Womble Bond Dickinson
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Womble Bond Dickinson is an Anglo-American law firm formed in 2017 by a merger between UK-based Bond Dickinson LLP and US-based Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, LLP. The merger followed a strategic alliance announcement made in 2016.
The new entity is a company limited by guarantee in which Womble Bond Dickinson UK LLP and Womble Bond Dickinson US LLP operate as separate non-profit-sharing partnerships with their own independent Boards.
Four members from each partnership have been appointed to the board of the new business entity. That Board is co-chaired by Jonathan Blair and Betty Temple.
Womble Bond Dickinson is based in 26 locations across the UK and North America. In the UK there are offices in Aberdeen, Bristol, Edinburgh, Leeds, London, Newcastle, Plymouth, and Southampton. In the US, Womble Bond Dickinson is based in Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Charleston, Charlotte, Charlottesville, Colombia, Greensboro, Greenville, Los Angeles, Orange County, Raleigh, Research Triangle Park, Silicon Valley, Tysons, Washington DC, Wilmington and Winston-Salem.
History
In the US, Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice LLP traces its history back to 1876, when Cyrus Watson and W.B. Glenn formed a partnership in Winston, North Carolina under the name Watson & Glenn.[3]
| Year | Name Change |
|---|---|
| 1885 | Glenn & Glenn Jr |
| 1891 | Glenn & Manley |
| 1898 | Glenn, Manley & Hendren |
| 1905 | Manly & Hendren |
| 1911 | Manly, Hendren & Womble |
| 1942 | Womble, Carlyle, Martin & Sandridge |
| 1954 | Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice |
| 2018 | Womble Bond Dickinson |
In the UK, prior to becoming Womble Bond Dickinson, the firm was known as Bond Dickinson LLP, which commenced trading on 1 May 2013. This was a result of a merger between Dickinson Dees and Bond Pearce. Prior to the merger, Dickinson Dees' history dates back to 1786 and they became a LLP in 2006. Meanwhile, Bond Pearce was founded in 1887, becoming a LLP in 2005.
Current Size of Firm/Recent Changes
Womble Bond Dickinson has more than 1,000 lawyers located in 26 offices in the UK and US and is a member of Lex Mundi, a global organization of independent law firms.
In January 2016, Betty Temple became the firm's Chair and CEO, one of a handful of women at the helm of a large, national law firm.[1] Temple’s appointment represented a number of milestones for Womble Carlyle: She became the youngest Chair in the firm’s 140-year history, the first Chair to be located outside of the firm’s original Winston-Salem office, and the first woman to lead the firm.[2]
In summer of 2017, the firm combined with Bond Dickinson (formerly Dickinson Dees and Bond Pearce) voted to approve a transatlantic combination with strategic UK partner, Bond Dickinson LLP, effective November 1, 2017. The firm is now known as Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP.
Honors and awards
In 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 the Human Rights Campaign designated Womble Bond Dickinson a Best Place to Work for LGBT Equality.[3]
References
- ^ Spear, Eilene (21 March 2016). "Elizabeth "Betty" Temple of Womble Carlyle: Innovation and Diversity to Serve Clients Better". The National Law Review. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
- ^ "Chair-elect Hopes to Bring Fresh Perspective to Womble Carlyle". The NC Lawyers Weekly. April 22, 2015.
- ^ Human Rights Campaign Web Site
External links
