Virginia’s Go To Lawyers for Business Law
Paul Fletcher//December 29, 2020//
Virginia Lawyers Weekly is pleased to announce the first group of honorees in our new program recognizing the leading lawyers in a particular field of law.
The first field of practice for “Virginia’s Go To Lawyers” is business law.
A “Go To Lawyer” is:
- A lawyer who is an expert in his or her field, well-versed in the nuances of the case law, statutes and regulations clients will encounter.
- A lawyer who is experienced and enjoys a record of success, with many cases and/or transactions that give testimony to the quality advice he or she can provide.
- A lawyer to whom other lawyers make referrals because of his or her expertise and accomplishments.
- A lawyer who can think creatively and identify all options for a client.
- A lawyer you would name when a friend from another state calls and says she has a client who needs some legal help in a given part of our state.
- A lawyer you might call yourself if you needed legal help in his or her field.
Below are the names of 17 outstanding business lawyers. Click on each name for biographical information in response to our questionnaire, including credentials, signature cases, approach to clients and predictions for business law in 2021.
- Mark R. Baumgartner, Pender & Coward, Virginia Beach
- Joel M. Birken, Rees Broome, Tysons Corner
- Rachel Brenke, Eden Law, Fredericksburg
- Richard J. Crouch, Vandeventer Black, Norfolk
- Webster Day, Spilman, Thomas & Battle, Roanoke
- Dustin H. DeVore, Kaufman & Canoles, Williamsburg
- Tricia Dunlap, Dunlap Law, Richmond
- Franklin Flippin, Gentry Locke, Roanoke
- Virginia K. Fogg, Norfolk Southern Corp., Norfolk
- Ronald M. Gates, Wolcott, Rivers Gates, Virginia Beach
- Adam N. Harrell Jr., Harrell & Chambliss, Richmond
- Joanne Katsantonis, McGuireWoods, Richmond
- Declan C. Leonard, Berenzweig Leonard, McLean
- Ellen D. Marcus, Holmes, Costin & Marcus, Alexandria
- Kirk T. Schroder, Schroder Brooks, Richmond
- William R. Van Buren III, Kaufman & Canoles, Norfolk
- Michael R. Vanderpool, Vanderpool, Frostick & Nishanian, Manassas
A digital edition of the special section published with our Dec. 28 issue can be viewed below. To view in full-screen mode, click the .icon.
Legal Tech
- How large language models are leveling the personal injury playing field
- Attorney Share, Lawmatics integrate to automate law firm referrals
- How ransomware tactics against law firms are changing
Verdicts & Settlements
- Motor Vehicle Negligence – Motorcyclist suffers severe injuries in vehicle accident
- Medical Malpractice – Patient dies after alleged improper medicine admin
- Workers’ Compensation-Vehicle accident paralyzes Brazilian cement worker
- Medical Malpractice – Death from cancer followed stomach pain misdiagnosis
- Workers’ Compensation – Seasonal worker paralyzed in tobacco baler accident
Opinion Digests
- Immigration – Virginia embezzlement conviction doesn’t trigger removal
- Criminal – Immigration ineffective assistance of counsel claim is rejected
- Criminal – Correctional officer’s civil rights’ violation conviction is vacated
- Criminal – Writ of coram nobis denied
- Immigration – Immigration judge failed to follow law
- Search and seizure – No immunity for guards who intentionally failed to check on injured inmate
- Prisons – No immunity for prison officials who allegedly failed to provide medical care








