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While the deciding factors behind the Womble Bond Dickinson combination were the new firm’s ability to provide outstanding personal service and enhanced value to clients, an added benefit of the combination has been the ability to attract top talent. In fact, the new firm brand and energy helped Chief Recruiting Officer Ari Katz and his team land over 100 new lawyers and staff for the firm this year.
The firm’s latest—and biggest—recruiting coup is the addition of a seven-lawyer, D.C.-based telecommunications team led by Carri Bennet and Michael Bennet. The team previously practiced at Bennet & Bennet, PLLC, a leading boutique telecom firm. The Bennet & Bennet team has decades of combined experience representing wireline, wireless and broadband telecommunications carriers, as well as commercial and noncommercial broadcasters. Team members have particular experience in serving rural broadband providers and publish the Rural Spectrum Scanner e-newsletter. The Bennett & Bennet team officially starts in January.
At the same time, FDA Regulatory Counsel Dan Orr will start with the firm. The market for experienced FDA talent is highly competitive, and Orr’s addition is a major coup for the firm and its food, drug, and agriculture clients.
In October, Womble Bond Dickinson landed a powerhouse IP/life science team to anchor the firm’s new Boston office. The team, led by veteran Boston attorneys Danielle Herritt, Deborah Vernon, Ph.D., and Cristin Cowles, Ph.D., has been working together for more than 15 years and has extensive experience serving the pharmaceutical/biotech/medical device industry.
Jennifer Cory joined the firm this year to lead the new Womble Bond Dickinson Immigration Solutions team, which provides management of inbound immigration services for domestic and international employers and investors. Cory has practiced immigration law since 1995 and is certified as a Specialist in Immigration Law by the North Carolina State Bar.
2017 also saw Womble Bond Dickinson land Joe Tirone, a highly-regarded and experienced energy project and infrastructure development attorney, for the firm’s Baltimore office. Tirone was drawn to the firm, in part, by the opportunity to spearhead efforts to grow a leading global energy practice.
In Atlanta, experienced IP and patent lawyer Kean DeCarlo joined the firm in December. The former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot has been included in the IAM Patent 1000 as one of the world’s leading patent practitioners on two occasions.
Veteran business litigation lawyer Matthew Tilley joined the firm’s Charlotte office in September. Prior to practicing law, Tilley worked in government affairs for the Tennessee Valley Authority, the nation’s largest public utility, serving as a liaison to Congress and the executive branch regarding matters of budget oversight, energy regulation, and Senate confirmation of presidential nominees to the authority’s board of directors.
Toxic Torts litigation lawyer Elizabeth O’Neill came to the firm in April, bringing nearly two decades of experience in high-stakes national product liability defense experience. In addition, O’Neill has an extensive background in professional liability litigation, defending lawyers, law firms, architects and other professional clients in malpractice and misfeasance cases.
Former assistant U.S. Attorney Allen O’Rourke came to the firm in March. O’Rourke focuses on cybercrime defense, including data breaches and hacking, drawing on his experiences as a Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property (CHIP) prosecutor. He also is a frequent speaker and author on cybersecurity topics.
The firm’s Silicon Valley office gained significant strength in 2017 with the key additions of IP strategists Joseph Bach and Dan Ovanezian. Both are highly experienced, well-respected practitioners in that market.
In February, experienced business litigator Pat Buckler joined the Baltimore office, bringing nearly 20 years of experience serving the financial services, energy, and manufacturing sectors.
“The Womble Bond Dickinson combination is raising the firm’s profile,” Ari Katz, the firm’s Chief Recruiting Officer, said. “Top talent wants to join this fast-growing firm. People have taken notice of Womble Bond Dickinson’s momentum, our strategy and ability to integrate laterals effectively. 2017 was a banner year for our recruiting efforts, but we aren’t stopping there. In addition to the Bennet & Bennet team and Dan Orr, we expect to announce several other major talent acquisitions in early 2018.”
Click here for more information on joining Womble Bond Dickinson’s fast-growing team.
