Pace to serve as Richmond Bar Association president

W. Benjamin Pace, partner at Williams Mullen in Richmond, has been tapped to serve as the next president of the Richmond Bar Association, the firm announced in a June 15 press release.

Pace has served as a longtime member of the Richmond Bar Association, including as an officer with the bar’s board of directors and as past chair of the RBA’s pro bono and CLE committees.

In 2017, Pace received the RBA’s John C. Kenny Pro Bono Award in recognition of his pro bono work, including time as chair of Willams Mullen’s Pro Bono Committee.

Pace’s local involvement includes time as a member of the Greater Richmond Bar Foundation’s board of directors and as board chair of First Tee of Greater Richmond. He has volunteered with the Pro Bono Housing Project at the Legal Aid Justice Center and with the No Fault Divorce Program at the Central Virginia Legal Aid Society.

At Williams Mullen, Pace focuses his practice on business litigation, with emphasis on healthcare, product liability and fiduciary litigation.

Pace inherits the presidency from Jennifer J. West of Spotts Fain, who has transitioned to the role of immediate past president. John Merrick with Merrick Brock inherits the role of president-elect following Pace’s elevation.

In May, the Virginia State Bar Local and Specialty Bar Section named the RBA the 2026 Bar Association of the Year. The VSB’s announcement noted that the RBA is the oldest bar association in Virginia, tracing its history back to 1885. The RBA received the honor at the VSB Annual Meeting in Virginia Beach earlier this month.