Womble Names IP Team for New Boston Office

10/2/17

Boston Team Joins Deep IP Bench (70+ Lawyers) at Womble Carlyle.


Danielle Herritt, Deborah Vernon, Ph.D., and Cristin Cowles, Ph.D.,

A trio of experienced patent partners and their team are making the move to Womble Carlyle’s new Boston office. Danielle Herritt, Deborah Vernon, Ph.D., and Cristin Cowles, Ph.D., and their team, join an established Womble department of more than 70 intellectual property attorneys in all areas of patent, trademark, copyright and related litigation and transactions. The firm, a larger general practice business firm, was established more than 140 years ago.

Herritt, Vernon and Cowles have been working together for more than 15 years and have extensive experience serving the pharmaceutical/biotech/medical device industry. They help clients establish, prosecute, license and maintain patent portfolios. They also represent clients in district court, federal circuit appeals and inter partes review proceedings.

“Womble may be new to Boston, but the firm’s commitment to client service is well known in the legal industry,” Herritt said. “That was one of the key factors that attracted us to Womble. We feel confident our clients will be well served here.”

“We came to Boston because our clients requested it. Such a bold move wouldn’t be possible without the right people in place and with this team, we have those people,” said Sarah Anne Keefe, Managing Partner of Womble’s Boston office. “I’m excited to be part of this dynamic team and work to further grow this office. This is just such a great beginning.”

Vernon said, “This firm has an impeccable reputation for client service and Betty Temple and the leadership team promote an entrepreneurial and team culture by engaging in creative problem solving and instilling a passion for always being a step ahead.”

“Womble has a top notch life science platform—including patent prosecution, first chair ANDA litigation experience, and transactional support—which will greatly benefit our clients by providing them with a range of talent,” Cowles said. “We were also drawn to Womble based on the firm's commitment to diversity - it is not just a buzz word at Womble but an important part of the culture.”

The group previously practiced together at McCarter & English in Boston.

“We didn’t just add great individual attorneys—we added a team,” said Womble Chair & CEO Betty Temple. “They know the market, they know the clients, they know this region, and they are used to working together to accomplish great things for clients.”

In 4Q 2017, Womble will combine with leading UK firm Bond Dickinson to create Womble Bond Dickinson, a new breed of transatlantic law firm with more than 1,000 lawyers in 24 offices. In the past year, Womble has made 72 new attorney hires, showing that the Womble Bond Dickinson combination already is helping bring in top talent.

About Womble Carlyle

Womble Carlyle is a 500+-attorney law firm that corporate clients rely on to provide core legal services such as Complex Business Litigation, Mass Torts, Intellectual Property, Corporate & Securities, Finance and Real Estate.

Womble Carlyle’s existing offices are located in: Atlanta; Boston; Charleston, Columbia and Greenville, S.C.; Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh, Research Triangle Park, and Winston-Salem, N.C.; Silicon Valley, Calif., Washington, D.C.; Charlottesville and Tysons Corner, Va.; Baltimore; and Wilmington, Del. From this footprint, we serve clients in matters across the country and across the world. Clients trust us because we understand their businesses, focus on their successes, demonstrate a commitment to help and deliver value for their dollars they spend on us.

Recent Deals

Interested in advertising your deals? Contact Edwin Warfield.