On Sept. 10, Womble Bond Dickinson and Lewis Roca announced that the two firms had approved a combination. The new firm will have more than 1,300 attorneys across 37 offices in the U.S. and the United Kingdom.
The combination is effective Jan. 1, 2025, and the new firm will operate as Womble Bond Dickinson in the U.S. under chair and CEO Merrick Benn and vice chair Kenneth Van Winkle. With gross revenue of more than $742 million, the combined firm would have ranked 70th on the 2024 Am Law 100, according to the press release.
In the U.S., the combined firm will have 29 offices in 15 states and Washington D.C.
“One of the first parallels that emerged between our two firms was a shared strategic vision for serving clients in fast-growing cities and innovation hubs,” said Betty Temple, chair and CEO, and Merrick Benn, chair and CEO-elect, of Womble Bond Dickinson in the U.S., in a press release. “The combined firm’s platform will offer greater depth in these high-growth markets and beyond, empowering our attorneys to deliver sophisticated and multi-faceted legal counsel to companies at the forefront of change and disruption. We have been energized by the strong cultural alignment and connections we’ve experienced already and look forward to further integrating our teams.”
The combined firm will have greater depth in practice areas that include finance, bankruptcy and restructuring; intellectual property; real estate; complex litigation and disputes; and corporate and securities. There will also be synergies across sector teams, including financial services, energy and natural resources, life sciences, manufacturing, retail and technology, according to the press release.
“This combination is a natural fit and a clear win-win, with both firms placing a high value on genuine and long-term relationships with clients and colleagues, a shared focus on collaborating with transparency and integrity, and a wide range of complementary practices that offer a unique value proposition for clients,” said Kenneth Van Winkle, managing partner of Lewis Roca, in a press release. “Bringing together our vast capabilities, resources, and experience is a rare opportunity to take both firms to new heights and chart a path for our ongoing success. We could not be more excited about the many opportunities that lie ahead for our clients, attorneys, and professional staff.”