(April 24, 2006, New York City) – Reed Smith LLP, a top-25 international law firm, today announced Brian E. Burns has joined the firm as a new partner in its Corporate & Securities Group resident in the New York office, effective immediately.
Mr. Burns joins Reed Smith from the New York office of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP.
“The addition of Brian to the New York office continues our strategy of growing the corporate practice in this market through strong laterals at all levels,” said David M. Grimes, market managing partner of Reed Smith’s New York office. “Brian’s capabilities in handling sophisticated transactional and securities matters will be a tremendous asset as we continue to capture a larger share of that work in New York. We also expect to draw on Brian’s extensive and broad cross-border transactional experience as we expand our global platform.”
Mr. Burns has amassed more than seven years of cross-border transactional experience working at Sullivan & Cromwell and Cleary Gottlieb, two prominent international law firms, including nearly three years of overseas postings in Australia, Hong Kong and Germany. A majority of his work has involved the representation of issuers and underwriters in public and private debt and equity offerings. Mr. Burns also has extensive public and private domestic and cross-border M&A experience, as well as a prior adjunct faculty appointment at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law to teach courses in this area.
From 2002 to 2003, Mr. Burns served as the Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, advising the company through a period of intense scrutiny due to a private scandal involving its namesake CEO.
“I believe the opportunities for advancing my corporate finance, M&A and transactional practice are virtually unlimited at Reed Smith,” Mr. Burns said. “This is a firm with an exceptionally strong national and growing international platform, which is committed to expanding its corporate and securities practice firmwide, especially in New York. I am very enthusiastic about joining Reed Smith.”
Mr. Burns earned his J.D. with honors from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law in 1997 where he served as Editor-in-Chief of The Ohio State Law Journal and was inducted as a member of the Order of the Coif.
He received his B.A. and M.A. in International Affairs from The American University in 1990 and 1992, respectively. From 1997 to 1998, Mr. Burns clerked for the Honorable R. Guy Cole, Jr. on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. He is a member of the Bar in New York, and is proficient in written and conversational German.
About Reed Smith
Reed Smith LLP is a top-25 international law firm with nearly 1,100 lawyers located in 18 cities worldwide (14 in the U.S. and four in Europe). The firm represents clients ranging from Fortune 100 companies to mid-market and emerging companies. Clients include financial services firms, life sciences companies, health care providers, technology companies and entrepreneurs, power generators and suppliers, manufacturers, real estate companies, universities, and non-profit organizations throughout the world. For more information, visit www.reedsmith.com.