Kerry Shad & Addie Ries Ranked in Benchmark Litigation’s National Top 250 Women in Litigation Guide

Kerry Shad and Addie Ries have once again been recognized by Benchmark Litigation in its 13^th edition of the “Top 250 Women in Litigation” guide, which recognizes practitioners in the U.S. who are amongst the leading female litigators by participating in some of the most impactful litigation matters in recent history, as well as by earning the respect of their peers and clients.

The “Top 250 Women in Litigation” guide includes coverage of women 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 she was named a Litigation Star in 2023 and 2024. 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, pharmaceutical and CRO, technology, biotech, agtech, retail, 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 and 2024 rankings. Addie currently serves as Chair of the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys’ Products Liability section and co-lead of the firm’s Toxic Torts, PFAS, and Asbestos Litigation team. Versed in the nationwide landscape and science of PFAS, asbestos, pharmaceutical, and other toxic tort litigation, Addie serves as primary counsel and national counsel defending her clients against cases filed as individual actions, class actions, and multi-district litigation (MDL). Outside of litigation, she regularly counsels product manufacturers regarding a wide range of business issues related to products liability and toxic torts..

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 five consecutive years (2020-2024).

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.