Virginia Lawyers Weekly VA Lawyers Weekly
Kevin W. Cloe
Director, co-chair of Workers’ Compensation Section
Midkiff, Muncie & Ross PC
Richmond
Education
BA, University of Virginia
JD, University of Richmond, The T.C. Williams School of Law
Best known for:
Workers’ compensation defense
Signature case:
Once successfully terminated, with finality, an award on a case worth between 4 and 5 million, fully ending all exposure for the client, after the claimant settled a third-party case without the permission of the employer or carrier.
Most satisfying:
The interaction with other attorneys – the workers’ compensation bar in Virginia is very collegial.
Working with clients:
I feel that it is best approached as a partnership – and a team approach is used between the insurance adjuster, the employer, and my staff.
Best career advice:
Treat everyone with respect, regardless of their “title” or position.
Looking ahead:
I think that we have really had quite a bit of change over the last two years in our area of practice (COVID presumption statute, changes in case law with respect to cumulative trauma) and expect some stability to begin from those changes. I do expect some modifications to the Rules to take effect that were proposed by the Inn of Court – but in my opinion, none of those changes will be major. With the legalization of marijuana to some extent in the Commonwealth, it will also be interesting to see how the defense of willful misconduct is handled with that drug.
