Kennedy will focus on guiding the firm's Los Angeles office through the next steps required to complete the integration of the California-based firm formerly known as Crosby Heafey Roach & May with Reed Smith LLP, which has offices across the United States and in the United Kingdom.
"Janet has done an exceptional job of leading our Los Angeles office during the critical, early days of achieving a smooth combination of Reed Smith with Crosby Heafey," said Greg Jordan, Reed Smith’s firmwide managing partner. "We are grateful she was able to remain at the helm through February, and we are also pleased that Peter stood ready to immediately step into this important role. We anticipate that this will be a seamless transition during which our Los Angeles office will continue to deliver the exceptional legal representation that is our hallmark."
A 1993 graduate of the University of California-Los Angeles School of Law, Kennedy earned a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley. A member of Crosby Heafey’s first summer associate class in Los Angeles in l992, Kennedy has been with the firm since l993.
"As we move forward in this transitional period and beyond, I will work to ensure that the many details which make a law firm great are being carefully monitored and maintained,” Kennedy said. I am proud to have this pportunity to lead this phase of the integration process. My hope is that I will be able to build on what is already here to create an environment where attorneys in the Los Angeles office can grow their practices.”
Kwuon's representation of a major product liability client currently requires extensive travel, prompting her decision to give up the managing partner position.
"I very much enjoyed serving as the first Los Angeles managing partner of the combined firms," Kwuon said. "But the current demands of my practice are not consistent with the needs of managing the day-to-day operations of a large and growing law office at a particularly critical and demanding time. I believe my expertise and talents can be best used at this time by putting the Los Angeles office's managerial responsibilities in Peter's very capable hands. I am confident he will do an excellent job in this demanding role."
The Los Angeles office is anticipating the addition of attorneys as it moves to strengthen Reed Smith's West Coast financial services practice. There are currently 50 attorneys in this office, and 62 staff members.
Reed Smith, a leading global law firm with nearly 1,000 lawyers located in 16 U.S. and two U.K. cities, represents Fortune 100 as well as mid-market and emerging companies. Clients include technology companies and entrepreneurs, financial services firms, life sciences companies and health care providers and insurers, communications companies, manufacturers, universities, non-profit organizations, real estate developers, and municipalities throughout the United States and in 40 countries. For more information, please visit reedsmith.com.