Paul Hastings Adds Chambers-Ranked Litigation Partner to its Global Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice

DALLAS – Adding to its global Data Privacy and Cybersecurity practice, Paul Hastings LLP announced today that Michelle A. Reed has joined the firm as a partner in Dallas.

Chambers-ranked for cybersecurity, privacy, and securities litigation, Reed has more than two decades of experience advising corporate clients, their boards, and individuals on privacy and cybersecurity risks, regulations, enforcement, and class actions. She has deep experience with assessing comprehensive privacy and security risks, and frequently develops strategies for mitigation and remediation of related threats. Her deep complex litigation experience includes securities class actions, consumer class actions, as well as derivative suits.

“With cybersecurity and data privacy remaining high on the agenda of boards, c-suites, audit committees, and GCs of large multinationals, Michelle’s extensive experience with corporate enterprise risks and global regulation is a valuable addition to our robust data privacy and cybersecurity team. Her unique skill set will greatly benefit our clients worldwide, particularly in addressing unique problems related to compliance and diligence,” said Global Managing Partner Sherrese Smith, who previously served as vice chair of the firm’s Data Privacy and Cybersecurity practice. “Her diverse securities and complex litigation experience also positions us well to capture additional market share in this important area and across the Texas economy.”

Reed joins from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, where she was co-head of its cybersecurity, privacy, and data protection practice. She is a Certified Information Privacy Professional and a member of the U.S. and International Associations of Privacy Professionals.

“I’m excited to work with the Firm’s global clients and guide them through the rapidly evolving risk areas of cybersecurity and privacy, including artificial intelligence,” said Reed. “I’m also thrilled to introduce the tremendous talent and resources of Paul Hastings to my clients—many of which are already familiar with the firm and its outstanding reputation. The firm is renowned not only for its legal practitioners but also its innovative cybersecurity and privacy consulting group.”

Reed is the latest top-flight litigator to join across multiple Paul Hastings offices. She follows Manuel Berrelez, who recently joined in Dallas, Paul Genender (co-chair of the Dallas and Houston offices), and other prominent additions, including complex commercial litigator Susan Leader (Century City); IP litigators Doug Sawyer (Chicago) and a six-partner team led by Shamita Etienne-Cummings (Palo Alto and Washington, D.C.); white collar and investigations partners Stuart Alford KC (London), Adam Fee (Los Angeles/Century City), and Brad Bondi (Washington, D.C.); and international arbitration partners Oliver Browne (London), Garreth Wong (London), and Jonathan Hamilton (Washington, D.C.).

Other high-profile additions in Texas include an eight-partner, 25-lawyer Band 1 finance team that joined from that firm in March and a three-partner, seven-lawyer Chambers-ranked corporate team that, like Reed, joined from Akin in February.

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With widely recognized elite teams in finance, mergers & acquisitions, private equity, restructuring and special situations, litigation, employment and real estate, Paul Hastings is a premier law firm providing superior intellectual capital and execution globally to the world’s leading investment banks, asset managers and corporations.