Thorp Reed & Armstrong Partner Kimberly A. Brown Receives 2008 Lynette Norton Award from the Pennsylvania Bar Association

PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Thorp Reed & Armstrong partner Kimberly A. Brown, was honored with the 2008 Lynette Norton Award from the Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) Commission on Women in the Profession. The award was created in memory of Lynette Norton, an advocate and founding member of the PBA Commission on Women in the Profession who passed away in 2002 and is presented to a female attorney who excels in litigation and has demonstrated leadership in mentoring other women attorneys. Ms. Brown received the award Thursday, June 5^th, at the PBA Annual Meeting in Philadelphia.

“It is an honor to receive an award that bears Lynette Norton’s name,” said Ms. Brown. “Lynette Norton was a highly regarded trial attorney, an expert in insurance law, and a true professional -- someone who not only excelled in her area of practice but also reached out to other female attorneys to encourage and mentor them. As I have progressed throughout my career, I’ve tried to emulate attorneys like Ms. Norton who strived for excellence in their field and were committed to improving the profession and community at large.”

An experienced trial lawyer, Ms. Brown is a member of Thorp Reed’s Commercial and Corporate Litigation practice group and serves as the coordinator of the firm’s pro bono program. She has extensive experience in the federal and state trial and appellate courts and has successfully represented clients in complex product liability matters involving medical devices, chemical exposure, other toxic torts and consumer products. In the areas of commercial and insurance litigation, Ms. Brown is highly experienced in representing clients in defense of claims of breach of contract, fiduciary duty, negligence, bad faith and fraud, and violations of consumer protection laws.

As a result of her trial skills, Ms. Brown was inducted into the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County in 2005 and has been named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer, an honor bestowed upon the top five percent of Pennsylvania lawyers. She has served as a Governor on the Allegheny County Bar Association’s (ACBA) Board of Governors since 2003 and was elected President-Elect of the ACBA in May 2008.

“Kim is first and foremost, a fantastic trial attorney and a valued colleague and partner,” said Jeff Conn, Managing Partner of Thorp Reed & Armstrong. “Her legal expertise and acumen as a trial counsel deserve to be recognized along with her commitment to furthering the legal careers of other women. This award recognizes not only the impact she’s had within Thorp Reed & Armstrong, but in the Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania legal communities.”

Ms. Brown has previously been honored for her work on behalf of female attorneys. In May 2006, Ms. Brown was honored by the Allegheny County Bar Association with The Honorable Carol Los Mansmann Helping Hand Award for her efforts on behalf of women and her work in mentoring young female attorneys.

About Thorp Reed & Armstrong

Since 1895, Thorp Reed & Armstrong, LLP has been a premier Pittsburgh-based law firm, which has grown to include additional offices in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Princeton, New Jersey, and Wheeling, West Virginia. Earning the respect, trust and appreciation of clients, peers, and those who live in our communities, Thorp Reed & Armstrong attorneys have gained a reputation as lawyers who exemplify the profession’s best qualities. The firm supports a wide variety of clients’ needs within the practice areas of business law, litigation, labor, and commercial and public finance. For more information on Thorp Reed & Armstrong, call 412-394-7711 or visit www.thorpreed.com.