(February 4, 2008, Los Angeles) – LAWFUEL – Legal Announcement Service – Reed Smith LLP, one of the 15 largest law firms in the world, has again expanded its West Coast presence – this time through the addition of three new partners in its two Los Angeles offices effective today.
The addition of Kathyleen “Kate” O’Brien and Mark Litvack to its Century City office and Henry Wang in Los Angeles pushes the firm’s total number of new partners in California since January 2005 to well over 50.
“We are continuing our steady growth on the West Coast through the addition of strong laterals in key practice areas,” said Eugene Tillman, Reed Smith’s Director of Legal Personnel. “In just three years, we have attracted more than four dozen high impact partners from top tier firms to help provide our clients with the high quality teams of lawyers to respond to their domestic and international business and legal needs.”
Kate O’Brien, who has a strong antitrust, copyright and trademark litigation practice, will join the firm’s Intellectual Property Group. A former partner in the Los Angeles Litigation Department at Morrison & Foerster, Ms. O’Brien’s experience extends to trying cases in both state and federal court, as well as to handling arbitrations, mediations and enforcement proceedings at all levels, including proceedings before the Federal Trade Commission and the National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc. She represents consumer products and entertainment companies in federal and state litigation and enforcement actions, including consumer class actions, involving unfair competition, false and deceptive advertising, trademark infringement, and trade regulation claims. She also conducts compliance programs and employee training in these areas.
Mark Litvack who will be a member of the firm’s west coast litigation group, was formerly a partner at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP, Los Angeles, where his practice focused on civil litigation, with an emphasis on technology issues, intellectual property, trademark and copyright infringement and entertainment actions. Prior to joining Manatt, he was a partner at Mitchell, Silverberg & Knupp LLP in Los Angeles, where his practice had similar emphases. Earlier in his career, he was Vice-President and Director of Legal Affairs, World-Wide Anti-Piracy, for the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and, for some 15 years prior to that, a Senior Attorney in the Legal Department of Texaco Inc.
Mr. Wang was also a partner in the Los Angeles office of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP. With a practice focus on general business litigation, Mr. Wang has a significant range of experience handling matters involving intellectual property, real estate, employment law, First Amendment rights, product liability, unfair competition, bad faith denial of insurance benefits, and other complex business tort and contract actions. He represents clients in courts at all levels, including the US Supreme Court, as well as advises clients on general legal issues in day-to-day business operations. Mr. Wang joins his colleague, Mark Litvack also in the firm’s west coast litigation group.
Joining as counsel is Wendy Albers in the firm’s appellate group in Los Angeles. Ms. Albers was previously counsel at the Encino office of Horvitz & Levy LLP, where she specialized in general civil litigation involving a broad range of practice areas including premises liability, products liability, insurance coverage and contractual disputes.
“We’ve recently brought on board a number of partners who will help us be responsive to the increased demand for financial services, regulatory and commercial litigation services that we are experiencing, ” said Lorenzo Gasparetti, Reed Smith’s West Coast Commercial Litigation Practice Group Leader. “All of these new attorneys are highly capable professionals, recognized in their fields and dedicated to delivering exceptional client services as well as contributing to Reed Smith’s continued growth in this region.”
About Reed Smith
Reed Smith is one of the 15 largest law firms in the world, with more than 1,600 lawyers in 23 offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Founded in 1877, the firm represents leading international businesses from Fortune 100 corporations to mid-market and emerging enterprises. Its attorneys provide litigation services in multi-jurisdictional matters and other high stake disputes, deliver regulatory counsel, and execute the full range of strategic domestic and cross-border transactions. Reed Smith is a preeminent advisor to industries including financial services, life sciences, health care, advertising and media, shipping, international trade and commodities, real estate, manufacturing, and education. For more information, visit reedsmith.com
U.S.: New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Oakland, Princeton, Northern Virginia, Wilmington, Century City, Richmond
Europe: London, Paris, Munich, Birmingham, Greece
Middle East: Abu Dhabi, Dubai
Asia: Hong Kong, Beijing
