Contributors
International law firm Womble Bond Dickinson (WBD) has continued its US expansion in Denver, Colorado, adding a team of leading lawyers to further strengthen the firm's Energy and Natural Resources and Environmental Regulation, Disputes, and Litigation practices.
WBD celebrated the fifth anniversary of its transatlantic combination last November and the expansion in Denver, which becomes the firm's 32nd office internationally, builds on an unprecedented period of growth in the US following the addition of new offices in New York, San Francisco, Nashville, and Huntsville, over the last 18 months.
Prominent partners Scot Anderson and Ana Maria Gutiérrez, formally with Hogan Lovells, join the Denver office, bringing extensive regulatory and transactional experience. Anderson, who has decades of work in oil, gas, and mining and a deep understanding of the extractives industries, will serve as office managing partner, while Gutiérrez is recognised for her knowledge of environmental, regulatory, and permitting issues affecting many industries, including energy and natural resources, manufacturing, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, and waste management, among others.
Betty Temple, CEO and Chair of WBD US, commented:
"For the last several years, Womble Bond Dickinson has been executing a strategic plan to build offices and teams in markets powering the future of key industries like energy, financial services, technology, and life sciences. As a leading innovation centre and fast-growing legal market, Denver has long been at the top of that consideration set.
"Given our strength in the Energy and Natural Resources sector – and this group’s impressive credentials and long-standing work in the market – this was an ideal foundation to build our presence in the Mountain West.”
Paul Stewart, Managing Partner of WBD UK, said:
"Our specialist knowledge and skills have earned us a valued reputation as a trustworthy global energy and natural resources law firm in what is a fast-moving, challenging and dynamic sector. Our clients hail from across the globe so the addition of our Denver office – and its stellar team - allows us to strengthen our global offering and establish a presence in a key location in the US for environmental regulation."
Scot Anderson added:
“We are excited to launch the firm’s Denver office and guide its continued growth from a market where we have strong practices and connections to the business and legal communities. We were impressed with Womble Bond Dickinson’s collaborative culture, full-service practice offerings, and competitive rate structure – all of which translate to a strong platform to serve clients. We also appreciate Womble Bond Dickinson’s focus on innovation in both business and the law, which fits nicely with the evolution of the energy and natural resources industries.”
WBD's Energy and Natural Resources practice is a global, multi-disciplinary team of more than 150 lawyers skilled in addressing clients' transactional, intellectual property, regulatory, and litigation needs as they navigate the challenges and complexities of the energy transition. Their experience covers the broad spectrum of subsectors, including all segments of the oil and gas industry, mining and minerals, renewables, electricity generation and transmission, water and related infrastructure, and commodities and trading.
In the UK, the firm has advised on some of the largest renewable energy schemes, from Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS), hydrogen, energy storage and heat networks through to wind, solar and marine projects.
