(March 21, 2006, Los Angeles) – Reed Smith LLP, a top 25 international law firm, announces the addition of four attorneys to its West Coast Labor and Employment Group. The four will be resident in the firm’s Los Angeles office, effective March 21.
The four include partners Alisa M. Chevalier and Michele J. Beilke; counsel Beth Pelliconi; and associate Jean Kuei. All were formerly with the Los Angeles office of Musick, Peeler & Garrett.
“We are delighted to add this extremely capable quartet of attorneys to our Labor and Employment Group,” said John Zaimes, Reed Smith’s Los Angeles Labor and Employment Practice Group Leader. “Alisa and Michele have a substantial class action practice that is well-aligned with Reed Smith’s California and national capabilities. With the arrival of these new partners and their colleagues, we are now well-positioned to continue to expand the firm’s client base in the labor and employment field in California and nationwide.”
Ms. Chevalier and Ms. Beilke handle wage and hour class actions and individual matters in the labor and employment field for management, including all forms of discrimination, harassment, wrongful discharge, management training and employer advice and counseling, workplace investigations and unfair competition claims. This complements Reed Smith’s strength in wage and hour law, in employment law, in class actions and in representation of financial services clients in all of the firm’s 18 offices across the globe.
“We believe that Reed Smith’s California and national platform, coupled with its marketing and business development capabilities will help us to continue to grow our practice,” said Ms. Chevalier. “This firm has a reputation and a reach that fits well with our interests and capabilities,” added Ms. Beilke. “We are excited to be able to join with the other employment attorneys in the LA office to continue to expand the work the firm does for existing clients and add in new clients.”
Ms. Chevalier received her Bachelor of Arts in Economics and French with honors from Mills College in 1989. She received her J.D. from Loyola Law School in 1993. She is a member of the Labor and Employment and Litigation Sections of the California State and Los Angeles County Bar Associations and is member of the Employee Relations Committee, California Chamber of Commerce.
Ms. Beilke received her B.A. from the University of Southern California in 1992 and her J.D. from the University of Southern California Law Center in 1997. She is a member of the Labor and Employment and Litigation Sections of the California State and Los Angeles County Bar Associations.
“The Labor and Employment group in the LA office has grown from one lawyer to ten in less than two years, and we expect Ms. Chevalier and Ms. Beilke to help further build and develop our California presence,” said Peter Kennedy, Reed Smith’s Los Angeles Managing Partner. “This is a solid, exceptionally qualified group and we welcome them to the firm.”
Ms. Pelliconi joins Reed Smith as counsel. She is a 1985 graduate of the University of Maryland with a B.A. in Economics and a 1992 graduate of St. John’s University School of Law. Ms. Kuei graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 2000, summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, and received her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 2003. Both practice exclusively in the labor and employment arena.
The litigators in Reed Smith’s Employment Law Group have represented employers of all sizes in cases involving allegations of discrimination, retaliation, harassment, wrongful discharge, wage and hour violations, defamation, violation of constitutional rights, breach of contract and other general employment matters.
The firm has defended employers in class action and other complex, high-risk cases, as well as single-plaintiff actions. Reed Smith provides counsel to employers in nearly every sector in a wide range of employment issues, including hiring, noncompete and restrictive covenants, privacy, accommodation, leave rights, drug and alcohol use and testing, workplace violence, discrimination, harassment, and termination.
About Reed Smith
Reed Smith LLP is a top-25 international law firm with 1,000 lawyers located in 18 cities worldwide (14 in the U.S. and four in Europe). The firm represents clients ranging from Fortune 100 companies to mid-market and emerging companies. Clients include financial services firms, life sciences companies, health care providers, technology companies and entrepreneurs, power generators and suppliers, manufacturers, real estate companies, universities, and non-profit organizations throughout the world. For more information, visit www.reedsmith.com.
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