Three join Bond Dickinson as US merger confirmed

Legal firm Bond Dickinson has made a number of senior appointments to its Edinburgh office, as it confirms a merger with its longstanding US partner Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice.

Philip Knight and Laura Bloxham join the firm's Scottish operation as managing associates along with new associate Emma Shearer.

Mr Knight and Ms Shearer join from DWF. He has significant experience in commercial and real estate litigation; she has worked with him for large occupiers and landlords on portfolio management, acquisition and refinancing projects. 

Ms Bloxham was previously at Shoosmiths and has a broad range of real estate experience, including development, investment and leasing work, particularly residential development.

John Ralph, head of the real estate sector at Bond Dickinson commented: "It is great to see the arrival of the new team, who are certainly hitting the ground running. There is a real vibrancy amongst them and we are excited about the opportunities they bring for our clients."

Bond Dickinson has also announced that it will be combining with its US partner to create a transatlantic law firm, Womble Bond Dickinson, effective from 1 November 2017. Womble Bond Dickinson will have more than 420 partners, 1,000 lawyers and 2,395 people across eight offices in the UK and 16 in the US. The combination will put Womble Bond Dickinson in the UK's top 20 and in the top 80 in the US listings.