Reed Smith global managing partner Alexander “Sandy” Thomas believes the level of talent at his 1,500-attorney firm has never been higher. Combine that with a year when client needs generated demand across the firm’s core practices, and the result was a 9.6% increase in revenue, with the top line hitting $1.43 billion.

“What we saw last year was the sophistication and complexity of what our clients needed us to help them with was at the highest level I’ve ever seen,” Thomas said. “And the team that we have on the field at Reed Smith—the talent quotient and what we’re able to do for clients—has never been better than it is right now.”