HONOREE EXCELLENCE IN LAW AWARD

Amber S. Finch Office Managing Partner, Reed Smith LLP

Amber Finch is a member of the firm’s Insurance Recovery Group and is Managing Partner of the firm’s Los Angeles office. Since joining the firm in 2011, Amber has quickly become a go-to lawyer for creating effective risk management solutions. With her litigation background, she has helped her commercial policyholder clients recover hundreds of millions of dollars in insurance proceeds. Amber represents a litany of clients from start-up businesses to middle market and Fortune 500. She helps companies manage risk by negotiating broader insurance coverage on the front end, negotiating insurance and indemnity provisions in deal contracts, assisting with tender and collection on insurance and indemnity claims, and litigating insurance and indemnity disputes. Amber has significant experience in standard first party and third party insurance policies, as well as specialty policies, emerging industries and disruptive technologies. Most recently, Amber represents various companies in connection with business income interruption and property damage losses arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, and aviation businesses in connection with losses arising out of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Amber’s environmental experience includes the representation of land owners, tenants, and other operators of property on a variety of hazardous waste, water, air, and other environmental impact issues. Amber defends her clients in private cost recovery actions brought under CERCLA and RCRA. She also represents her clients in negotiating and complying with government consent decrees, Superfund litigation, and enforcement actions. Amber was lead counsel for a Fortune 500 company and its manufacturing subsidiary in a private cost recovery/CERCLA action involving underground storage tanks, soil and groundwater contamination at a long-term leased property. Amber’s representation was crucial in the identification of other potential responsible parties, and ultimately led to the reduction of exposure to liability for her client. Not only did Amber’s aggressive representation lead to a great settlement for the client, but with Amber’s insurance background, she was able to obtain insurance coverage for 98% of the settlement amount for her client.

For her pro bono work, Amber successfully petitioned the Ninth Circuit to vacate her legal permanent resident client’s immigration removal order. In its published opinion, the Ninth Circuit granted the petition in its entirety and vacated the detention order. Amber also volunteers at the Central District of California’s Federal Pro Se Clinic. In addition to her work at Reed Smith, Amber is a past president of the Black Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, Inc., a non-profit organization committed to the advancement and development of women of color in the legal profession. She is currently a board member the University of Southern California Gould School of Law’s Board of Councilors. Amber previously served as a board member of the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles.

During her professional career, Amber also served as an adjunct professor of Legal Writing, Research, and Advocacy for the University of Southern California Gould School of Law. In 2000, she was a judicial extern for the Hon. Barry T. Moskowitz, United States District Court Judge for the Southern District of California.

We are proud to support the Black Women Lawyers Foundation and congratulate this year’s honorees including Amber Finch, Reed Smith Los Angeles Office Managing Partner! We also congratulate honorees Crystal Crawford, Tabitha Brown and The Social Justice Learning Institute and this year’s Scholarship Recipients.