Steve Reed is a nationally-recognized litigator at the trial and appellate levels with a broad practice representing clients in high-stakes class actions and other commercial litigation in a wide range of substantive areas, including antitrust, securities fraud, shareholder derivative, mass torts, and merger challenges. He has appeared before federal and state local courts in more than 30 states, and is listed in leading global and national publications for antitrust, “bet the company,” general commercial, and securities litigation. Steve is the practice group leader of the firm's global antitrust and competition law practice.
A trusted advisor to his clients, Steve is regularly called upon to tackle companies’ most critical legal challenges, which often include multiple dimensions. In addition to litigation, Steve has represented clients in response to government investigations by federal agencies, by state attorneys general in all 50 states, and congressional inquiries in both the House and the Senate. He also counsels clients on risk mitigation strategies and during due diligence before corporate acquisitions. Steve’s clients include leading companies in pharmaceuticals and the life sciences, healthcare, insurance, oil and gas, technology, finance, retail, transportation, chemical, entertainment, banking, and paper and office products, among other industries.
Chambers USA describes Steve as “exceptionally talented,” “smart, analytical, and strategic,” and “top notch in every respect," who clients find “a pleasure to work with.” Commentators describe the antitrust team led by Steve as “extremely responsive with astonishingly prescient advice,” and describe Steve in particular as possessing “a superlative legal mind, unparalleled oral advocacy skills and an unmatched ability to make the complex seem straightforward” and as “the best in the industry right now for pharmaceutical antitrust.” Steve has twice been named a “Competition MVP” by Law360 , and was one of ten lawyers in the world to be shortlisted for “Lawyer of the Year” by Global Competition Review in 2020. His commitment to client service has resulted in his twice being recognized as a “Client Service All-Star” by BTI Consulting Inc., and as an “Acritas Star” by Acritas every year since 2017.
Steve has been involved in some of the largest and most complex litigations in the country. His recent noteworthy matters include four MDLs (In re: National Prescription Opiate Litigation; In re: Generic Pharmaceuticals Pricing Antitrust Litigation; In re: North Sea Brent Crude Oil Futures Litigation; and In re: Zetia Antitrust Litigation); the defense of a lawsuit brought by the FTC challenging constitutionally-protected petitioning activity that presented a matter of first impression relating to the FTC’s authority to sue in federal court; the defense against a challenge by dozens of taxi cab companies to the competitive entry of a transportation network company in Philadelphia; the defense of a pharmaceutical company accused of entering into a “pay for delay” settlement with respect to a blockbuster drug; and the defense of a company accused of participating in an alleged, industry-wide price fixing conspiracy.
Antitrust litigation:
Litigation involving pharmaceutical industry:
Shareholder class and derivative actions:
Appellate advocacy:
Recognized, Commercial Litigation, including Antitrust, Securities, Mass Torts, M&A, Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America (2022, 2024, 2025)
Practice Group Leader, Practice Group of the Year, Competition, Law360 (2017–2021)
Practice Group Leader, Law Firm of the Year for Antitrust, The Best Lawyers in America (2017, 2022)
Stand Out Lawyer, Thomson Reuters (2022)
Band 1, Antitrust, Pennsylvania, Chambers USA (2021–2024)
Ranked, Antitrust, Pennsylvania, Chambers USA (2007–2008, 2014–2020)
Acritas Star (2017–2021)
Client Service All Star, BTI Consulting Inc. (2013, 2020)
MVP, Competition/Antitrust, Law360 (2018, 2019)
Shortlisted, “Lawyer of the Year,” Global Competition Review (2020)
Life Sciences Star, Antitrust, LMG Life Sciences Awards Americas (2023, 2024)
Life Sciences Star, Non-IP Litigation and Enforcement, LMG Life Sciences (2013–2022)
Shortlisted, “Antitrust Litigator of the Year,” LMG Life Sciences (2020, 2021)
Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Antitrust Law, Philadelphia (2007–2025)
Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Litigation – Antitrust, Philadelphia (2007–2025)
Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Commercial Litigation, Philadelphia (2007–2025)
Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Philadelphia (2007–2024)
Recommended, Antitrust: Civil litigation/class actions: defense, The Legal 500 US (2019–2024)
Recommended, Antitrust: Cartel, The Legal 500 US (2019–2021)
Recommended, Antitrust: Merger control, The Legal 500 US (2021)
Recommended, Dispute resolution: Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense, The Legal 500 US (2019)
Litigation Star, Antitrust, General Commercial, Securities, Philadelphia, Benchmark Litigation (2016–2020)
Lawyer of the Year, Antitrust Law, Philadelphia, The Best Lawyers in America (2016)
Best of the Bar, Business Litigation, Philadelphia Business Journal (2018)
Recognized, Pennsylvania Super Lawyers (2005–2009, 2013–2022)