(January 6, 2010) – Reed Smith LLP was named one of the nation’s top five product liability firms this week by Law360. It was déjà vu all over again for the firm, which was named Product Liability Litigation Department of the Year for 2010 by The American Lawyer earlier in the week.
“Law360’s recognition is another feather in the cap of our Product Liability Litigation team, which had an outstanding year in 2009,” said Gregory B. Jordan, Reed Smith’s Global Managing Partner. “We are very proud of their successes and know they will continue to deliver exceptional results for our clients.”
The Law360 announcement of Reed Smith’s selection noted, “Like other top product liability defense groups, Reed Smith’s isn't afraid to flex its muscles in the courtroom.”
“Our highly skilled product liability defense team has a very strong record of wins in difficult cases that have further enhanced its visibility and reputation as one of the nation’s top groups,” said Colleen Davies, chair of Reed Smith’s Litigation Department. “In the past couple of years, we have added a score of top-notch product liability litigators and have expanded service to our clients across a broad range of industries. That growth has contributed to the outcomes we have consistently been able to achieve in courts across the country.”
Law360 also cited Reed Smith’s preeminence in the use of federal preemption, noting the group’s skill in employing the fraudulent joinder doctrine to counteract the common plaintiffs’ tactic of filing suits in both state and federal court. As a consequence, the firm’s lawyers have persuaded many state judges to remove a case to federal court when a plaintiff has added a local defendant simply to give a matter a state connection.
“Reed Smith’s product liability team is one of the largest in the United States and is an absolutely top-notch group,” said Michael K. Brown, chair of the firm's multidisciplinary Life Sciences Health Industry Group. “It has not only maintained its leadership position in the defense of life science and health and pharmaceutical products, but it has also broadened and deepened its litigation capabilities and gained experience with countless other products in addition to those in the life sciences and health industries, including airplanes, asbestos, silica, tires, trucks and welding rods. We’ve strengthened our position and extended our reputation, as these two awards affirm.”
About Reed Smith
Reed Smith is a global relationship law firm with nearly 1,600 lawyers in 23 offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Founded in 1877, the firm represents leading international businesses, from Fortune 100 corporations to mid-market and emerging enterprises. Its lawyers provide litigation and other dispute resolution services in multi-jurisdictional and other high-stakes matters; 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, technology and media, shipping, energy 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, Silicon Valley, Century City, Richmond
Europe: London, Paris, Munich, Greece
Middle East: Abu Dhabi, Dubai
Asia: Hong Kong, Beijing