Inspiring Women in Law Q&A: Betty Temple, Womble Bond Dickinson´s CEO  

LATIN COUNSEL talks about leadership and diversity with the truly inspiring Betty Temple, Chair and Chief Executive Officer of transatlantic law firm Womble Bond Dickinson.
Betty is "a leader, an innovator, and a trusted strategic counselor", according to her clients.
A practicing Corporate & Securities lawyer, Betty is a two-time winner of BTI Consulting Group’s Client Service All Star Award – one of only a handful of lawyers ever to receive the award on multiple occasions. These awards speak to the trust placed in her by the middlemarket, Fortune 500 and global companies she has helped thrive and grow.

LATIN COUNSEL: What made you decide to pursue a career in law?

Betty Temple: I was interested in a career in the law from a young age. My Dad was a chemical engineer and entrepreneur who created a lithium business, and I saw how invaluable legal counsel was to his business. The idea of being that trusted counselor who helps others achieve their business goals was very appealing to me. My practice focuses on corporate and securities law, with an emphasis on guiding public companies. I see my role as being that same sort of trusted business and legal advisor to our clients that my Dad relied on in his business.
I went to law school right after college (both at the University of North Carolina) and I’ve been practicing law for more than 30 years. It’s been the right decision for me — I still love this job!

LC: As an inspirational woman leader, how would you describe the evolution of women in the legal sector since you started your professional career? Are we achieving equality?

Betty Temple: Women in the legal sector have made tremendous progress since I began my career in the late 1980s. We should celebrate those positive achievements while also acknowledging that more work remains to be done. For example, a 2020 industry survey found that 22 percent of equity partners are women. While that number had increased substantially, it’s not close to equal.
Womble Bond Dickinson has been involved in a promising initiative called the Mansfield Rule. Firms participating in the Mansfield Rule set benchmarks that women, minority, disabled and LGBTQIA+ lawyers make up at least 30 percent of the candidate pool for promotions and leadership positions. We know that what gets tracked is what gets done, so by setting objective benchmarks, Mansfield firms have seen promising gains.

LC: Since becoming CEO and Chair and having gone through a transatlantic merger, what have you enjoyed the most about your experience? Have you encountered any significant challenges?

Betty Temple: The most enjoyable part of our transatlantic combination is that it has been so successful, both for our clients and our team members. When our U.S. firm Womble Carlyle combined with UK firm Bond Dickinson in 2017, we certainly had done our due diligence and we strongly believed we were doing the right thing. But when you make a big move like this, success is never guaranteed. So to see our firm grow and thrive post-combination has been extremely enjoyable.
But there certainly have been challenges along the way! The biggest was the COVID-19 pandemic. Like every business, we had to adapt quickly. But our firm was ready – and I couldn’t be prouder of how our team responded. We already had invested in the technology and training to allow for full-firm remote work, so the impact of this transition on our clients was absolutely minimal. As a firm, our people stepped up and found ways to deliver outstanding client service.

LC: What can you tell us about the firm’s culture and the leadership structure at the firm?

Betty Temple: Firm culture is absolutely vital to what we do in the legal services industry. I totally believe that, and it is one of the main reasons I’ve spent my 30+ year career at this firm.
WBD’s core values are: Integrity, Devotion to Clients, and Respect for the Individual. These aren’t empty buzzwords. When decisions are made at all levels of the firm, we ask ourselves, "How does this decision align with our core values?"
In terms of leadership structure, I serve as Chair of the Firm Management Committee—the group of Partners that oversees our U.S. operations and provides strategic guidance for the firm. I also am Co-Chair of our Global Board, which is the body of UK and U.S. attorneys that leads our transatlantic efforts.

LC: How would you define the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion strategy?

Betty Temple: Womble Bond Dickinson has a comprehensive Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy—and we are constantly looking for ways to improve it. Our firm’s Diversity Committee leads these efforts.
As I mentioned, we are a long-time participant in the Mansfield Rule, which seeks to improve representation in law firm hiring and promotions decisions. We also have been named a Best Place to Work for LGBTQIA+ workplace equality for nine consecutive years.
Internally, the firm has created several affinity groups to support attorneys and staff. These include the Black Affinity Group for Black team members and allies, an affinity group for our Latinx team members and allies, and the WBD Asian Pacific American Network (APAN)—the firm’s affinity group for Asian and Pacific American team members and allies. Other affinity groups include the Women of Womble Bond Dickinson (WOW) and WBD Pride, an affinity group supporting LGBTQIA+ team members and allies.

LC: Can you tell us about the growth strategy of the firm in Latin America? Would you consider merging with local firms or opening offices in the region?

Betty Temple: Latin America has long been an important market for our clients and our firm. In recent years, we have made a deliberate, strategic effort to expand our services to companies that do business in Latin America as well as Latin American companies that operate in the U.S. We’ve added a number of Partners with deep experience in Central America, South America and the Caribbean. These attorneys give us a great deal of credibility in the Latin American market, and we are listening to their guidance as to how best to build our Latin America practice.
At this time, we don’t have any plans on the table to open offices in Latin America.

LC: What do you see as some of the current emerging opportunities in Latin America?

Betty Temple: The nearshoring trend definitely is an exciting one for Latin America. The pandemic exposed weaknesses in global supply chains, and the ongoing war in Ukraine has created additional uncertainties. So many U.S. businesses are looking to bring production closer to home—and Latin American markets are perfectly positioned to benefit from this nearshoring trend.
This trend also can greatly benefit Latin American countries in the form of increased investment, the creation of good jobs, and public infrastructure improvements. However, we need to make sure we work with local stakeholders to ensure that all parties benefit. I think we will see a great deal of new U.S. investment in Latin America in the next few years, and this trend will be a positive one for those countries as well as for U.S. businesses.

LC: What do you consider to be the biggest challenges in the region?

Betty Temple: One thing we, in the U.S. business world, need to guard against is assuming we know more than we do about other countries and how they operate. Latin America isn’t a homogenous region—it’s a richly diverse place made up of many different countries, each with its own cultural traditions, governmental structures, legal systems, etc. So when doing business in Latin America, we need to work closely with people in and from those countries who understand these nuances and who can guide our decisions.
For example, you sometimes hear that political stability is a challenge to doing business in Latin America. Well, some nations in the region have struggled with stability, but others are very stable politically. There is no "One size fits all" approach to doing business in Latin America.

LC: As a female role model, what advice would you give to the new generation of women lawyers?

Betty Temple: To believe in yourself and bet on yourself, even when that seems scary. My first leadership position wasn’t as Chair and CEO of an AmLaw100 firm. Earlier in my career, I volunteered for a number of smaller leadership positions within the firm. I wasn’t always sure of what to do at first, but I asked questions and learned on the job. Those smaller leadership roles led to bigger ones and, ultimately, to my current role.
I think young women in professional settings often are taught that they should keep their heads down, work hard and don’t make waves. But while you should strive to be a good team player, there’s also a time and place to raise your hand and say, "Give me a chance."