Womble Bond Dickinson (WBD) has announced 11 new partner appointments across its UK offices.
Effective 1 July 2025, the promotions highlight WBD's commitment to investing in its key sectors, and the appointment of 11 new partners, as well as three new legal directors, emphasises the firm's ambitious strategy for growth and success.
The appointments also reflect WBD's dedication to retaining and developing exceptional talent, demonstrating the successful career paths the firm has in place for ambitious lawyers to progress to partnership.
Alexander Dickinson, UK Chair at Womble Bond Dickinson, said:
"We are thrilled to announce our new partners across the firm. Their diverse expertise and unwavering dedication to client service have been instrumental in driving our growth strategy forward. These promotions highlight our commitment to investing in our people and ensuring we have the best talent to meet the evolving needs of our clients. We are confident that they will continue to contribute significantly to the firm's success and help us achieve our ambitious goals."
The promoted partners include:
Corporate & Commercial
Oliver Rickett - Corporate (Newcastle)
Oliver works across a range of corporate projects and sectors, but has a particular focus on supporting fast growing businesses in the technology sector and the investors that support them to develop value in those businesses, and large cross-border M&A transactions.
David Ridley - Corporate (Newcastle)
David advises clients across a number of sectors on both UK and cross-border corporate transactional work. He predominantly works with private equity firms and with managers of businesses looking to secure private equity investment. David has significant experience of working with businesses in the Energy industry and is dual-qualified in Scotland and England & Wales.
Nicola Walker - Banking (London)
Nicola specialises in Asset Finance and has over 10 years' experience as in-house counsel in a well-known financial institution and leasing company. She has significant experience of advising on a wide variety of asset finance transactions such as negotiating and drafting financing and leasing documents, security documents, supplier contracts, receivables financing contracts and wholesale/dealer stocking facilities.
Real Estate
Joseph Dean - Finance & Investment (London)
Joseph has broad experience dealing with all aspects of real estate but primarily deals with real estate finance, real estate investments/disposals and corporate support transactions. He is regularly involved in acting for lenders (mainly clearing banks, international banks and private banks) and borrowers in development finance and investment finance transactions.
Stephen Baker - Developers & Investors (Southampton)
Stephen acts on behalf of a broad range of clients in connection with their real estate requirements. He has particular expertise in advising investors and developers on the acquisition and disposal of commercial real estate across all major asset classes (including retail/leisure, industrial, office and mixed use premises) as well as related asset management throughout the whole investment cycle.
Briony Holland - Core Real Estate (Bristol)
Briony advises clients operating in a range of sectors, including energy and retail. She has a particular focus on renewable energy projects spanning solar, battery storage and wind. She has notable expertise in some of the UK’s first commercial-scale green hydrogen developments and is passionate about the sector’s potential in driving progress toward net zero. In addition, Briony acts for landlords with extensive property portfolios and corporate occupiers, regularly advising on portfolio management and high-value lease acquisitions.
Martin Bailey - Core Real Estate (Bristol)
Martin acts for national and international property investors and developers, government and public sector clients, national housebuilders, heat networks and the largest digital and telecoms operators in the UK. He advises on acquisitions, management of portfolios and provides strategic advice on future disposals, development agreements, overage, options, collaboration and promotion agreements.
Private Wealth
Ellen Rutherford - Agriculture & Estates (Newcastle)
Ellen advises landed estates, institutional lenders, companies, charities, trusts and individuals in relation to all aspects of rural property law with a particular interest in the acquisition/disposal of sporting estates, but her practice also includes non-transactional work, with a focus on Agricultural Holdings Act tenancies and disputes.
Joe Kelley - Private Capital (Newcastle)
Joe specialises in the resolution of complex and high value litigation in relation to trusts and estates. He acts for trustees, beneficiaries and other high net worth individuals. Joe's practice covers disputes in relation to trustee decision making, the contested removal of fiduciaries, Will validity disputes, applications for financial provision, and claims under the doctrine of proprietary estoppel. Joe has wide experience of negotiation, mediation and litigation, having conducted cases in the High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Court of Protection.
Susan Maxey - Private Capital (Newcastle/Leeds)
Susan specialises in advising private clients, their families and trustees on a wide range of issues, in particular those relating to estate planning and capital taxation. This involves complex will and trust drafting and providing advice on asset protection and inheritance tax mitigation. Susan has extensive experience of advising individuals and trustees owning private company shares. She also acts as a trustee of both private and charitable trusts.
WBD Advance
Catherine Gill - (Plymouth)
Catherine specialises in commercial real estate law and is part of the Senior Management Team overseeing the Legal Solutions Centre (LSC). As one of the technical specialists embedded within the LSC, Catherine helps teams in the business deliver high quality and cost effective solutions to their clients.
Also, from 1 July the following will be promoted to Legal Director:
Corporate & Commercial
Katie Simmonds – Commercial (London)
Katie specialises in data privacy, cybersecurity, digital regulation and technology transactions, advising clients on a range of data-related issues, including data protection compliance, international data transfer requirements, advising on compliance with cookie laws and direct marketing rules and advising clients on their responses to regulatory investigations led by data protection and consumer authorities.
Catherine Willis – Corporate (Leeds)
Catherine is experienced in advising public and private companies on a broad range of corporate transactions, including private company acquisitions and disposals, public company fundraisings, private equity investments and group reorganisations, as well as general company law and governance matters.
Dispute Resolution
Sally Brock - CDRI (Bristol)
Sally specialises in catastrophic and fatal injury claims often with a Health and Safety and Regulatory element. She has over 20 years' experience of advising on a broad range of civil employer's liability, public liability, road traffic, industrial disease and product liability claims involving personal injuries or fatalities and often encompassing Health and Safety and Regulatory issues.
