In 1877, Philander Knox and James Hay Reed founded Knox and Reed, a law firm that represented a number of prominent individuals and businesses in the United States. Some of their clients included Andrew Carnegie (United States Steel, Carnegie Institute of Technology, and Carnegie Mellon University), Andrew and Richard Mellon (Mellon Institute of Industrial Research), Heinz, and Westinghouse. Their clients were among the distinguished few who were responsible in helping transform the U.S. into an industrial power. Several years later, in 1881, Edwin W. Smith, George E. Shaw, and Samuel McClay joined the firm.

The firm changed its name to Reed Smith Shaw & McClay in 1922 and their total revenue jumped to $923,617.

Over the years, the firm underwent significant changes and expansions, mostly by way of mergers with other prominent firms or companies like United Kingdom’s Warner Cranston in 2001; Parker Duryee Rosoff & Haft (2002); Crosby, Heafy, Roach & May in 2003; Hall Dickler (an advertising and marketing firm) in 2004; Chicago’s Sachoff & Weaver (2007); and the London and Hong Kong offices of Richards Butler. This year, 2008, Reed Smith combined its expertise with that of Anderson Kill & Olick’s (an insurance firm).

At present, the firm has over 1,600 lawyers who represent several of the world’s leading companies in various complex cases like litigation and high stakes disputes, and cross-border transactions. It counsels 28 of the United States’ top 30 banks and 10 of the 12 largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. Reed Smith is also known for its exceptional practice in advertising law and is likewise admired for its shipping practice.

Aside from its Pittsburgh headquarters, Reed Smith also operates offices in other major cities in the U.S., Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Some of the firm’s 24 offices are found in Abu Dhabi, Beijing, Hong Kong, Munich, London, Paris, Greece, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and Silicon Valley.

Reed Smith is also committed to community service as evidenced by some of the awards and recognition it has earned: 2007 Vincent E. Reed Award for its support of the Public Education Project of The Washington Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights & Urban Affairs, the “White Hat Award” from Philadelphia’s Legal Clinic in recognition of the firm’s work for clinic clients, and various other citations regarding the firm’s pro bono work.

The firm’s chief operating officer is Gary A. Sokulski while Reed Smith’s Global Managing Partner is Gregory B. Jordan.

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