Reed Smith
Global commercial law firm serving businesses, financial institutions, governments and other organizations.
Last updated October 27, 2026
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Overview
Reed Smith LLP is an international commercial law firm founded in Pittsburgh in 1877 by Philander C. Knox and James H. Reed. It developed initially through work for major industrial and financial clients connected with the growth of western Pennsylvania and the wider American economy. Early clients and relationships included industrialist Andrew Carnegie, Heinz, Andrew Mellon and Henry Clay Frick. The firm’s history also includes a controversial episode arising from its representation of members of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club after the Johnstown Flood of 1889. Knox and Reed defended club members against claims arising from the South Fork Dam failure, arguing that the flood was an unavoidable natural event; the litigation ended without compensation being paid to survivors. The episode later figured in broader legal and policy debates about strict liability and responsibility for hazardous uses of land. The firm expanded and changed its name as additional partners joined. In 1922 it became Reed Smith Shaw & McClay. During the New Deal period it developed a securities practice, and partner Ralph H. Demmler later became chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. From the 1970s onward, Reed Smith used a combination of office openings, mergers and lateral recruitment to broaden its geographic coverage and practice capabilities. Its expansion included a Washington, D.C., presence, a 1978 combination with Philadelphia firm Townsend Elliott & Munson, a 1989 merger with Pierson, Ball & Dowd that strengthened health-care work, and subsequent offices and combinations in New York, New Jersey, Northern Virginia and California. International growth accelerated in the 2000s. The acquisition of United Kingdom firm Warner Cranston in 2001 gave Reed Smith a transatlantic platform. It subsequently opened offices in Paris and Munich, expanded into Delaware, and combined with California firm Crosby, Heafey, Roach & May. Its 2007 merger with Richards Butler added or strengthened operations in France, Greece, the Middle East and Hong Kong. The firm later added a second German office in Frankfurt, entered a formal alliance with Singapore firm Resource Law in 2016, and opened a Miami office in 2017. In 2018 it expanded in Texas through an Austin office and added lawyers from Norton Rose Fulbright; it also recruited former General Electric chief compliance officer Lewis Zirogiannis for its regulatory enforcement practice. In 2020 it hired technology, mergers-and-acquisitions and private-equity lawyer Craig Lilly. Reed Smith advises clients across sectors including financial services, energy and natural resources, shipping and transportation, insurance, health care and life sciences, media and entertainment, technology, consumer products and private equity. Its legal work spans corporate transactions, finance, restructuring and bankruptcy, commercial litigation, investigations, regulatory enforcement, labor and employment, intellectual property, product liability, insurance, maritime law and environmental and climate-related matters. The firm has represented banks, oil and gas companies, pharmaceutical distributors, manufacturers, governments and public authorities, as well as prominent companies and individuals in litigation and transactional matters. By the late 2010s, Reed Smith had more than 1,500 lawyers and roughly 30 offices across the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. London became its largest office. The firm remains privately held and operates as a global law-firm partnership. It has received recognition from Chambers, Legal 500, The American Lawyer, BTI, Acritas, Law360, Vault, the National Law Journal and industry organizations for practices including shipping, insurance, finance, bankruptcy, product liability, private equity, media and entertainment, and pro bono work.
