22Feb 2023 by Charles E. Price
Law firms not proceeding with merger plans

Law firms not proceeding with merger plans

LAW
The proposed merger between a pair of law firms will not proceed, the pair has said, with extensive discussion leading to the decision that "the best path forward is to remain independent of each other". In October last year, BDB Pitmans revealed it was in talks with transatlantic firm Womble Bond Dickinson (WBD). The pair said they were focused on where they saw the "greatest opportunities for a merged business, including those offered by complementary practice areas and office locations". However, a joint statement has now confirmed that those discussions have ended. "Womble Bond Dickinson and BDB Pitmans announced today that they have decided not to proceed further with their proposed merger," they said. "After extensive discussions on the combined proposition, both firms have decided that the best path forward…
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08Feb 2023 by Charles E. Price
Area-based legal services firm expands again | Legal

Area-based legal services firm expands again | Legal

LEGAL
Clark Goodman Photo: Bryan Bazemore Latitude, a Franklin-based legal services firm, is expanding to Charlotte, its fifth new office in the past year.The Charlotte office is led by Clark Goodman, previously managing partner of Womble Bond Dickinson's Charlotte office. Since early last year, Latitude has also opened outposts in Minneapolis, Philadelphia, San Francisco and St. Louis.Led by CEO Ross Booher, the company provides attorneys on an as-needed basis to both law firms and businesses.Goodman had worked with Womble Bond Dickinson for nearly three decades, since graduating from Harvard Law School. He has also taught at Wake Forest University School of Law.“We continue to see increased demand from legal department and law firm leaders for the peer-level contract attorneys we specialize in providing,” Booher said in a release. “Clark is a…
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07Feb 2023 by Charles E. Price
Law firms Womble and BDB Pitman’s call off merger talks

Law firms Womble and BDB Pitman’s call off merger talks

LAW
Womble Bond Dickinson and UK firm BDB Pitmans had entered early merger discussions last year(Reuters) - Global law firm Womble Bond Dickinson and smaller UK firm BDB Pitmans have abandoned merger talks after "extensive discussions," the firms said in a joint statement Wednesday."Both firms have decided that the best path forward is to remain independent of each other," the statement said. The law firms said in October that they were in early talks to merge.The firms said through a spokesperson they would not provide additional comments.It is not uncommon for firms to start discussions that do not result in a deal, with client conflicts and market mismatches among issues that frequently derail talks.Womble Bond Dickinson, a much larger firm with 1,000 attorneys, is the product of a 2017 transatlantic merger…
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