Womble Bond Dickinson has named Joel Pieper its new managing partner for Atlanta—one of the firm’s largest offices—as the one-year mark approaches since the trans-Atlantic union of North Carolina-based Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice and U.K. firm Bond Dickinson.

“It was a very easy choice,” said Betty Temple, Womble’s U.S. chair. “Joel is highly regarded and trusted as a lawyer and person in this office. He’s a culture-carrier of the firm.”