It's not quite the Beatles landing at JFK in 1964 but there is still quite a bit of excitement around another group of young Brits coming to America. Womble Bond Dickinson's US offices will welcome several of their junior UK colleagues next week as part of a professional development program the firm is calling the Transatlantic Lawyer Network. 

Firm leadership selected five US lawyers and five UK lawyers for this inaugural class from a large pool of applicants. The initiative is focused on developing early career lawyers and strengthening the firm's internal and external transatlantic networks. The program is designed to help the firm's lawyers build their transatlantic business development capabilities and refine their project management skills as well as develop a broader cultural awareness and deeper understanding of WBD's transatlantic strategy by working through business projects with their counterparts.

The Transatlantic Lawyer Network also includes exchange visits, with the UK group visiting the firm's Atlanta and Charlotte, offices from May 15-18. The US lawyers leave for Britain in September. 


The WBD lawyers taking part in the first exchange are: 

  • Catherine Willis (Leeds, Corporate & Commercial)
  • Todd Rayner (Newcastle, Corporate & Commercial)
  • Caroline Larson (Southampton, Dispute Resolution)
  • Jennifer Edwards (London, Real Estate) 
  • Danjuma Mshelia (Bristol, Private Wealth)
  • Jamie Stone (Greensboro, Corporate, and Securities)
  • Morgan Arndt (Greenville, SC, Corporate, and Securities)
  • Jeff Golimowski (Northern Virginia, Litigation)
  • Brendan O’Dea (Atlanta, IP)
  • Emily Doll (Charlotte, Litigation)

"The firms that created Womble Bond Dickinson have existed for more than 140 years," said Betty Temple, WBD Co-Chair, and US CEO. "The only way that happens is by investing in the future leaders of your firm. And what better way is there to invest in them than to involve them in building that future?"

The Transatlantic Lawyer Network follows on from the combination last November of UK firm Bond Dickinson and US firm Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, creating

Womble Bond Dickinson, a Global Top 100 firm by annual revenue ($410 million/£340million) which also places in the UK Top 20 and the US Top 80 legal rankings. 

The initiative was proposed by Aberdeen trainee solicitor Jamie Turley who is also taking part in the first exchange visit to the US. 

For more information, please contact Brian Ewing brian.ewing@wbd-us.com.