Benchmark Litigation’s National Top 250 Women in Litigation Guide Continues to Recognize Kerry Shad & Addie Ries

Kerry Shad and Addie Ries have once again been recognized by Benchmark Litigation in its 12^th edition of the "Top 250 Women in Litigation" guide, which recognizes practitioners in the U.S. who have earned their place amongst the leading female litigators by participating in some of the most impactful litigation matters in recent history, as well as by earning the hard-won respect of their peers and clients. This is Kerry’s third time being included in the guide and Addie’s second.

The "Top 250 Women in Litigation" guide includes coverage of female litigators in the United States. Kerry and Addie are included among the top women lawyers in the South category. Each female litigator was selected after several phases of research that included review of their recent case work, consideration of how attorneys at peer legal institutions might rank them and client feedback on their performance.

Benchmark Litigation has recognized Kerry as a Labor & Employment Star since the release of its first guide in 2018 and in 2023 she was also recognized as a Litigation Star. Among her many other accolades, Kerry is also ranked by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business in the North Carolina Labor & Employment category. As co-lead of the Employment Litigation team, Kerry advises companies of all sizes, including global companies, on a wide variety of employment law issues across a range of industries, including healthcare (insurers and hospitals), pharmaceutical, technology, hospitality and manufacturing. She regularly defends employers against EEOC charges and lawsuits in federal and state courts in jurisdictions across the country.

In addition to her ranking among the "Top 250 Women in Litigation," Addie has been recognized by Best Lawyers® in the areas of Commercial Litigation and Products Liability Litigation, and as a North Carolina Litigation Star in Benchmark Litigation’s 2023 rankings. Addie currently serves as Chair of the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys’ Products Liability section and co-lead of the firm’s Asbestos and Toxic Torts team. Addie focuses her practice on defending a wide range of companies (including companies from chemical, pharmaceutical, automotive, aviation, electrical, and manufacturing industries) in toxic tort and products liability cases in North Carolina, South Carolina, and other jurisdictions (and MDLs) nationwide.

Both Kerry and Addie are part of Smith Anderson’s Litigation team that has been honored as the “North Carolina State Firm of the Year” by Benchmark Litigation for four consecutive years (2020-2023).

Benchmark Litigation is the definitive guide to the leading litigation law firms and lawyers around the world. Since its inception in 2008, Benchmark has grown dramatically and garnered industry-wide accolades as the hub for in-depth analysis of the players shaping the practice of litigation. The growth of the brand has driven demand for its expansion to service other markets beyond the U.S. including, Canada, Latin America, the Asia-Pacific region and Europe. Additional details about Benchmark Litigation’s voting methodology can be viewed here.