“While we have had fertility benefits as part of the firm’s healthcare plan, this benefit, available to all lawyers and professional staff, is a different order of magnitude. We are partnering with Carrot Fertility in order to provide best-in-class benefits that help reduce the stress for individuals and couples experiencing challenges in starting or growing a family,” said Casey Ryan, the firm’s global head of legal personnel. “Carrot’s extensive clinic and agency network and comprehensive telehealth and care navigation platform will provide a tremendous boost for Reed Smith’s lawyers and professional staff on their different journeys to becoming parents. We are proud to offer a truly inclusive policy – one that supports the decisions of our employees to form families in any way they choose.”

One of the differentiators of the firm’s new plan is that Reed Smith will advance the costs of eligible expenses through Carrot’s proprietary Carrot Card, as opposed to only reimbursing expenses. The firm sought out a plan that limits upfront costs, covers various paths to parenthood, and does not require an infertility diagnosis to be eligible.

The benefit provides employees and their spouses or partners with one-on-one help navigating a broad range of options and costs. Reed Smith personnel can schedule virtual visits with clinical and family-forming experts via Carrot’s global database of top clinics, agencies, legal services, and more. Carrot Rx, which offers significant savings on fertility medications and 24/7 clinician support, is included in the benefit package.

The Carrot benefit also includes a suite of at-home fertility testing options and advanced wearables, including discounted access to the Ava bracelet, a clinically backed ovulation tracking tool; exclusive discounts; unlimited access to Carrot’s extensive curated library of articles and videos on family formation; and expedited appointments at top clinics and agencies.

In addition to this new fertility and family-forming benefit, Reed Smith is providing no-cost access to a SNOO bassinet, a self-rocking crèche that promotes better sleep in infants. This benefit will be made available to all U.S. lawyers and professional staff who have a newborn.

The Carrot benefit is effective immediately for U.S. personnel, with financial coverage of family-formation services through Carrot retroactive to Jan. 1, 2022. The benefit will launch across the firm’s EMEA offices this summer.