Reed Smith's Philadelphia office has added the leader of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius' Philadelphia corporate and business transactions practice, the firm announced Tuesday

Michael Peterson, a transactional lawyer with a focus on private equity, counsels clients on mergers and acquisitions, cross-border deals, joint ventures and financing transactions. He spent his entire career at Morgan Lewis before his move to Reed Smith.

According to Philadelphia managing partner Leonard Bernstein, Peterson became connected to the firm through friendships with Reed Smith partners including Paul Jaskot. Bernstein said Peterson's private equity concentration is “extremely valuable,” and adding a partner with that focus has been a strategic goal of the Philadelphia office.

“The legal work in servicing the funds that private equity corporations develop and invest in is important, but secondly, the companies that a private equity lawyer like Mike gets to serve … need assistance in real estate law, employment law, litigation, tax, and depending on the industry, health care and, in Mike's case, financial services,” Bernstein said. “That has a positive impact in every corner of our office.”

Peterson's clients are in industries including life sciences, manufacturing, technology, water and waste water, trucking, printing, communications, and professional services. He works with funds on complex acquisition and disposition strategies, as well as fund creation, as primary outside counsel.

Matthew Petersen, who co-chairs Reed Smith's corporate practice, said in a statement that Peterson has a “stellar reputation” in Philadelphia's business and legal communities.

“His busy practice plays to our strengths in sophisticated M&A, private equity, and corporate finance,” Petersen said. “Our global corporate practice is thriving and expanding. Mike will be a cornerstone of our continued growth—in the Philadelphia market and beyond.”

Global firm Reed Smith, with its roots in Pittsburgh, has about 150 lawyers in Philadelphia, Bernstein said.

“Reed Smith's global platform and its ongoing commitment to expanding its corporate practice are among the many reasons I decided to join the firm,” Peterson said in a statement Tuesday.

In addition to his legal practice, Peterson also has experience as an Olympic rower, having competed on the U.S. Olympic rowing team from 1993 to 1996.

In a statement Tuesday, a spokeswoman for Morgan Lewis said the firm wishes him well.