International law firm Womble Bond Dickinson (WBD) has appointed Paula Myers as a partner in its Private Capital team, bolstering its Leeds office and wider national offering.
Paula joins WBD on July 27 and is one of the most highly regarded practitioners in the contentious private client market, holding tier one and elite partner rankings in Chambers and Legal 500. She brings more than 25 years of experience advising high-net-worth individuals, families, trustees, beneficiaries and professional advisers on complex trust, estate and inheritance disputes.
Having trained and qualified at Dickinson Dees, one of WBD's legacy firms, Paula returns to join WBD's partnership having established herself as one of the UK's leading contentious private client lawyers.
Paula previously led the Will, Trust and Estate Disputes team at Irwin Mitchell, growing the practice from six lawyers to 45 and establishing it as the largest private client disputes team in the UK. She also previously led the firm’s wider Private Client Services business, overseeing a team of approximately 184 solicitors, accountants and trust advisers across multiple offices nationwide.
Her arrival enhances WBD's contentious private wealth capability, adding senior leadership to a team that advises clients on a broad range of trust, estate, inheritance and major succession disputes across the UK and internationally.
Paula Myers said: "Womble Bond Dickinson has an outstanding reputation for delivering high-quality advice to private clients and their advisers, supported by a strong international platform and collaborative culture. The private wealth market continues to evolve, creating new challenges and opportunities for clients, and I am excited to be joining the firm at such an important time. I look forward to working with colleagues across the business to further develop the practice and support clients facing complex trust, estate and inheritance disputes."
Neil Long, partner and head of WBD’s private capital team commented: ""Paula brings an exceptional track record in contentious private client work. Her appointment significantly strengthens our private wealth disputes offering at a time when demand for specialist trust and succession dispute advice continues to grow, driven by increasingly complex family arrangements, international considerations and evolving wealth structures. Paula's experience and reputation make her an outstanding addition to the team."
In addition to Chambers and Legal 500, Paula is named among Citywealth's Top 100 Trust Litigators and Top 100 International Private Client Lawyers. She is actively involved with industry bodies across the profession, serving as a presiding judge for the STEP Awards and receiving the STEP Founders Award for her contribution to the organisation.
Her arrival follows a series of recent strategic appointments at WBD, including David Varney, who joined as a partner in the firm's Bristol office at the beginning of July to strengthen its national digital practice, Andrew Yates, who joined the London office in March as Head of Living Capital to support the continued growth of WBD's Living sector offering, and most recently, Richard Sharpe, who joined the firm’s residential team as a partner.
