News
Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP has promoted 16 new partners and of counsel. The promotions took effect Jan. 1, 2023.
Jay Adisesh (Partner—Silicon Valley, CA) is an IP attorney whose practice encompasses patent prosecution, technology licensing, intellectual property litigation and counseling. He has drafted patents from across multiple technology areas, including semiconductors, network virtualization, security hardware, telecommunications, materials processing, enterprise software systems, and big data analysis. Earlier this year, Jay was part of a WBD patent team honored by California Lawyers for the Arts for their pro bono work.
Anthony Amert (Of Counsel—Houston, TX) has prosecuted hundreds of patent applications to issuance and assisted in the development and implementation of intellectual property harvesting programs for his clients.
Tri Dang (Of Counsel—Irvine, CA) is a registered patent attorney whose areas of practice include preparation and prosecution of U.S. and foreign patent applications, patent appeals, patent litigation support, trademark, due diligence evaluations, patent validity and infringement opinions, and IP strategy and counseling. Prior to his legal career, he worked many years as a software engineer in the aerospace and defense industry.
Dave Easwaran (Partner—Charlotte, NC) concentrates his practice on software patent matters. Dave is experienced in all aspects of patent practice, including patent portfolio development, post-grant proceedings, pre-litigation interactions, and litigation. He brings a particularly wide range of experience in the financial services sector, having previously worked as a patent examiner focused on financial services innovation and as an in-house IP counsel in the industry.
Jeff Golimowski (Partner—Tysons, VA) focuses his business litigation practice on two areas: construction and post-acquisition corporate disputes. His clients include Fortune 500 corporations as well as small-to-midsize entities. Jeff also is a former broadcast journalist and public relations professional with substantial experience in crisis management.
Sam Hartzell (Partner—Raleigh, NC) is a business litigation attorney who joined the firm in 2015. Sam came to WBD following a federal clerkship with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. He also previously taught first and second grade in Brooklyn, NY, as a Teach For America corps member.
Chris Hewitt (Of Counsel—Winston-Salem, NC) is a corporate and private wealth lawyer, focusing his practice in the areas of complex estate planning, generational wealth transfer planning, trust and estate administration and tax-exempt planning. He also advises charitable organizations about governance, tax compliance, grant-making and fundraising issues. Chris serves on the Board of Directors of SECU Family House in Winston-Salem and is the current president of the Winston-Salem Estate Planning Council.
Travis Iams (Partner—Charlotte, NC) is an intellectual property attorney focused on mechanical patent prosecution. His practice is centered around managing large global IP portfolios and developing global IP strategies for manufacturing conglomerates. Additionally, he brings experience overseeing multiple formal and informal IP disputes. Prior to his legal career, Travis was a mechanical engineer designing HVAC systems.
Sarah Meyer (Partner—Baltimore, MD) is a business litigation attorney with a focus on banking and consumer protection. Sarah has jury and bench trial experience in individual and class action claims. Sarah routinely represents financial institutions and other corporate entities in state and federal courts, in arbitrations and before administrative agencies. Sarah also counsels businesses on contract drafting and negotiation, preparing organizational documents and in handling pre-litigation disputes.
Brendan O’Dea (Partner—Atlanta, GA) is a mechanical and electromechanical patent attorney with an engineering background. Brendan drafts patent applications, responds to office actions issued by the USPTO, and appeals decisions on behalf of his clients within the USPTO. He works closely with patent examiners to advance patent applications and advises clients on patentability, patent validity, non-infringement, commercialization and licensing issues.
Kimberly Richards (Partner—Winston-Salem, NC) guides clients in corporate and commercial real estate transactions, including financings, acquisitions, dispositions, and real estate development projects. She also regularly assists clients with a variety of contract matters, including insurance and license agreements. From 2017 to early 2021, Kimberly served as general counsel for an insurance technology company.
Anne Kelley Russell (Partner—Charleston, SC/Atlanta, GA) offers clients throughout South Carolina and Georgia a wide range of estate planning and wealth transfer advice. Anne Kelley is a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning and Probate Law in South Carolina, and is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC).
Gemma Saluta (Partner—Winston-Salem, NC) defends large insurance carriers in first-party bad faith litigation. She also is experienced in ERISA matters and assists clients with labor and employment issues. Gemma’s extensive community service includes serving on the Boards of Leadership Winston-Salem, the Women’s Fund of Winston-Salem, and HandsOn Northwest North Carolina, and she has been a pro bono volunteer with Legal Aid of North Carolina.
Jesse Schaefer (Partner—Raleigh, NC) regularly represents clients in high-stakes litigation involving contracts, business and regulatory disputes, judgment enforcement and defense, contested will and trust matters, and life insurance and disability insurance disputes. Jesse made four deployments as an officer in the U.S. Navy and continues to serve as a reservist within the Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps.
Sarah Wilk (Partner—Boston, MA) focuses her practice on a broad range of general corporate matters, including, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance transactions, corporate governance, early-stage corporate formation and federal securities law compliance. She counsels both public and private companies and advises companies and their boards on fiduciary duty matters, commercial contracts and a broad array of day-to-day corporate matters.
Al Windham (Partner—Raleigh, NC) helps manufacturers in the retail and consumer goods industry navigate complex products liability and mass torts litigation. In particular, Al has significant experience in formulating defensive medical strategy in multi-jurisdictional tobacco and pharmaceutical litigation. He routinely consults with prominent medical experts from around the country, deciphering medical evidence and assessing medical causation.
WBD Chair & CEO Betty Temple said, “At Womble Bond Dickinson, we strive to foster an environment where our team members can grow and advance professionally. I am so proud of the great work these 16 attorneys have done to earn promotion to partner and of counsel, and we look forward to seeing what outstanding things they do in the future.”
