The guide highlights client praise for the firm's collaborative, commercially minded approach. One client noted that Reed Smith "distinguishes itself through deep sector expertise, a global footprint, and a collaborative approach that delivers integrated, practical solutions." Another praised the firm's labor and employment team for providing "clear, practical advice that supports sound decision-making" and going "beyond reactive guidance by offering proactive ideas and solutions to assist the business."

Across other practices, a longstanding patent litigation client said the team is “simply the best at what they do,” adding that “their team is cohesive, unified, and efficient” and works “always with an eye toward accomplishing the client’s goals first and foremost.” A media and entertainment client praised the firm’s attorneys as “genuinely useful partners rather than just outside counsel executing instructions.” An antitrust client described having “a team of seasoned class action litigators who know the substance of a complicated business” as “such a gift,” and an M&A client noted the firm’s “combination of business savvy to go along with a very commercial mindset on the legal front.”

In its commentary on the firm's disputes practice, The Legal 500 noted that the firm handles "bet-the-company intellectual property and trade secret fights" and "high-stakes financial services litigation." The guide also recognized the firm's insurance recovery practice as "a market leader on the policyholder side of insurance law."

RANKED LAWYERS

The firm's 27 individual rankings span 23 lawyers, including five named to The Legal 500 Hall of Fame, and several earning recognition in more than one practice area.

• José Astigarraga – International Arbitration (Hall of Fame)
• Wendell Bartnick – Cyber Law (Including Data Privacy and Data Protection)
• Oliver Beiersdorf – Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action – Defense: Automotive/Transport; AND Aviation and Air Travel: Litigation and Regulation
• James Boudreau – Labor and Employment Disputes (Including Collective Actions); AND Workplace and Employment Counseling (new ranking)
• Patrick Bradley – Aviation and Air Travel: Litigation and Regulation AND Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action – Defense: Automotive/Transport (Hall of Fame)
• Keri Bruce – Advertising and Marketing: Transactional and Regulatory (Hall of Fame)
• Sarah Bruno – Cyber Law (Including Data Privacy and Data Protection)
• Christopher Buchanan – Rail and Road: Finance (Hall of Fame)
• Alice Colarossi – Shipping: Finance
• James Cooper – Insurance: Advice to Policyholders
• Han Deng – Shipping: Finance
• Paul Didomenico – Real Estate – Mid-Market ($0-500m) (new ranking)
• John Ellison – Insurance: Advice to Policyholders
• Gina Kantos – Energy Litigation: Oil & Gas – Mid-Market ($0-500m) (new ranking)
• Catherine Kiernan – Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action – Defense: Automotive/Transport; AND Aviation and Air Travel: Litigation and Regulation (new ranking)
• David Long-Daniels – Labor and Employment Disputes (Including Collective Actions) (new ranking)
• Jason Newman – Energy Litigation: Oil & Gas – Premium ($500m+)
• Benjamin Patton – Environment: Regulatory
• Mark Pedretti – Private Equity Buyouts: Middle-Market (up to $500m)
• Anatoliy Rozental – Private Equity Buyouts: Middle-Market (up to $500m)
• Nicolle Snyder Bagnell – Energy Litigation: Oil & Gas – Mid-Market ($0-500m) (new ranking)
• Gregory Speier – Aviation and Air Travel: Litigation and Regulation
• John Vishneski – Insurance: Advice to Policyholders (Hall of Fame)

RANKED PRACTICE AREAS

• Advertising and Marketing: Transactional and Regulatory
• Antitrust: Civil Litigation/Class Actions: Defense
• Appellate: Courts of Appeals/Appellate: Supreme Courts (States and Federal)
• Aviation and Air Travel: Litigation and Regulation
• CFIUS
• Corporate Investigations and White-Collar Criminal Defense
• Customs, Export Controls and Economic Sanctions
• Cyber Law (Including Data Privacy and Data Protection)
• E-Discovery
• Employee Benefits, Executive Compensation and Retirement Plans: Design
• Energy Litigation: Oil & Gas – Mid-Market ($0-500m) (Tier 1)
• Energy Transactions: Oil & Gas – Large-Cap ($500m+)
• Energy Transactions: Oil & Gas – Mid-Market ($0-500m)
• Environment: Regulatory
• Environment: Transactional
• Fintech
• General Commercial Disputes – Mid-Market ($250-500m) (Tier 1) (new ranking)
• Health Insurers
• Healthcare: Life Sciences
• Healthcare: Service Providers
• Insurance: Advice to Policyholders (Tier 1)
• International Arbitration
• International Tax
• Labor and Employment Disputes (Including Collective Actions)
• M&A: Middle-Market ($500m-999m)
• Media and Entertainment: Transactional
• Patents: Litigation (Full Coverage)
• Private Equity Buyouts: Middle-Market (up to $500m)
• Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action – Defense: Automotive/Transport
• Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action – Defense: Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices
• Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action – Defense: Toxic Tort
• Real Estate – Mid-Market ($0-500m) (Tier 1) (new ranking)
• Restructuring (Including Bankruptcy): Corporate
• Shipping: Finance
• Structured Finance: Securitization
• Trademarks: Non-Contentious (Including Prosecution, Portfolio Management and Licensing)
• US Taxes: Non-Contentious
• Venture Capital and Emerging Companies
• Workplace and Employment Counseling

About The Legal 500

The Legal 500 was founded in 1987 as a client’s guide that benchmarks, informs, and connects providers and users of legal services in over 100 countries worldwide.