Chapman Law Alumna Makes Smooth Transition from Deputy District Attorney to Sedgwick Partner
May 5, 2017
Finding one’s niche in the law can often take time and patience, but Fowler School of Law alumna Rachel Reynolds (formerly Pickens ’05) quickly settled into a satisfying and successful career as a civil litigator after a short stint as a Deputy DA with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. Two years after joining the DA’s office, Reynolds returned to her hometown of Seattle, Washington and then transitioned to practice with the international litigation firm Sedgwick LLP. Within three years, she was named Complex Litigation Partner and has since tried numerous high-exposure cases involving product liability, toxic torts, and municipal liability.
When Reynolds left the DA position, she did not know how much her Chapman background would help in her growth and development in civil litigation.
“Having the experience from both the DA’s office and Chapman has been a blessing that I didn’t necessarily expect,” she said. “By the time I moved to a civil firm, I had more trial experience than anyone my age,” she added.
Reynolds also is happy to practice with numerous Chapman alumni based in Sedgwick’s Los Angeles and Orange County offices.
In addition to her caseload, Reynolds is involved in Sedgwick’s Inclusion and Diversity Committee and Women’s Forum, which each offer training and networking events to increase diversity in the legal profession. She also is active in the Leadership Academy of the American Bar Association’s Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section (TIPS) and is on the Executive Board of the Washington Defense Trial Lawyers. She has been named one of the “Top Women Attorneys in Washington State” by Seattle Met magazine (2013-2016) and a “Rising Star” by Washington Super Lawyers (2013-2017). She was also recently elected to membership in the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel.
As a law student, Reynolds was actively involved in the Chapman Law Review, Nexus Law Journal, Student Bar Association, Women’s Law Forum, and Mock Trial Competition Board.
