Best Business Team

Reed Smith was recognized as 2020’s “Best Business Team” for its renowned Client Value Team (CVT), which “allows the firm to build and maintain its most important relationships.”

The American Lawyer recognized Reed Smith for its leadership in alternative fee arrangements and for providing clients with innovative project management tools, including a secure mobile platform that allows for real-time tracking of a matter’s progress, while evaluating and improving workflow efficiency.

The American Lawyer noted yesterday on Twitter: “Congratulations to all the finalists for the Best Business Team, and to winner @reedsmithllp for building and developing a team that meets clients where they are and consistently adds value to the lawyer-client relationship.”

“We collaborate with our clients to understand their business needs and meet the unique challenges they face in an ever-changing economic climate,” said Suzanne Hawkins, Reed Smith’s global senior director of client value. “Across our international platform, the CVT provides exceptional support and added value that fosters mutually beneficial relationships for all.”

Pennsylvania Litigation Department of the Year

At the awards ceremony, Reed Smith was also named “2020 Regional Litigation Department of the Year in Pennsylvania.”

The American Lawyer highlighted Reed Smith for being a “pivotal player” in energy and infrastructure disputes, particularly for a series of significant victories for Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC over the construction of a 303-mile, inter-state, $4.6 billion natural-gas pipeline.

Reed Smith’s Complex Litigation Group was also hailed for guiding Bayer to a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice “in an intricate and valuable case” regarding Bayer’s entitlement to $175 million in research and development tax credits. The firm was further lauded for obtaining a complete defense verdict for Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania Western District court in a major discrimination case, among other significant wins in the region.

“For 144 years, Reed Smith’s Pennsylvania litigation practice has successfully resolved complex, contentious disputes for businesses, nonprofit organizations and individuals throughout the Commonwealth and across the United States,” said partner Peter Ellis, the global chair of Reed Smith’s Litigation & Dispute Resolution Department. “In this time, we have achieved a significant presence and earned a stellar reputation for excellence throughout the state, as well as in neighboring states, every federal circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court.”

Legal Services Innovation

Additionally, Reed Smith was one of four finalists in the “Best Example of Legal Services Innovation” category, highlighted for its legaltech partnership with Elevate, an innovative non-prime lender with, and the Reed Smith Global Solutions subsidiary.

Honoring outstanding achievements in the legal profession, the annual American Lawyer Industry Awards recognize the best firms and individuals in Big Law and in-house legal departments in the United States, and they are backed by the editorial staff of American Lawyer Media’s signature outlets, The American Lawyer, Corporate Counsel, the National Law Journal and Legaltech News.