Beck received the award for a lifetime of dedication to the legal profession, education of the bar and judiciary, and significant achievement for and support of the defense bar. PDI’s board created the award this year specifically to recognize Beck’s ongoing work to prepare monthly memos for PDI members on new Pennsylvania law cases involving personal injury and for his efforts to routinely update PDI’s suggested standard product liability jury instructions.

Beck has been recognized previously by PDI for his contributions, receiving PDI’s Distinguished Defense Counsel of the Year award in 2015 and PDI’s Lifetime Achievement award in 2022.

Beck joined Reed Smith’s life sciences/health industry, product liability and appellate groups in 2012. His practice includes complex personal injury and product liability litigation, and he oversees the development of legal defenses, master briefs and dispositive motions in multidistrict litigation matters and other mass tort actions. In addition, he drafts appellate briefs in product liability matters, including amicus curiae briefs.

Highly regarded for his thought leadership on product liability law, Beck is founder and co-host of the award-winning Drug and Device Law Blog. In addition to the blog, he is regularly quoted in the media on significant legal decisions and product liability issues and is a regular contributor to legal trade publications. He presents seminars and educational programs and serves as a panelist and speaker at PDI conferences and events.