Womble Bond Dickinson and Lewis Roca set to merge to form legal “powerhouse”
updated on 13 September 2024
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Womble Bond Dickinson and Lewis Roca are among the latest law firms to pursue rapid expansion by merging. The “powerhouse” merger will offer clients enhanced capabilities across practices and sectors, along with access to a broad geographic network.
The merger, which is set to take effect on 1 January 2025, will create a combined law firm that’ll operate under the Womble Bond Dickinson name and have more than 1,300 attorneys in 37 offices, with eight offices in the UK and 29 US offices across 15 states and Washington, DC.
Merrick Benn, the current chair and CEO-elect of Womble Bond Dickinson, will become the chair and CEO of the newly combined firm, while Kenneth Van Winkle, the managing partner of Lewis Roca, will serve as vice chair.
Formerly known as Bond Dickinson, Womble Bond Dickinson formed in 2017 following a transatlantic merger with US law firm Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice. Womble Bond’s latest merger with Lewis Roca results in a combined gross revenue of more than $742 million, which would’ve ranked the combined firm 70th on the 2024 list of top 100 largest law firms in the US.
The merger is set to combine the firms’ complementary practices to enhance offerings and strengthen competitiveness in various practice areas, such as intellectual property, real estate, corporate and securities and complex litigation and disputes. In addition, the combined firm will expand its expertise in strategic sectors like financial services, energy and natural resources, retail and technology.
Benn said that the two firms have a “shared strategic vision” and the merger “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”.
In the same vein, Winkle highlighted the merger as “a natural fit and a clear win-win” as both firms are said to place “a high value on genuine and long-term relationships with clients and colleagues” and share “a wide range of complementary practices that offer a unique value proposition for clients”.
