The partnerships of Pittsburgh-based K&L Gates and Charlotte, N.C.-based Kennedy Covington Lobdell & Hickman gave a thumbs up Monday to a merger of the two firms.

The combination, effective July 1, will result in a firm of more than 1,700 attorneys in 28 offices across the United States, Europe and Asia. The firm also said it would have the largest Carolinas presence of any global law firm with more than 175 lawyers in the region.