Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC
Encyclopedia
Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, LLP, established in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
in 1876, is one of the largest business law firms in the mid-Atlantic and Southeast
regions of the United States
. Currently, Womble Carlyle has twelve offices: Winston-Salem, Charlotte
, Greensboro, Research Triangle Park
and Raleigh, North Carolina
; and Atlanta, Georgia
; Baltimore, Maryland; Greenville, South Carolina
; Charleston, South Carolina
; Tysons Corner, Virginia
; Washington, DC; Wilmington, Delaware
; and Silicon Valley, California. The firm’s growth has matched the economic growth and evolution of North Carolina and the mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions.
As of 2003, the firm was the largest in North Carolina.
Irving E. Carlyle was a long-time resident of Winston-Salem, N.C. He was a trustee of Wake Forest University and coached the men's basketball team in its earliest years. Carlyle is one of the most notable civil rights attorneys in North Carolina history. Womble Carlyle was able to grow into one of the most successful law firms in North Carolina due to its proximity in Winston-Salem to R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
, which used Womble Carlyle for its legal services.
Womble Carlyle began expanding outside Winston-Salem in the 1980s by establishing an office in Raleigh in 1982 and adding an office in Charlotte in 1984. The 1990s were marked by the firm’s early commitment to technology and further expansion into new cities by opening new offices and also merging with other law firms. By the end of the 1990s, Womble Carlyle had opened its Atlanta, Research Triangle Park, Washington D.C. and Greenville, South Carolina offices. The firm’s commitment to technology was recognized in 1999 when Red Herring
(a weekly magazine focused on the business of funding, building, and taking new technologies to market), recognized Womble Carlyle as one of the most progressive law firms in the country due to its commitment to technology. Since 2000, the firm added offices in Tysons Corner
, Greensboro, Wilmington and Baltimore.
, and former North Carolina Supreme Court
Chief Justice
Burley Mitchell
.
Womble Carlyle is a member of Lex Mundi
, a global organization of independent law firms.
In December 2008 the firm informed its staff that it would freeze attorney salaries
for the first half of 2009, and in April 2009 it was reported that salaries for associate attorneys and paralegal staff were being cut an average of 10 percent. Observers speculated that the firm's legal business had declined due to heavy losses in the bank
ing industry concentrated in Charlotte.
Effective April 30, 2011, Womble Carlyle merged with Buist Moore Smythe McGee, P.A., a 44-lawyer Charleston, South Carolina law firm, creating the largest law firm in both North and South Carolina. Buist Moore Smythe McGee P.A. lawyers are known for their advocacy on behalf of corporations, partnerships, limited partnerships, limited liability companies and other business associations in all aspects of commercial activity.
Womble Carlyle also has an active pro bono
practice which has included high-profile cases such as the defense of death-row inmate Alan Gell
by Womble Carlyle lawyer James P. Cooney, III.
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
in 1876, is one of the largest business law firms in the mid-Atlantic and Southeast
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
regions of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Currently, Womble Carlyle has twelve offices: Winston-Salem, Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, Greensboro, Research Triangle Park
Research Triangle Park
The Research Triangle Park is a research park in the United States. It is located near Durham, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill, in the Research Triangle region of North Carolina...
and Raleigh, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
; and Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
; Baltimore, Maryland; Greenville, South Carolina
Greenville, South Carolina
-Law and government:The city of Greenville adopted the Council-Manager form of municipal government in 1976.-History:The area was part of the Cherokee Nation's protected grounds after the Treaty of 1763, which ended the French and Indian War. No White man was allowed to enter, though some families...
; Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
; Tysons Corner, Virginia
Tysons Corner, Virginia
Tysons Corner is an unincorporated census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Part of the Washington Metropolitan Area located in Northern Virginia, Tysons Corner lies between the community of McLean and the town of Vienna along the Capital Beltway . The population was...
; Washington, DC; Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
; and Silicon Valley, California. The firm’s growth has matched the economic growth and evolution of North Carolina and the mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions.
As of 2003, the firm was the largest in North Carolina.
