The merger will be effective at the end of the month, and creates the largest firm in the Carolinas. Buist Moore employs 44 attorneys, and Womble Carlyle employs nearly 500 attorneys.
Womble Carlyle chairman Keith Vaughan was quoted as saying in an article at amlawdaily.com: “There’s a lot of business activity moving towards the southeastern part of the U.S. We are very strong in Greenville, S.C., on the western side of the state along the I-85 corridor from Atlanta on up to Charlotte, but we had no presence in Charleston.”
Henry Smythe, Buist Moore Managing Partner was quoted as saying in a press release at Womble Carlyle’s website: “Buist Moore has been a bedrock business law firm within the Charleston market for years, and now the merger with Womble Carlyle gives our talented attorneys a much broader platform to serve our clients. The existing synergies between our core practice areas and those of Womble Carlyle provide opportunities to expand client relationships within the Southeast region and beyond. Womble Carlyle currently has offices from Atlanta to Delaware and is a prominent law firm within that region. The opportunities for Buist Moore attorneys to serve clients regionally, nationally and globally will increase significantly.”
Established in Winston-Salem in 1876, Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC now comprises more than 530 lawyers in eleven offices. The 44 attorneys of Buist Moore Smythe McGee P.A. 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.