In an unusual move, Womble Bond Dickinson has hired its very first general counsel from the private sector instead of tapping a firm partner for the role.

Eric McCarthy joined Womble on June 1 as general counsel and chief legal officer for the trans-Atlantic firm's U.S. branch. He arrives from Proterra, a maker of electric buses and charging stations.

Womble's U.S. CEO, Betty Temple, said the firm's general counsel role has evolved and expanded, leading it to broaden its candidate search. "We are dealing with client intake and conflicts—and also business strategy as we develop new models for practicing law with new businesses and practice areas within the firm," she said.

McCarthy, who reports to Temple, succeeds Womble partner Mike Barnhill, who has resumed his business litigation practice.

McCarthy, 48, has spent the past decade as an in-house lawyer, first as the general counsel for Honeywell Tech Solutions and then Proterra. His role at Proterra shifted in 2017 from general counsel to vice president of government relations, where he worked on local and state legislative policy to advance electric mobility tech.

McCarthy started his career in Big Law, first at Baker & Hostetler, then joining Howrey in 1997. After making partner as an antitrust litigator at the now-defunct firm, he moved to Latham & Watkins' Washington, D.C., office. He said he went in-house for "a deeper understanding of how businesses work."

As general counsel for the Honeywell subsidiary and then Proterra, McCarthy said, his focus was on growing the business while managing risk—and he sees a similar opportunity at Womble. "Firms have really started to professionalize this role [of general counsel]. Like companies, they are looking for a business partner," he said.

Temple said that, as she contemplated Barnhill's successor as general counsel, she decided that considering candidates outside the firm offered "an incredible opportunity to think about this position—which is very important in our firm—in a very different way."

Before, the firm had always chosen a "trusted litigation partner," she explained, and the internal general counsel role was primarily about risk management. 

But as firms expand and change, so has the role. "Even before the pandemic, the legal industry has been rapidly transforming," Temple said.

What's more, Womble has been on an aggressive growth push, combining with U.K. firm Bond Dickinson in Nov. 2017 and expanding beyond its base in the Carolinas with new offices in Boston, California and, most recently, Houston.

The trans-Atlantic firm's U.S. branch has about 550 lawyers—out of close to 1,000 for the combined firm. Structured as a company limited by guarantee, the combined entity operates as a single brand but the U.S. and U.K. partnerships maintain separate profit pools. 

WIth combined 2019 revenue of $475.7 million, Womble ranked at No. 79 in the Am Law 100, The American Lawyer's ranking of U.S. firms based on revenue. 

Beyond Risk Management

Womble engaged a Greenville, South Carolina, consultancy, Find Great People, to develop a new competency model for the position, Temple said, and then posted the job internally and externally, adding that the firm received "enormous response" from outside candidates.

While Proterra consulted with Womble on a single matter dating back to 2016, McCarthy said he learned of the general counsel opportunity from Find Great People. "I've been an associate, a partner, a lateral and a client of law firms," McCarthy said. "I really know this space inside and out, so to tap into all those experiences and work for a trans-Atlantic firm that is growing is exciting to me." 

His dual experience as a partner at major firms and as an in house lawyer fit the bill, Temple said. "What Eric brings is the client perspective," she said, by providing insight on how a client would perceive a decision. That includes Womble's internal clients, its attorneys, she added.

"He adds a new voice that speaks the same language as our clients," Temple said, adding that just one week in, McCarthy has been speaking up at every leadership meeting.

McCarthy's skills in business process management were another big draw, she said. "That's something that clients really need from us–and that, as law firms, we struggle with."

McCarthy said his role at Womble is "first and foremost to protect the firm's interests," but as general counsel, he must also assess growth opportunities and "explore ways to get to yes."

While the pandemic has resulted in economic upheaval, McCarthy said there are potential growth opportunities for Womble right now that require his team's guidance, whether expanding into new practice areas or bringing on new partners.

"Aligning risk-mitigation strategies with business objectives to achieve core financial goals—that is key for any business, whether Proterra, Honeywell or Womble," he said.