HOUSTON—The transatlantic law firm Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP has opened an office in Houston to expand its growing practice in the global energy, advanced manufacturing, technology, and life sciences sectors.

Central to the firm's growth strategy, Womble Bond Dickinson welcomes four Houston partners. These partners will address a range of clients' transactional, intellectual property and litigation needs.

Jeffrey S. Whittle will serve as Houston's Office Managing Partner. He joins the firm from Hogan Lovells with a focus on global, complex intellectual property transactions. Joshua ("Josh") Davis recently joined the firm from Reed Smith and handles a variety of IP litigation matters involving multiple technologies, including life science patent disputes. Paul B. Turner joins the firm from Reed Smith as a corporate and securities attorney serving clients in the energy sector with a focus on commodities trading. Elizabeth ("Liz") LeVan Riley, a veteran Womble Bond Dickinson partner who focuses on education and school law, will co-locate her practice between Houston and Raleigh, NC.

More attorneys and professionals are expected to join the Houston team in the near future to further build the firm's offering in these and other industries and sectors of focus.

"We are thrilled to welcome these exceptional lawyers to the firm. They share our commitment to personalized service, enhanced value to clients, and continuing to build a culture of collaboration. Most importantly, they will be stewards of our core values of integrity, devotion to clients, and respect for the individual." says Ellen Gregg the firm's Vice Chair and Executive Committee member.

Betty Temple (Chair and CEO of Womble Bond Dickinson US, LLP) added, "Womble Bond Dickinson is located in many of the key innovation centers throughout the US and the UK with a wide range of transactional, intellectual property, and litigation practices that are well suited to the forward-looking agents of change in our economy. Houston has long been on our radar due to its rapid growth and its importance to innovation in a wide variety of STEM fields, especially in energy." She added, "With experienced lawyers across a wide range of practices, with more than 25 Ph.D./Doctorate degrees (mostly in STEM fields) and more than 140 Master's degrees, our firm is fully ready to serve clients who are driving innovation, growth, and efficiency in a globally connected marketplace."

Co-head of the firm's US energy practice, Joe Tirone also noted, "Womble Bond Dickinson is among the leading law firms serving the energy sector in the UK, and now with the addition of this office, and our other US energy lawyers, we are well-positioned to serve energy clients here in the US."

"We are excited by this move. Womble Bond Dickinson has a reputation for outstanding client service and innovative thinking, and we are confident that joining the firm will benefit our clients," Whittle said. "Womble Bond Dickinson is 'The Transatlantic Law Firm Close to Home,' and now, that home includes Houston."