History
Reed Smith traces its origins to Pittsburgh in 1877, when Philander C. Knox and James H. Reed established the partnership that became the firm. Its early growth was tied to the industrial development of Pennsylvania and to relationships with Andrew Carnegie and other influential business leaders. Heinz, Andrew Mellon and Henry Clay Frick were among the notable early clients or associated business figures. Knox and Reed were also members of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club, whose dam failed in the Johnstown Flood of 1889. The firm defended club members in resulting litigation and argued that the disaster was an act of nature. The cases did not result in compensation for survivors, and the episode later contributed to debate over the limits of negligence-based liability. During the 1880s, Edwin W. Smith and other partners joined the practice. The name Reed Smith Shaw & McClay was adopted in 1922. The firm broadened its corporate and securities capabilities during the New Deal era, when financial-market regulation and securities work became increasingly important. Ralph H. Demmler, a Reed Smith partner specializing in corporate banking law, subsequently served as chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission. The modern expansion phase began in the 1970s. Reed Smith established a Washington, D.C., office and in 1978 combined with Philadelphia firm Townsend Elliott & Munson, a practice with roots reaching back to 1842. In 1989 it merged with Washington firm Pierson, Ball & Dowd, gaining a significant health-care practice. During the 1990s it opened offices in New York and New Jersey and acquired Northern Virginia firm Hazel & Thomas. These steps transformed the firm from a primarily regional practice into a broader U.S. platform. Internationalization accelerated in the following decade. Reed Smith acquired U.K. firm Warner Cranston in 2001, creating a transatlantic firm. It opened Paris and Munich offices in 2005 and added a Delaware office. Its combination with California firm Crosby, Heafey, Roach & May expanded its West Coast presence and helped place Reed Smith among the larger U.S. firms. In 2007, the firm merged with Richards Butler, adding offices and capabilities in several European, Middle Eastern and Asian markets, including France, Greece, the Middle East and Hong Kong. The firm continued developing its European and Asian network. It opened a Frankfurt office in 2015 to serve clients in Germany’s financial center and formed a formal alliance with Singapore firm Resource Law in 2016. A Miami office followed in 2017. In 2018, Reed Smith recruited 14 lawyers from Norton Rose Fulbright and added an Austin office. It also hired Lewis Zirogiannis, formerly General Electric’s chief compliance officer, for its San Francisco-based global regulatory enforcement practice. In January 2020, technology, mergers-and-acquisitions and private-equity lawyer Craig Lilly joined the firm from Greenberg Traurig. Reed Smith’s present-day practice is organized around international commercial work rather than a single industry. Its lawyers advise financial institutions, energy companies, shipping businesses, insurers, health-care providers, life-sciences companies, technology businesses, media groups, manufacturers, private-equity sponsors and public-sector bodies. The firm handles transactional, contentious and regulatory mandates, including major cross-border acquisitions, bankruptcy and restructuring matters, investigations, intellectual-property disputes, product-liability claims, maritime matters and complex financial litigation. It has also maintained a significant pro bono profile. The firm has been recognized in rankings and awards from Chambers USA, Chambers UK, Chambers Global, Legal 500, BTI, Acritas, Law360, Vault, the National Law Journal and The American Lawyer. It received The American Lawyer’s top Pro Bono Award in 2018 and maritime recognition at the Lloyd’s List Global Awards. The firm’s international scale, sector specialization and cross-border transaction capabilities have made it one of the more prominent U.S.-origin global law firms. It remains an active private partnership rather than a publicly listed company.
- 2018
Austin expansion and regulatory recruitment
[1]Reed Smith adds an Austin office, hires lawyers from Norton Rose Fulbright and recruits Lewis Zirogiannis for regulatory enforcement.
- 2017
Miami office opened
[1]The firm adds a new U.S. office in Miami.
- 2016
Alliance with Resource Law
[1]The firm enters a formal alliance with a Singapore law firm.
- 2015
Frankfurt office opened
[1]Reed Smith establishes a second German office in Frankfurt.
- 2007
Merger with Richards Butler
[1]The transaction expands the firm’s offices and practices across Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
- 2001
Warner Cranston acquisition
[1]The acquisition gives Reed Smith a transatlantic presence in the United Kingdom.
- 1989
Merger with Pierson, Ball & Dowd
[1]The merger adds a substantial health-care practice.
- 1978
Combination with Townsend Elliott & Munson
[1]The Philadelphia combination strengthens the firm’s regional platform.
- 1922
Name Reed Smith Shaw & McClay adopted
[1]The firm adopts a new name as its partnership expands.
- 1877
Firm founded in Pittsburgh
[1]Philander C. Knox and James H. Reed establish the partnership that becomes Reed Smith.
Products and positioning
International full-service commercial law firm with particularly strong practices in shipping, financial services, insurance, energy, health care, life sciences, media and complex disputes.
