Morning Briefing: New firm joins US top 50 after merger

Locke Lord Edwards now official
The merger of Locke Lord and Edwards Wildman palmer has now been finalised and the combined firm is operating as Locke Lord Wildman. The two firms agreed to merge at the start of December and over the weekend the 1,000 lawyer firm became a US top 50 law firm with revenues of US $675 million.
 
Reed Smith launches SE Asia corporate practice
Matt Gorman has been hired by Reed Smith to launch a corporate practice in South East Asia. He joins the firm from Stephenson Harwood where he was head of corporate, having spent 14 years at the firm. He will operate from Reed Smith’s Singapore office.
 
KWM promotes Hong Kong lawyer to partner
There’s a new partner in the Hong Kong office of King & Wood Mallesons. Urszula McCormack has been with the firm for a number of years and has undertaken various roles in addition to her practice work including co-ordinating the pro bono committee and working to achieve better diversity within the firm. Her promotion was effective from 1^st January 2015.
 
New office for Kennedys
Kennedys has added a new location to its growing international network. The firm, which has Asia-Pac offices including Auckland, Sydney, Hong Kong and Singapore, has now added an additional UK office based in Scotland.
 
Simmons & Simmons expands into Luxembourg
Simmons & Simmons has continued the expansion of its global footprint with the opening of its new office in Luxembourg. The small European Union state is home to many large corporates due to its favourable tax regime. The new Simmons & Simmons office has four partners and eight associates and is based in the heart of the financial district.
 
Cooley plans to “make a big impact in London”
With offices in the US, China and Europe Cooley already has an international presence but the Silicon Valley firm is now focused on taking London by storm. The new office has 20 partners and 55 other law professionals including a team from Edwards Wildman Palmer.