Womble Bond Dickinson Acquires Treanor Pope & Hughes; Litigation Veterans Ginny Barnhart & Russ Pope Join Womble Bond Dickinson’s Baltimore Office

BALTIMORE—Womble Bond Dickinson has acquired Maryland boutique litigation firm Treanor Pope & Hughes. As a result of the acquisition, well-known Baltimore business litigators Ginny Barnhart and Russ Pope are joining Womble Bond Dickinson as partners.

Barnhart and Pope each bring more than 35 years of litigation experience to the firm, with a focus on complex consumer financial services cases, particularly class actions.

“It isn’t every day that you can add two attorneys with the experience and track records of Ginny and Russ. But when we had that opportunity, bringing them to Womble Bond Dickinson was an easy decision,” said Chris Jones, leader of the firm’s US-based Business Litigation Team. “They will significantly expand the Firm’s ability to service financial services clients in Maryland and Washington, D.C.”

Barnhart is the former County Attorney for Baltimore County. She has extensive experience guiding national banks, lenders and servicers in consumer financial litigation, including defending RESPA, TILA, HOEPA, FDCPA, FCRA and consumer protection claims. She also litigates construction and government contract disputes, and employment and civil rights cases on behalf of individuals and businesses before administrative agencies and in state and federal courts.

Pope represents clients in class action, banking, commercial/corporate and environmental litigation. Before joining Treanor Pope & Hughes in 1992, he helped form the in-house litigation group at Maryland National Bank, where he represented the bank in a range of state and federal cases.

In the community, Pope serves on the Board of Directors for Justice Ventures International, Inc., a non-profit organization that secures freedom and restoration for victims of human trafficking in India and China.

“Ginny and Russ are highly respected in Baltimore’s legal community, and commercial litigation is a long-time focus of Womble Bond Dickinson,” said Womble Bond Dickinson Baltimore Office Managing Partner David Hamilton. “They are a natural fit for the firm, and we feel they will greatly benefit our litigation clients.”

Pope said, “We made the decision to join Womble Bond Dickinson with our clients in mind. The firm has a strong reputation for client service, and we believe our clients will benefit from Womble Bond Dickinson’s range of services and deep litigation bench. We are pleased to join this outstanding team.”