Womble Bond Dickinson has launched an office in Houston, starting with six lawyers to serve clients in the energy, global manufacturing, technology and life sciences industries.

Managing the new office is Jeffrey Whittle, an intellectual property transactional lawyer who left Hogan Lovells to join Womble Bond on Jan. 22. Other lateral partners in the new group include IP litigator Joshua Davis and corporate securities lawyer Paul Turner, both formerly of Reed Smith. Associate Kristin Lamb and of counsel Mark Shelley also joined the firm from Hogan Lovells.

Additionally, Womble Bond partner Elizabeth “Liz” LeVan Riley, whose practice focuses on education law, will split her practice between Houston and Raleigh, North Carolina.