Transactional legal services
Corporate and mergers and acquisitions
Advice for acquisitions, disposals, joint ventures, private-equity investments, corporate governance and cross-border transactions. The practice supports clients across regulated and asset-heavy industries, including financial services, energy, technology, media and transportation.
Financial legal services
Finance, restructuring and bankruptcy
Advice to lenders, borrowers, trustees, investors and other stakeholders on financing, capital structures, insolvency, restructurings and bankruptcy proceedings. The firm has represented financial institutions in major municipal, sovereign, shipping and corporate debt matters.
Industry-focused legal services
Shipping and maritime law
A global maritime practice covering shipping transactions, vessel finance, cargo, insurance, regulatory matters, disputes and maritime casualties. The practice has been repeatedly recognized by legal and maritime-industry publications.
Dispute and regulatory services
Litigation, investigations and regulatory enforcement
Representation in commercial disputes, government investigations, False Claims Act matters, intellectual-property cases, product liability, competition issues and enforcement proceedings. The practice serves both companies and individuals in complex domestic and cross-border disputes.
Industry-focused legal services
Insurance and reinsurance
Counsel for insurers, reinsurers, brokers and policyholders on coverage, claims, transactions, regulation and insurance-related disputes. Insurance has been one of the firm’s recognized U.S. and international practice areas.
Industry-focused legal services
Health care and life sciences
Legal services for health-care providers, pharmaceutical and life-sciences businesses, investors and related organizations, including regulatory, transactional, litigation and compliance work. The firm strengthened this capability through its 1989 combination with Pierson, Ball & Dowd.
Controversies
2020
Reed Smith apologizes over handling of harassment allegations
Reed Smith apologized for its handling of sexual harassment allegations against former partner Charles Elphicke. The firm stated that a review found its handling of the matter in 2005 did not meet the standards it sets for itself today. The apology concerns the firm's conduct in addressing the allegations, and the review concluded that the earlier handling fell short of current standards.
1889
Representation arising from the Johnstown Flood
Reed Smith founders Knox and Reed represented members of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club after the South Fork Dam failure caused the Johnstown Flood. They argued that the disaster was an act of nature, and the resulting cases ended without the club being held legally responsible or survivors receiving compensation. The episode remains a controversial part of the firm’s historical record and influenced later legal discussion of strict liability.
Brand decisions
2018
Expand U.S. regulatory and regional capabilitiesStrategyBackground
Demand for regulatory enforcement and technology-related corporate work encouraged targeted lateral recruitment and geographic expansion.
Action taken
Reed Smith opened an Austin office, hired 14 lawyers from Norton Rose Fulbright and recruited former General Electric chief compliance officer Lewis Zirogiannis.
Aftermath
The moves broadened the firm’s Texas presence and global regulatory enforcement capability.
2016
Form alliance with Resource LawStrategyBackground
Reed Smith pursued additional access to Singapore and the wider Asia-Pacific market without describing the arrangement as a full merger.
Action taken
The firm entered a formal alliance with Singapore firm Resource Law.
Aftermath
The alliance supported regional client service and complemented Reed Smith’s existing Asian network.
2007
Combine with Richards ButlerM&ABackground
The firm continued its strategy of building a global network through combinations with established local practices.
Action taken
Reed Smith merged with U.K. firm Richards Butler.
Aftermath
The combination expanded Reed Smith’s presence in France, Greece, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
2001
Acquire Warner CranstonM&ABackground
Reed Smith sought to establish a durable United Kingdom and European platform as part of its international expansion.
Action taken
The firm acquired U.K. law firm Warner Cranston, creating a transatlantic base.
Aftermath
The transaction was followed by further office openings and international expansion.
Recent events
Reported
Reed Smith launches arbitration pricing mobile app[3]
Reed Smith launched a free mobile app, the Arbitration Pricing Calculator, to help users estimate potential arbitration costs across venues.
Reported
Reed Smith apologizes over handling of harassment allegations[2]
Reed Smith apologized for its handling of sexual harassment allegations against former partner Charles Elphicke. The firm said a review found that its handling of the matter in 2005 did not meet the standards it sets for itself today.
Weekdays and relative dates follow the original report; their exact calendar dates have not been verified.
Sources3 sources
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