Kazakhstan
- Dispute Resolution
Latin America - International Counsel
- Arbitration (International)
Middle East-wide
- Dispute Resolution
Singapore
- Corporate/M&A: International: Highly Regarded
- Dispute Resolution: Arbitration: Elite
- Shipping: Domestic
- Shipping: International: Litigation
South Korea
- Shipping
- Shipping: International Firms (Band 1)
United Kingdom
- Capital Markets: Derivatives
- Capital Markets: Securitisation
- Commercial and Corporate Litigation
- Disputes (International & Cross-Border)
- Employment
- Energy & Natural Resources: Oil & Gas
- Insurance Sector: Policyholder (International & Cross-Border)
- Insurance: Mainly Policyholders (Band 1)
- Intellectual Property
- International Arbitration: Commercial Arbitration
- International Arbitration: Investor-State Arbitration
- Technology Sector (International & Cross-Border)
United Arab Emirates
- Banking & Finance
- Construction
- Dispute Resolution
- Restructuring/Insolvency
- TMT: IT, Telecoms & Data
- TMT: Media, Entertainment & Sport
United States
- Bankruptcy/Restructuring: Highly Regarded (Band 1)
- E-Discovery & Information Governance
- International Arbitration
- International Arbitration: The Elite
- International Trade: Export Controls & Economic Sanctions: Highly Regarded (Band 1)
- Investment Funds: Investor Representation
- Labour & Employment
- Privacy & Data Security: Healthcare
- Privacy & Data Security: Highly Regarded
Twelve lawyers were given individual honors in more than one category. They are Amir Ahmad, José Astigarraga, Gautam Bhattacharyya, Christian Filippitsch, Lianjun Li, Johnny Lim, Jamie Ryder, Donald Sham, James Willn, Lucy Winnington-Ingram, Jill Wong, and Gregory Xu. José Astigarraga and Lianjun Li stand out with the most categories — four and three, respectively.
Here is the complete list of individual honorees:
- Amir Ahmad, United Arab Emirates, Banking & Finance and United Arab Emirates, Restructuring/Insolvency
- Juliya Arbisman, USA, International Arbitration: Counsel
- David Ashmore, UK, Employment
- José Astigarraga, Global Market Leaders, Arbitration (International) and Latin America - International Counsel, Arbitration (International) and USA, International Arbitration (Latin America-wide) and USA, International Arbitration: Counsel (Band 1)
- James Atkin, UK, Energy & Natural Resources: Oil & Gas
- Wendell Bartnick, USA, Privacy & Data Security: Healthcare
- Tim Beech, Singapore, Capital Markets: International
- Gautam Bhattacharyya, India, Dispute Resolution and UK, International Arbitration
- Antonia Birt, United Arab Emirates, Dispute Resolution
- Linton Bloomberg, UK, Restructuring/insolvency
- Tamara Box, UK, Capital Markets: Securitisation
- Timothy Cooke, Singapore, Dispute Resolution: Arbitration
- Therese Craparo, USA, E-Discovery & Information Governance
- Michael Darowski, UK, International Arbitration
- Anthony Diana, USA, E-Discovery & Information Governance
- Mark Drury, UK, Capital Markets: CLOs
- Jennifer Ellis, UK, Capital Markets: CLOs
- Brian Farmer, USA, Investment Funds: Investor Representation
- Christian Filippitsch, Belgium, Competition: EU and Germany, Competition/European Law: Lawyers based abroad
- Clément Fouchard, France, International Arbitration
- Kathleen Garrett, UK, Restructuring/insolvency
- Peter Glover, Singapore, Shipping: International: Litigation
- Leigh Hansson, USA, International Trade: Export Controls & Economic Sanctions
- Peter Hardy, UK, Insurance: Mainly Policyholders (Band 1)
- Nina Howell, UK, Energy & Natural Resources: Oil & Gas
- Simon Hugo, UK, Capital Markets: Securitisation
- Ali Ishaq, UK, Commercial and Corporate Litigation
- Robin Jeffcott, UK, Employment
- Denise Jong, China, Corporate/Hong Kong-based (international firms)
- Edward Klees, USA, Investment Funds: Investor Representation
- Barbara Li, China, TMT: Data Protection & Privacy (International Firms) (Band 1)
- Lianjun Li, China, Dispute Resolution: Arbitration (International Firms) and China, Shipping: Litigation (International Firms) (Band 1) and Global Market Leaders, Shipping: Litigation
- Min Li, China, Shipping: Litigation (International Firms)
- Catherine Lewis, UK, Insurance: Mainly Policyholders
- Johnny Lim, Indonesia, Corporate/M&A (International Firms) and Singapore, Corporate/M&A
- Eric Lin, China, Energy & Natural Resources: International Firms
- Michael Lowell, USA, International Trade: Export Controls & Economic Sanctions
- Umbreen Meenai, United Arab Emirates, Banking & Finance
- Marcus Price, UK, Commercial and Corporate Litigation
- Mark Pring, UK, Insurance: Mainly Policyholders (Band 1)
- Francisco Rivero, Latin America - International Counsel, Arbitration (International)
- Francisco Rodriguez, USA, International Arbitration: Counsel
- Jamie Ryder, United Arab Emirates, TMT: IT, Telecoms & Data and United Arab Emirates, TMT: Media, Entertainment & Sport (Band 1)
- Laura-May Scott, UK, Insurance: Mainly Policyholders
- Sultan Seidalin, Kazakhstan, Dispute Resolution
- Donald Sham, China, Dispute Resolution: Arbitration (International Firms) and China, Shipping: Litigation (International Firms)
- Asha Sharma, China, Dispute Resolution: Litigation (International Firms)
- Michael Skrein, UK, Intellectual Property
- Simon Spells, Asia-Pacific Region, Aviation: Finance
- Nick Stainthorpe, UK, Capital Markets: Securitisation
- Rafael Szmid, Brazil, Corporate Crime & Investigations (International Firms)
- Andrew D Taylor, Global Market Leaders, Shipping: Litigation
- Matthew Townsend, China, Dispute Resolution: Arbitration (International Firms)
- Sally-Ann Underhill, Greece, Shipping
- Zeldar Wang, China, Shipping: Litigation (International Firms)
- Charles Weller, Global Market Leaders, Shipping: Litigation (Band 1)
- Rob Wilkins, Global Market Leaders, Shipping: Finance
- James Willn, United Arab Emirates, Corporate Compliance & Investigations and United Arab Emirates, Dispute Resolution
- Lucy Winnington-Ingram, Kazakhstan, Dispute Resolution and UK, International Arbitration
- Jill Wong, China, Financial Services: Contentious Regulatory (International Firms) and China, Financial Services: Non-contentious Regulatory (International Firms)
- Anthony Woo, China, Corporate/Hong Kong-based (international firms)
- Gregory Xu, India, Banking & Finance and Singapore, Banking & Finance
- Bernard Yee* (Resource Law), Singapore, Shipping: Domestic: litigation
- Askar Zhansagimov, Kazakhstan, Corporate & Finance
The 2025 Chambers Global guide is based on detailed research and analysis, including interviews with in-house counsel and third-party experts. The guide helps clients to find leading lawyers and other professionals across the globe.
* The Reed Smith list of lawyers includes one lawyer (Bernard Yee) who is with Resource Law LLC. Reed Smith is in a Formal Law Alliance with Resource Law LLC in Singapore.
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.
