Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP
One West Fourth Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
(336) 721-3600
Overview
Introduction
Womble is an AmLaw 100 firm with 27 offices across the U.S. and the U.K. They are a full-service firm with a strong variety of practice areas and over 1,000 attorneys. While the firm has grown into a global powerhouse, it retains a streak of genteel Southern culture from its founding—evidenced by its place in Vault’s Best Law Firms in the South Atlantic and Atlanta rankings—with an emphasis on personality, friendliness, and fit.
Firm Stats
Total No. Attorneys (2022)
1K - 1.5K
No. of Partners Named (2021)
18
Featured Rankings
Best Law Firms in the South Atlantic
Base Salary
Salaries not disclosed by firm.
No. of U.S. Offices
19
No. of International Offices
7
Vault Verdict
Womble seeks out diverse, high achieving candidates, and the U.S.-based founding offices in North Carolina have strong feeder relationships with the local law schools. The firm has a “no jerks” rule that applies to everyone, even partners with big books of business—friendliness is a fundamental part of their culture. Partners are respectful of associates and generally have good relationships with them, and transparency at the firm is good, with regular performance reviews and frequent “status of the firm” updates, although the path to promotion is sometimes unclear. The billable-hour requirement has mixed reviews, with some associates finding it hard to meet and others calling it reasonable and attainable. Associate consensus on compensation is that salaries are below market, but ...
About the Firm
The transatlantic Womble Bond Dickinson came to be in 2017 through the combination of the U.S.’s Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice and the U.K.’s Bond Dickinson. The combining firms each have roots that date back to the 19th Century. Womble Bond Dickinson focuses on energy and natural resources, financial institutions, insurance, manufacturing, real estate, retail and consumer, transportation and infrastructure, life sciences, pharma, communications and technology, private wealth, and healthcare sectors. The combined firm now has 26 offices in the U.K. and U.S. (including the firm’s newest office in Houston), with more than 1,000 attorneys, placing Womble Bond Dickinson among the AmLaw100.
Womble Carlyle
Founded in 1876 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the firm that would ...
Associate Reviews
- “I get the sense that I like the culture, but I've been working from home for all but two months since I started at the firm, so what do I know? I will say that WBD leadership has clearly put effort into fostering the sort of cohesive spirit that's so much harder to maintain in a remote environment.”
- “Everyone is very friendly, professional and collegial. Since starting remotely during the pandemic, some of the lawyers in my office made a conscious effort to reach out to me just to check in. The people at Womble quickly made me feel like I am part of the team.”
- “Womble prides itself on its culture. The firm has a ‘no jerks’ rule—basically, respect between partners, partners and non-partners, and fee-earners and staff is mandatory. Screamers are not appreciated and, for the most part, not tolerated. The firm has been known to get rid of fee-earners, even those with large books, because they show themselves to, well, be jerks.”
- “With COVID, virtual happy hours often occur. If associates are working in the office, we'll have socially distanced or outside lunches. Nearly everyone at the firm has been extremely nice, pleasant, and helpful.”
Why Work Here
Why Work Here
You deserve more from your legal practice than a paycheck and a lock-step march to partnership. Meaningful work that challenges and excites you. Mentors eager to help you grow. Freedom to seek a balance between your work and home life. The opportunity to serve your community in a way that suits your interests and values. A collegial environment filled with people you look forward to seeing each day. And a true commitment to diversity and community service.
We invite you to explore Womble Bond Dickinson and see if our firm may be a good match for your career goals. Some specifics about Womble Bond Dickinson include:
Diversity at Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP
"Diversity at Womble Bond Dickinson (US) Womble Bond Dickinson's Inclusion Initiatives over the past dozen years have solidified its reputation as a firm which values and embraces the changing landscape of the legal profession. Women, minorities, disabled and LGBTQ attorneys are increasingly moving into decision-making positions within legal departments with the authority to send outside counsel significant work. Womble Bond Dickinson's geographic footprint is increasingly becoming an economic hotbed for international businesses..."
Getting Hired Here
JOB OPENINGS AT THIS COMPANY
- “I believe the firm is looking for high achieving, diverse candidates with good grades, journal experience, and successful law school careers. There are a lot of former clerks, and a good mix of ages hired into the firm with diverse past experiences.”
- “Looking for top of the class, law review, moot court, clerkship experience. There are often tons of students in the NC offices from Wake, UNC, and Duke.”
- “I believe that the firm is rather competitive and looks for a certain set of schools, grades, journal experience, etc. in its hiring process.”
- “The firm considers personality and experience greatly when hiring. For the most part, the attorneys at the firm are personable (noticeably so than most other firms).”
