Reed Smith LLP - The Who's Who Legal 100 2012

What is the Who's Who Legal 100?

The firm is famed for its product liability defence work and seven attorneys feature in the corresponding chapter, including a trio from the San Francisco office. Colleen Davies is head of the firm’s litigation department and she specialises in complex product liability defence. Her trial experience includes national counsel responsibility for cases at the state and federal trial court levels, including multi-district litigation and class actions. Steven Kohn is a “gifted advocate” according to sources and has represented numerous medical device and pharmaceutical companies including American Home Products (diet drugs), Eli Lilly (DES and Prozac) and Medtronic (surgical shunts). The “superb” James Wood has over 35 years’ experience of representing manufacturers of prescription medicines and medical devices. Michael Brown and Thomas Yoo practise from the Los Angeles office and are “consistently excellent”, in the words of one source. Michael Scott bases his practice in Philadelphia and has “a real flair for advocacy”, while London-based Paul Llewellyn is head of UK product liability and “an ADR specialist”.

Kohn, Wood and Brown also feature in the life sciences chapter, along with three other Reed Smith lawyers. Counsel to the firm’s New York office, William Griffith has counselled a number of specialty pharma and emerging companies, particularly in the biotechnology sector. Peers describe him as “one of the best in the business” and “an authority” on complex life sciences matters. Nicola Maguire’s practice is often cross-border; she recently worked on the creation of an Indian joint venture between the Wellcome Trust and Merck and on Proximagen’s collaboration agreement with Lundbeck. John Wilkinson spent five years in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry working in drug development prior to qualifying as a lawyer and this “invaluable experience” benefits his “first-class” practice.

Four names from four offices appear in the insurance and reinsurance chapter. Margaret Campbell is a partner in the London office and chair of the insurance committee of the International Bar Association. Peers describe her practice as “extremely impressive”. John Ellison practises from the Philadelphia office and works in the insurance coverage area exclusively on behalf of policyholders. He is “a very persuasive litigator with a real understanding of the legal issues” according to one commentator. Ann Kramer is a “top-notch” insurance lawyer in New York and John Shugrue is “a big name” in Chicago.

Reed Smith has further listings in aviation, business crime defence, capital markets, construction, franchise, insolvency, litigation and trademarks, highlighting the firm’s broad capabilities.