History
The firm traces its history to 1876, when Cyrus Watson and W.B. Glenn formed a partnership in Winston, North Carolina, under the name Watson & Glenn.- In 1885, the firm name changed to Glenn & Glenn
- In 1891, the firm name changed to Glenn & Manley
- In 1898, the firm name changed to Glenn, Manley & Hendren
- In 1905, the firm name changed to Manly & Hendren
- In 1911, the firm name changed to Manly, Hendren & Womble
- In 1942, the firm name changed to Womble, Carlyle, Martin & Sandridge
- In 1954, the firm name changed to Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice
Irving E. Carlyle was a long-time resident of Winston-Salem, N.C. He was a trustee of Wake Forest University and coached the men's basketball team in its earliest years. Carlyle is one of the most notable civil rights attorneys in North Carolina history. Womble Carlyle was able to grow into one of the most successful law firms in North Carolina due to its proximity in Winston-Salem to R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
The R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company , based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and founded by R. J. Reynolds in 1875, is the second-largest tobacco company in the U.S. . RJR is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Reynolds American Inc...
, which used Womble Carlyle for its legal services.
Womble Carlyle began expanding outside Winston-Salem in the 1980s by establishing an office in Raleigh in 1982 and adding an office in Charlotte in 1984. The 1990s were marked by the firm’s early commitment to technology and further expansion into new cities by opening new offices and also merging with other law firms. By the end of the 1990s, Womble Carlyle had opened its Atlanta, Research Triangle Park, Washington D.C. and Greenville, South Carolina offices. The firm’s commitment to technology was recognized in 1999 when Red Herring
Red Herring (magazine)
Red Herring was a technology business magazine, which flourished during the dot com boom, with global distribution and bureaus in Bangalore, Beijing, and Paris. It also sponsored conferences designed to bring venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, and technologists together. But the magazine went into...
(a weekly magazine focused on the business of funding, building, and taking new technologies to market), recognized Womble Carlyle as one of the most progressive law firms in the country due to its commitment to technology. Since 2000, the firm added offices in Tysons Corner
Tysons Corner, Virginia
Tysons Corner is an unincorporated census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Part of the Washington Metropolitan Area located in Northern Virginia, Tysons Corner lies between the community of McLean and the town of Vienna along the Capital Beltway . The population was...
, Greensboro, Wilmington and Baltimore.
Today
Womble Carlyle now has more than 500 lawyers and 1200 staff located in eleven offices. Its attorneys and professionals provide a full range of legal services to regional, national and international businesses and other clients in a wide range of industries. Lawyers at Womble Carlyle include former North Carolina Governor Jim HuntJim Hunt
James Baxter Hunt Jr. is an American politician who was the 69th and 71st Governor of the state of North Carolina . He is the longest-serving governor in the state's history.-Early life:...
, and former North Carolina Supreme Court
North Carolina Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of North Carolina is the state's highest appellate court. Until the creation of the North Carolina Court of Appeals in the 1960s, it was the state's only appellate court. The Supreme Court consists of six associate justices and one chief justice, although the number of justices...
Chief Justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
Burley Mitchell
Burley Mitchell
Burley Mitchell, Jr. is an American jurist and former Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. At age 15, Mitchell dropped out of high school to join the United States Marine Corps, only to be kicked out when his age was discovered...
.
Womble Carlyle is a member of Lex Mundi
Lex Mundi
Lex Mundi is a professional services network. It is the largest law firm networks. The network was established in 1989. As of 2011 it had 160 member firms which have 21,100 attorneys...
, a global organization of independent law firms.
In December 2008 the firm informed its staff that it would freeze attorney salaries
Salary
A salary is a form of periodic payment from an employer to an employee, which may be specified in an employment contract. It is contrasted with piece wages, where each job, hour or other unit is paid separately, rather than on a periodic basis....
for the first half of 2009, and in April 2009 it was reported that salaries for associate attorneys and paralegal staff were being cut an average of 10 percent. Observers speculated that the firm's legal business had declined due to heavy losses in the bank
Bank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
ing industry concentrated in Charlotte.
Effective April 30, 2011, Womble Carlyle merged with Buist Moore Smythe McGee, P.A., a 44-lawyer Charleston, South Carolina law firm, creating the largest law firm in both North and South Carolina. Buist Moore Smythe McGee P.A. lawyers are known for their advocacy on behalf of corporations, partnerships, limited partnerships, limited liability companies and other business associations in all aspects of commercial activity.
Honors and awards
- 2003 recipient of Thurgood Marshall Scholarship FundThurgood Marshall Scholarship FundThe Thurgood Marshall College Fund , named for the U.S. Supreme Court's first African-American Justice, was established in 1987. TMCF supports and represents nearly 300,000 students attending 47-member schools, which include public Historically Black Colleges & Universities and Predominantly Black...
