Womble Bond Dickinson Enters San Francisco Legal Market, Combines with Cooper, White & Cooper

SAN FRANCISCO (July 13, 2022) – Womble Bond Dickinson announced today its combination with San Francisco-based Cooper, White & Cooper LLP, a multi-practice firm with more than a century of experience providing comprehensive representation to clients in the Bay Area and across the country. 

Effective Sept. 1, 2022, the expansion further strengthens Womble Bond Dickinson’s capabilities in California and comes on the heels of growth in other innovation centers, including New York and Nashville earlier this year. With existing offices in Irvine, Los Angeles, and Silicon Valley, the firm now has more than 50 attorneys across four markets in California and a global platform of over 1,000 lawyers in 29 U.K. and U.S. offices.

“California is home to some of the world’s key business and technology hubs, with San Francisco chief among them,” said Betty Temple, CEO and Chair of Womble Bond Dickinson (US). “The state – and indeed the entire West Coast – is strategically important to Womble, and we are thrilled to anchor our presence in the market through a firm that is well-known for its robust litigation and transactional skills. We look forward to continuing the growth of our services and footprint on the West Coast and in other key markets to provide greater value to our clients.”

“We have been impressed by Womble’s transatlantic platform and stellar reputation for advising companies on complex, high-stakes issues,” said Jed Solomon, a partner at Cooper, White & Cooper. “Combined with our cultural compatibility and shared commitment to exceptional client service, this was an ideal opportunity to expand our services to our collective client base.”

Founded in 1896, Cooper, White & Cooper has a proven track record representing clients in litigation and transactional matters across a broad range of sectors, including energy, financial services, media and telecom, infrastructure, healthcare, intellectual property, manufacturing, real estate, retail, and technology. Their team will be joined in the San Francisco office by Womble partners Chris Mammen, Steve Levitan, and Carrie Richey, who focus their practices on IP litigation matters. Cooper, White & Cooper will continue to serve clients from their Walnut Creek office, which opened in 1989.

“Joining forces with a firm with such deep, historical ties in the Bay Area brings a wealth of legal and industry experience specific to the market,” said Chris Mammen, Managing Partner of the San Francisco office. “More broadly, it also allows us to provide a full range of legal services to clients operating at the forefront of innovation and economic change.”

More than two dozen legal professionals will operate out of the San Francisco office, including 17 lawyers from Cooper, White & Cooper. The lawyers joining Womble Bond Dickinson as partners include:

Jamie Chou has a broad range of experience in corporate, real estate, and IP transactional matters, as well as commercial litigation. Her practice focuses on the acquisition, management, operation, and sale of businesses; the organization of domestic business ventures; licensing and other IP needs; business counseling; commercial leasing and purchase and sale; and litigation in state and federal courts.

Walter Hansell practices business law with a principal emphasis on serving clients in communications, maritime, transportation, retail, and technology industries. His practice focuses on commercial transactions, corporate governance, data privacy, telecommunications, litigation and dispute resolution, and IP transactions. 

Christopher Mead concentrates his practice on business and employment litigation and employment counseling. He has defended wage-and-hour class actions; wrongful termination cases; trade secret and unfair competition matters; disability, leave, and accommodation claims; and claims of race, sex, and age discrimination and harassment in state and federal courts. 

Bill Norman is an experienced business litigator who has tried more than 120 cases to conclusion. His practice focuses on real property, wrongful termination, trade secrets, professional liability, partnership disputes, and lender liability issues. 

Kristen Thall Peters leads the Walnut Creek office and practices real estate, land use, environmental, and energy law. She advises and counsels commercial developers and property owners in connection with real estate acquisition and sales; development projects, green building, easements and rights of way; and regulatory and land use approvals, including compliance with CEQA, NEPA, and the Endangered Species Act.

Edward Seidel devotes his practice to general litigation, contract disputes, real estate and construction matters, and environmental law, and has successfully represented clients in state and federal courts as well as in binding arbitrations. His practice also includes professional liability, employment law, and products liability matters.

Beau Simon focuses his practice on real estate matters, with an emphasis on commercial leasing.  His landlord clients include developers and owners throughout California, and his tenant clients include retailers, restaurants, cinemas, galleries, and schools, in addition to office and other commercial users.

Jed Solomon advises businesses on commercial law matters. His corporate practice includes counseling clients on corporate governance issues, financing and commercial transactions, acquisitions, and dispositions. His practice also includes sports law with an emphasis on collegiate sports.

Quinlan Tom practices in the areas of construction litigation and business litigation and regularly represents developers, general contractors, subcontractors, design professionals, and material suppliers in risk management and claims resolution. He also advises clients in preparing and negotiating construction contracts for private and public projects. 

Mark Tuft is a Certified Legal Malpractice Specialist and serves as outside counsel to lawyers, law firms, and public and private organizations on professional responsibility and professional liability matters, including law firm mergers and dissolutions, conflicts of interests, attorney sanctions, and State Bar admission and disciplinary matters. His practice includes legal malpractice defense, media law and related first amendment litigation.

Jeffery Woo has more than three decades of experience in real estate litigation, including rent and eviction control matters. He represents major institutional and individual property owners, real estate brokers, commercial office and retail property developers, property buyers and sellers, and homeowner’s associations.

As part of its growth strategy, the combined Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP will continue to focus on providing a robust, transatlantic platform dedicated to client service; building and retaining high-caliber, diverse, and inclusive talent; and fostering deep community engagement.