Reed Smith’s New Leader Targets Expansion into Additional Markets for Talent Acquisition

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Reed Smith’s new global managing partner, Casey Ryan, has said that the firm will continue to expand into new markets based on the skill sets and expertise its clients require. Ryan, who has overseen the firm’s recruitment, learning, compensation, and promotion, was selected by the executive committee as Alexander “Sandy” Thomas’s replacement. Ryan still needs to specify which cities the firm is considering. Under Thomas’s leadership, the firm recorded over $1.4 billion in revenue in 2021 and per equity partner profits of more than $1.7 million. Reed Smith’s strategy will continue to focus on five industry groups: energy and natural resources, entertainment and media, financial services, life sciences and health care, and transportation. Hiring will also focus on “key verticals” such as private equity, technology, and data.

Ryan has also stated that the firm will continue to invest in technology to deliver more efficient services, adding that “technology is going to change the way legal services are delivered.” Reed Smith has invested heavily in technology products and innovative legal service delivery businesses, with the launch of a subsidiary named Gravity Stack in 2018. The firm has also developed an associate training program that allows associates to transfer offices, take foreign language classes and learn about law firm economics and client work. Ryan said this program aims to speed up development during young lawyers’ first three years at the firm.

Unlike many law firms that are retrenching after an extended period of hiring during the pandemic boom in deals work, Reed Smith has not announced any layoffs. Ryan said the firm “didn’t over-hire, so we’re not in that position.” She added that while the pandemic has led to changes, the firm has held up well in demand. Reed Smith has no strict return-to-work policy, but Ryan stated that the firm expects lawyers to be in the office “more often than not.”

  

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Ryan has served at Reed Smith since graduating from the University of Notre Dame Law School in 1996 and has been the longest-tenured member of the firm’s seven-member senior management team. She will remain in her position through 2025 when Reed Smith is next scheduled to hold a leadership election.

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Reed Smith’s New Leader Eyes More Markets for Hiring Expertise