's Corporate Leadership Award in recognition of the firm's commitment to the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship FundThurgood Marshall Scholarship FundThe Thurgood Marshall College Fund , named for the U.S. Supreme Court's first African-American Justice, was established in 1987. TMCF supports and represents nearly 300,000 students attending 47-member schools, which include public Historically Black Colleges & Universities and Predominantly Black...
, its 45 member institutions and the students educated at those schools.
- Womble Carlyle is included in the AmLaw 100 Survey and is ranked by The American LawyerThe American LawyerThe American Lawyer is a monthly law magazine published by ALM. It was founded in 1979 by Steven Brill. Features include the annual AmLaw 100 Survey and AmLaw 200 Survey , "The View From the Top", their annual poll of law firm chairpersons, and their "Corporate Scorecard"...
as being among the 100 leading firms in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and was ranked number 67 in the 2005 survey.
- Womble Carlyle is included as one of the 300 largest US law firms in the listing prepared by LawPeriscopeLawPeriscopeLawPeriscope publishes and maintains on the Internet a directory of the 300 largest US law firms. For each of these law firms, LawPeriscope produces a succinct one-page profile for quick research and evaluation of a law firm's capabilities. LawPeriscope also includes a vertical search engine...
.
Representative clients
Womble Carlyle represents many nationally and internationally known corporations, businesses and foundations in industries that include manufacturing, transportation and energy, financial services, insurance, health care, education and technology including:- Armstrong World IndustriesArmstrong World IndustriesArmstrong World Industries, Inc. is an international designer and manufacturer of floors, ceilings and cabinets. Based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Armstrong operates 40 plants in 10 countries and has approximately 12,300 employees worldwide. In 2006, Armstrong’s net sales were $3.42 billion, with...
- Bank of AmericaBank of AmericaBank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...
- BayerBayerBayer AG is a chemical and pharmaceutical company founded in Barmen , Germany in 1863. It is headquartered in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and well known for its original brand of aspirin.-History:...
CropScience - BB&TBB&TBB&T Corporation is an American bank with assets of $157 billion , offering full-service commercial and retail banking services along with other financial services like insurance, investments, retail brokerage, mortgage, corporate finance, consumer finance, payment services, international...
- Blackwater WorldwideBlackwater WorldwideXe Services LLC, better known by its former names, Blackwater USA and Blackwater Worldwide, is a private military company founded in 1997 by Erik Prince and Al Clark.. Xe is currently the largest of the U.S. State Department's three private security contractors...
- Childress Klein Properties
- Collins & Aikman Floorcoverings, Inc.
- DaimlerChryslerDaimlerChryslerDaimler AG is a German car corporation. By unit sales, it is the thirteenth-largest car manufacturer and second-largest truck manufacturer in the world. In addition to automobiles, Daimler manufactures buses and provides financial services through its Daimler Financial Services arm...
- Dell Inc.
- GlaxoSmithKlineGlaxoSmithKlineGlaxoSmithKline plc is a global pharmaceutical, biologics, vaccines and consumer healthcare company headquartered in London, United Kingdom...
- Jefferson-Pilot
- Lowe'sLowe'sLowe's Companies, Inc. is a U.S.-based chain of retail home improvement and appliance stores. Founded in 1946 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, the chain now serves more than 14 million customers a week in its 1,710 stores in the United States and 20 in Canada. Expansion into Canada began in...
- Mustafar Enterprises
- NovartisNovartisNovartis International AG is a multinational pharmaceutical company based in Basel, Switzerland, ranking number three in sales among the world-wide industry...
- Thomas Built Buses, Inc.
- Thomasville Furniture Industries, Inc.
- UNC HospitalsUNC HospitalsFounded as North Carolina Memorial Hospital, UNC Health Care is a non-profit medical system owned by the State of North Carolina and primarily located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It was organized in 1952 as the medical school of the University of North Carolina...
- Wachovia Bank
- Wake Forest UniversityWake Forest UniversityWake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
Womble Carlyle also has an active pro bono
Pro bono
Pro bono publico is a Latin phrase generally used to describe professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment or at a reduced fee as a public service. It is common in the legal profession and is increasingly seen in marketing, technology, and strategy consulting firms...
practice which has included high-profile cases such as the defense of death-row inmate Alan Gell
Alan Gell
James Alan Gell, from North Carolina, United States, was sentenced to death for the crime of first degree murder. He was freed from death row when it was determined that the prosecution had withheld significant exculpatory evidence and impeachment evidence....
by Womble Carlyle lawyer James P. Cooney, III.