Reed Smith joins top 25 after merger with Crosby Heafy

Reed Smith joins top 25 after merger with Crosby Heafy

Reed Smith, the US firm which made its mark in the UK by taking over Warner Cranston, has catapulted itself into the largest 25 firms in the world by merging with Californian practice Crosby Heafy Roach & May.

The combined practice will have more than 1,000 lawyers and annual revenue of almost $500 million (320 million).

According to the American Lawyer Global 100 survey (see above), Reed Smith was 68th largest with income of $268 million.

The firm previously focused on the east coast of the US and the UK, and the merger gives it 215 lawyers in six Californian offices, including San Francisco and Los Angeles.

It will operate under the name Reed Smith Crosby Heafy in California 'for the immediate future'.

UK managing partner Tim Foster said of future plans: 'We will be focusing on further strengthening our global practices.'