Virginia Local Litigation and Commercial Counsel with Statewide Reach 

Gentry Locke serves as trusted local counsel in state and federal courts across the Commonwealth of Virginia and in a variety of commercial transactions. We partner with national and regional law firms to provide seamless, on-the-ground support in complex litigation, transactional, regulatory matters, and high-stakes disputes and commercial matters pending anywhere in the state. Our attorneys live and practice in Virginia and are deeply embedded in its legal system. Most of our attorneys are Virginians by birth or chose to build their careers here by attending college or law school in the Commonwealth. As a result, we maintain long-standing professional relationships with other law firms, businesses, government agencies, and court personnel throughout Virginia. That familiarity translates into practical advantages that go well beyond written rules or statutes.

But our role goes well beyond simply coordinating filings or handling procedural logistics. Gentry Locke is local counsel that litigates, strategizes, and wins cases in Virginia courts every day. National counsel rely on us not only for our familiarity with local rules, but for our ability to deliver substantive legal insight and courtroom results.

There are many firms that have practiced in Virginia for years. What sets Gentry Locke apart is that we are truly embedded in Virginia’s legal system, with day-to-day experience navigating its courts, customs, and legal culture.

A Jurisdiction That Rewards Local Knowledge

Virginia is not a one-size-fits-all jurisdiction. Its courts and localities vary significantly by region, venue, judge, clerk, and governing body, ranging from the fast-paced Eastern District of Virginia’s “Rocket Docket” to state Circuit Courts with deeply ingrained local practices, to the various stakeholders across many different counties, cities, and towns. Success often depends on understanding not only the law, but how it is applied in a particular court, city, county, or district.

Equally important, we are not “dropbox” local counsel. We partner closely with national and regional firms to add real strategic value to the representation, providing insight and advocacy that strengthens the overall legal team.

Litigation: Embedded in Virginia’s Legal Community

As litigators, we regularly litigate in courts at every level including state and federal, trial and appellate, and across all districts and counties. That experience includes familiarity with judicial preferences, clerk’s office practices, and procedural nuances that are difficult to replicate from outside the jurisdiction. Several of our attorneys bring additional insight through prior clerkships and long-standing relationships within Virginia’s courts.

Gentry Locke is not simply a firm that operates in Virginia; we are built around it. As a firm, our litigators practice almost exclusively within the Commonwealth, allowing us to bring unmatched focus, consistency, and institutional knowledge to every matter. With offices located across the state, we offer enhanced flexibility, regional insight, and convenience for clients and co-counsel alike.

Transactional: Experts in Virginia Law and Practice

In addition to handling transactions involving businesses and assets that are located in or have operations in Virginia, our transactional attorneys regularly work with clients and counterparts from around the country and the world. Virginia is a hotspot for renewable energy, data centers, development, government contracting, private equity investment, and other business activities that consistently bring newcomers to Virginia. Familiarity with Virginia laws impacting secured transactions, finance, real estate and local land use entitlements is essential when handling transactions with a Virginia nexus.

Courts Where We Regularly Appear

Our attorneys routinely represent clients before courts at every level of Virginia’s judicial system, including:

• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
• U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
• Virginia state trial courts, including Circuit Courts in every county and city across the Commonwealth
• Virginia Court of Appeals
• Supreme Court of Virginia

How We Support Your Team

As local counsel, we function as an extension of your litigation or deal team, offering practical, efficient support at every stage:

• Court and Rule Navigation
  Advising on local rules, standing orders, and judicial preferences in the EDVA, WDVA, state Circuit Courts, appellate courts, and beyond.
• Filing and Administrative Coordination
  Managing filings, service, couriers, and other logistical requirements—particularly in venues that still require or prefer paper filings.
• Venue and Forum Strategy
  Counseling on county, city, and district-specific considerations, including venue selection and state versus federal strategy.
• End-to-End Case Support
  Providing insight on the unique substantive and procedural aspects of Virginia law from case inception through resolution.
• Transactional Support
  We frequently serve as local Virginia counsel in a variety of transactions. As local counsel we:
  • Review documents for compliance with Virginia law and provide recommended/required changes
  • Review documents for provisions that are “customary” in Virginia versus other states (we see this frequently in Real Estate matters)
  • Provide Virginia local counsel opinions, including enforceability, security interest, financing, loan, zoning, permitting, and other special opinions based on Virginia law.
  • Seek to add value to transactions by evaluating opportunities to save costs, such as statutory recording exemptions
  • Seek to use any available local connections and knowledge that may help a transaction run more smoothly and efficiently.
• Compliance and Regulatory Guidance
  Assisting with Virginia-specific regulatory frameworks and compliance considerations that intersect with litigation and business operations.
• Cybersecurity
  We prepare internal policies and procedures to protect sensitive information and to ensure compliance with governmental regulations, and we tailor responses to data breaches or other corporate security violations in an industry-specific fashion to limit financial and legal exposure.  As local counsel we provide guidance on the scope of the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA) and Virginia’s breach reporting law following a cyber incident, as well as other federal, state, and sectoral cybersecurity and privacy laws. We are also prepared to defend privacy lawsuits that often occur in the wake of a breach.
• Plaintiff Support
  The Personal Injury team specializes in high-profile, complex cases. If there is a major personal-injury proceeding in the region, chances are that we will be at the front of it, representing our client’s interests with diligence and compassion. We know the doctors, experts, investigators, and all needed personnel to help our clients prevail.