Charles Reed is a partner in the Atlanta office of Lewis Brisbois and is chair of the Chinese Business & Litigation practice, chair of the Japan Practice, co-chair of the Korean Business & Litigation practice, co-chair of the Product Liability Practice, which is one of the largest groups in the firm with over 250 product liability attorneys, and vice-chair of the Lithium-Ion Battery Practice. He has defended automotive, aviation, medical device, industrial equipment, recreational product, watercraft, and other manufacturers and distributors in product liability lawsuits, including at trial. Mr. Reed has appeared in courts in practically every region of the country – not only in his native Southeast, but also the Northeast, Midwest, Mountain Region, Southwest, and West Coast.

In his almost 30 years of litigation experience, Mr. Reed has handled a variety of class actions, including environmental class actions and those related to cybersecurity and data breaches. He has represented automotive clients in product liability class actions, and has assisted automotive industry clients in their dealings with various government agencies such as NHTSA. Mr. Reed’s extensive experience includes all aspects of litigation with over 100 jury trials. Other types of lawsuits Mr. Reed has managed for his clients include intellectual property litigation, complex commercial litigation, and transportation litigation. He has guided various document and data collection projects to assist clients in coordinating discovery efforts.

Mr. Reed is highly knowledgeable about the needs of Asian businesses. He has defended Japanese, Korean and Chinese manufacturers of boat engines, automobiles and motor vehicles, all-terrain vehicles, motorcycles, and other products. This experience has led him to become the co-chair of Lewis Brisbois’ Chinese Business & Litigation Practice and co-chair of the firm’s Japan Practice. Mr. Reed continues to represent many manufacturers in product liability litigation in courts across the United States.

Mr. Reed has been named a “Georgia Super Lawyer” by Atlanta Magazine, named one of Georgia’s “Legal Elite” by Georgia Trend Magazine and is an AV® Preeminent peer review rated lawyer by Martindale-Hubbell. He has been selected as one of “America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators®” which identifies the nation’s most exceptional trial attorneys in high value, high stakes legal matters. Additionally, Mr. Reed often serves as an instructor on the topics of trial practice and trial techniques.

Mr. Reed is one of four members of Lewis Brisbois' nationwide Pro Bono Committee, which oversees all pro bono work handled by lawyers across all of our offices.

Professional Presentations

• “General Overview of the U.S. Legal System; Overview of U.S. Product Liability & Emerging Tactics; Typical Issues in Handling U.S. Product Liability Claims Involving Chinese Companies,” Qingdao, China May 9-10, 2019
• “Litigation, Claims and Product Liability in the U.S." Seoul, South Korea, October 23, 2018
• “Anatomy of a Trial”, Atlanta, March 9, 2018
• “Successful Underwriting of Product Liability Cases,” Hong Kong, April 27, 2017
• “Product Liability in the U.S.,” Charlotte, NC, January 6, 2015
• “Product Liability and Product Recall,” October 22, 2014
• Products Liability in the United States, Fuzhou, China, September 11, 2013; Guangzhou, China, September 12, 2013; Hong Kong, September 13, 2013; Shenzhen, China, September 16, 2013; and Nanjing, China, September 17, 2013
• Marine Claims Handling in the United States, Beijing, China, September 9, 2013 and Shanghai, China, September 18, 2013
• Practice of Law in the United States, Tianjin, China, September 10, 2013
• Overview of U.S. Legal System and Insurance Claims, Shanghai, China, May 20 and 21, 2013
• “Anatomy of a Trial,” Atlanta, GA, July 23, 2009
• “U.S. Product Liability Law: Understanding and Managing the Risks,” Munich Germany, October 23, 2007
• “Annual Symposium on Insurance Litigation,” Washington, D.C., July 24, 2007
• “Product Liability Issues in the U.S. - What German Companies Need to Know,” Munich, Germany, October 18, 2006

Admissions

• State Bar Admissions
  • Colorado
  • Georgia
• State Supreme Courts
  • Georgia Supreme Court
• United States District Courts
  • United States District Court for the District of Colorado
  • United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia
  • United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
  • United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
• United States Courts of Appeals
  • United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
• United States Supreme Court

Admissions

Georgia

Colorado

U.S. Supreme Court

Supreme Court of Georgia

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado

U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin

U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit

Associations

• American Bar Association
• State Bar of Georgia
• Mentor, State Bar of Georgia Transition into Law Practice Program
• Atlanta Bar Association
• Former Board Member, Atlanta Council of Younger Lawyers
• Defense Research Institute
• Lawyers Club of Atlanta
• Old War Horse Lawyers Club, Inc.

Awards & Honors

• Best Lawyers in America® - 'Best Lawyers' Commercial Litigation (2024)
• Selection to America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators®
• AV® Preeminent Top Rated Lawyer (Product Liability)
• Georgia Super Lawyers

Education

Mercer University School of Law

Juris Doctor, cum laude, 1990

Louisiana State University

Bachelor of Science, 1986