BOSTON—One year ago, Womble Bond Dickinson made its first foray into the Northeast, opening a Boston office focused on serving the region’s life sciences sector.

The office has grown steadily, adding new attorneys and additional practices. More importantly, Womble Bond Dickinson has built stronger relationships with new and existing clients in the market and has become part of Boston’s overall community.

“Opening a new office is always a leap of faith,” said Sarah Keefe, a long-time Womble Bond Dickinson Trademark attorney, and Boston Office Managing Partner. “We knew coming to Boston made a lot of sense for our firm and our existing clients. But until you actually hang your shingle and open your doors, you don’t know how a new office is going to work out. I’m delighted with how we’ve been welcomed in Boston and excited for our long-term future in this market.”

The following are some of the highlights from Womble Bond Dickinson’s first year in Boston:

  • Oct. 2017— Womble Bond Dickinson opens the Boston office with experienced Boston patent partners Danielle Herritt, Deborah Vernon, Ph.D., and Cristin Cowles, Ph.D., and their team recruited to anchor the new office. Sarah Keefe is named Boston Office Managing Partner.
  • Dec. 2017—Team members from the Boston office hosted a dinner for UK business leaders exploring trade opportunities in the US.
  • Feb. 2018—The Boston office adds government contracting to its services with the addition of Gary Campbell , who has more than 20 years of experience in GovCon law.
  • March 2018—Womble Bond Dickinson attorneys from both sides of the Atlantic joined Globalization Partners and the UK Consulate in Boston for a lunch and learn on Doing Business in the UK . British Consul General in Boston Harriet Cross served as keynote speaker for the event
  • May 2018—Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly presented Jennifer Itzkoff with the Excellence in the Law Award for Up & Coming lawyers.
  • May 2018— Dominic Yee, Ph.D. brought his global patent development and management practice to Womble Bond Dickinson. Yee currently serves as co-chair of the Chemical Practices Committee of the Boston Patent Law Association.
  • June 2018— The BIO 2018 conference was one of the biggest events of the year in the life sciences and pharmaceuticals industries. With this year’s conference taking place in Boston, the firm’s Boston Office took part in a big way, including hosting separate events at the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museums and The Envoy Hotel’s Lookout Rooftop and Bar.
  • Aug. 2018—Veteran patent lawyer Jack Penny joined the firm. This notable hiring attracted media attention from Law360 and Law.com .
  • Aug. 2018—Attorney Jennifer Itzkoff spent a week in Texas doing pro bono work on behalf of refugees at a detention center on the nation’s southern border. “The majority of these people are fleeing horrible circumstances,” she said. Read more about her journey here.
  • Sept. 2018—Two more Life Science veterans with notable academic credentials joined the office in patent attorney Ken Mueller, Ph.D., and science advisor Rachel Yunck, Ph.D.
  • Oct. 2018—The Boston office has grown to 15 attorneys and patent agents in its first year.