Wednesday, October 23rd, 2024
Conor serves as Gentry Locke’s Land Use Planner for Renewable Energy and Real Estate. He works alongside real estate attorneys to assist owners, developers, and investors with all facets of land use and zoning, development and operation of residential, commercial, and large-scale mixed-use projects, as well as renewable energy projects.
Prior to joining the firm full time, Conor served as a Land Use Graduate Assistant for Gentry Locke while completing his masters degrees. Previously, he worked for the U.S. Government Accountability Office, as a Legislative Aide for a Delegate in the Virginia House, and as a Virginia Management Fellow at both the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Conservation and Recreation.
Conor holds two Master’s Degrees from the University in Virginia, in both Public Policy and Urban and Environmental Planning. He also holds a Graduate Certificate in Real Estate Design and Development. Conor graduated from the College of William and Mary with his Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Environmental Studies.
Monday, June 17th, 2024
Jake Bryant is a member of the firm’s General Commercial group. His practice focuses on intellectual property protection and litigation, technology development and contracting, data privacy compliance and litigation, branding and media rights, trade secrets, rights of publicity, and corporate matters. He helps clients at every stage of the IP life cycle, from initial development, to registrations and licensing, to infringement litigation.
As a trademark and copyright attorney, Jake represents clients in intellectual property infringement litigation and other disputes involving complex IP ownership. He helps clients protect their IP through registrations, licensing, and regularly assists with contracting related to emerging technologies, including software and generative artificial intelligence. He also regularly works with clients on privacy policy development, data breach responses and compliance, and disputes related to data privacy and tracking technologies. Prior to joining Gentry Locke, Jake served as Of Counsel at a boutique intellectual property law firm, where he helped litigate intellectual property issues in various federal courts across the U.S., and as a research assistant for the Center for Intellectual Property x Innovation Policy (now the IP Policy Institute).
Jake earned his J.D. from Liberty University School of Law, where he served as Notes & Comments Editor of the Liberty University Law Review, Vice President of the Liberty Law Intellectual Property Clinic, Executive Chair of the Business & Transactional Law Society, and was a national finalist in the 2023 Saul Lefkowitz Moot Court Tournament hosted by the International Trademark Association. He received his LL.M. in Intellectual Property from the George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School, focusing on artificial intelligence and law & economics. Jake’s published scholarship explores the intersection of intellectual property and emerging technologies.
Monday, March 4th, 2024
Wythe Michael is the deputy chair of the firm’s General Commercial practice group where he regularly acts as outside “general counsel” assisting privately held companies close deals, evaluate and manage risk, and pursue new opportunities. Wythe advises closely held companies on mergers and acquisitions, commercial transactions, private securities offerings, commercial real estate, and business succession planning. Wythe also advises new and existing businesses in connection with governing documents, shareholder agreements, operating agreements, employment agreements, restrictive covenant agreements, and general contract matters. Wythe frequently works with physician practice groups, dental practices and other healthcare practices along with individual healthcare providers. Other industries in which Wythe has experience includes manufacturing, construction, technology, service, and real estate businesses.
Wythe earned his J.D. from the University of Richmond and his B.A. from the College of William and Mary. He has been recognized by Virginia Business Magazine as a “Legal Elite” in Business.
Monday, January 29th, 2024
Jon Roellke is a member of the firm’s Commercial Litigation practice group with a broad-based practice focused on complex commercial, contract, and business disputes in state and federal courts. Jon represents businesses, municipalities, contractors, and individuals in high‑stakes matters ranging from simple breach of contract actions to multifaceted disputes involving construction and real estate matters, corporate and partnership conflicts, employment and severance issues, and class and multi‑party litigation.
Thursday, December 28th, 2023
Bob Evans is a member in the firm’s Plaintiff practice group. Bob’s practice focuses on personal injury, workers compensation, civil litigation, and real estate. Bob has over 40 years of experience. Before joining Gentry Locke, Bob was a sole practitioner in the Lynchburg area for the last 38 years.
Wednesday, December 6th, 2023
Jessica Otiono is a member of the firm’s General Commercial practice group, where she provides pragmatic, business-focused counsel that helps clients move transactions forward with clarity and confidence. She advises businesses across industries on corporate matters, including entity formation and structuring, commercial contracts, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance. Informed by her business-litigation background, Jessica drafts and negotiates complex commercial agreements and structures transactions to mitigate risk and support enforceability, all while ensuring compliance with applicable regulations.
Jessica’s healthcare practice focuses on delivering corporate services to advising providers, physician groups, and other stakeholders on transactional and regulatory matters. Her approach emphasizes practical, operationally sound strategies to ensure compliance with federal and state requirements. In addition, Jessica assists organizations with business immigration needs, including counseling employers on Form I-9 compliance to satisfy federal employment verification obligations. Prior to joining the firm as an attorney, Jessica worked as a Summer Associate with Gentry Locke.
Jessica earned her J.D. magna cum laude from the University of Richmond School of Law where she belonged to the Richmond Law Moot Court Board, Richmond Business Law Forum, and the Richmond Journal of Law and Technology. Jessica is licensed in Virginia as well as her home country, Nigeria.
Wednesday, December 6th, 2023
Kate Pollard is a member of the firm’s Government and Regulatory Affairs Practice Group and Solar and Renewable Energy Team. Her practice focuses on environmental, renewable energy, and energy regulatory matters at both the federal and state levels. Kate regularly represents clients concerning regulated and non-regulated utilities before the Virginia State Corporation Commission.
Kate received her J.D. from William & Mary Law School and her undergrad degree from the University of Virginia.
Thursday, November 16th, 2023
Thursday, July 13th, 2023
Mike Moro is a partner in the firm’s General Commercial Practice Group. Mike advises business owners and business organizations on matters concerning mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, corporate finance, and all manner of commercial transactions. He assists clients in connection with the preparation of governing documents, shareholder agreements, and operating agreements. He negotiates commercial contracts, including software license agreements and cloud computing agreements, handles all aspects of mergers and acquisitions transactions, and advises clients in connection with the negotiation of commercial lease agreements.
Prior to joining Gentry Locke, Mike served as Of Counsel at a boutique business law firm and prior to that, served as Corporate Counsel for a NASDAQ-listed financial services company. Previously, Mike served as Senior Counsel for a global sports and entertainment technology provider and also worked at law firms in Miami, FL and Rome, Italy. Mike speaks Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Monday, June 12th, 2023
P.J. Turner is a partner in the firm’s Commercial Litigation and Construction Law practice groups where she serves as a trial-level and appellate litigator. PJ focuses her practice in the areas of construction and products-liability litigation but has seasoned experience litigating a variety of complex commercial disputes, including those involving contract breaches, business torts, employment matters, collection matters, defamation, and insurance coverage disputes. In addition, P.J. has successfully handled multiple appeals to the Supreme Court of Virginia and Virginia Court of Appeals, as well as appeals to the Third and Fourth Circuit Courts of Appeals.
