Menu

The Library

News, attorney articles, seminars & events and case studies.

Brett Marston Named President Elect of the VSB

K. Brett Marston Named Next President-Elect of the Virginia State Bar

News

ROANOKE, Va. (March 18, 2024) – The Virginia law firm Gentry Locke is pleased to announce that the firm’s managing partner K. Brett Marston has been named the next President-Elect of the Virginia State Bar (VSB). He will be elected as the 2024-2025 President-Elect of the VSB at the 2024 VSB Annual Meeting in late May. His term as President-Elect will begin July 1. “We are proud of the dedication Brett has shown in serving the legal profession and upholding the highest standards of professionalism, and know that his leadership will be a benefit to the Virginia State Bar,” said Gentry Locke Chair […]

Read full press release
LinkedIn Google+
Cybersecurity FCA Whistleblowers Article

Cybersecurity FCA Whistleblowers

Articles

In October 2021, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) announced its Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative. The purpose of this initiative is to combat cybersecurity vulnerabilities and cyber threats by ensuring federal contractors and grantees implement required cybersecurity standards. Whistleblowers play a critical role in the initiative. Cybersecurity fraud is often difficult for the government to detect, so the DOJ relies on insiders to report violations under the federal False Claims Act (FCA). The FCA allows whistleblowers, known as “relators,” to bring a lawsuit regarding an entity’s false claims to the United States for payment. This is known as a qui […]

Read full article
LinkedIn Google+
The Return of Divided Government in Virginia Article

The Return of Divided Government in Virginia: The State Budget as Ground Zero for the Power Struggle Over Virginia, Perhaps Headed to the Supreme Court of Virginia

Articles

On January 10, 2024, Virginia returned to fully divided government, with the General Assembly entirely controlled by one party and the Executive Mansion controlled by the other party.  While hope springs eternal for bipartisanship and compromise, this era of political brinksmanship will make the Virginia Budget the legislative tool through which the General Assembly will attempt to force its will.  How far that can go implicates thorny and unanswered constitutional questions—questions that the Supreme Court of Virginia may soon be called upon to answer. A Brief Virginia Government Lesson First, a recap on the basics.  The legislative process requires both […]

Read full article
LinkedIn Google+
Ferrum College Lecture Series

Gentry Locke Announces Lecture Series Hosted at Ferrum College

News

ROANOKE, Va. (March 7, 2024) – Gentry Locke Attorneys and Ferrum College are pleased to announce the 2024 Gentry Locke Lecture Series will be hosted at the College on Wednesday, April 10. The spring presentation titled “Demystifying AI: The Truth…a Terrible and Terrific Future” will focus on artificial intelligence, and its impact on industry, the future of jobs, and what higher education needs to consider as it prepares the students of today and tomorrow. Guest speakers will have opportunities to engage with Ferrum College students throughout the day and the evening presentation. The evening presentation is open to the public and will feature several […]

Read full press release
LinkedIn Google+
Discovery in Virginia Article

Criminal Discovery

Articles

Having now had the privilege (or pain) of practicing criminal law in three different states, I can safely say that not all criminal discovery rules and practices are even remotely equal. In law school, we all read Brady and Giglio and know well that a criminal defendant is entitled to certain information, namely exculpatory and impeachment evidence. However, I am sure more than one state criminal practitioner has had a state court judge or prosecuting attorney look at them as if they are speaking Greek whenever either Brady or Giglio is mentioned, and unfortunately, more than once in this last […]

Read full article
LinkedIn Google+

The Guardians of the Courthouse Gates: Virginia’s Requirement for Pre-Service Expert Certification in Medical Malpractice Cases

Articles

A doctor’s negligence can have devastating and life-altering effects on a patient. A slip of the knife, a missed diagnosis, an unreasonable delay in treatment: All of these can lead to catastrophe. Many times, a patient’s only recourse after an encounter with a negligent healthcare provider is the Civil Justice system and a lawsuit to recover those damages caused by that provider with experienced medical malpractice attorneys. Although a suit for medical malpractice is just a more specific and specialized claim of negligence, Virginia law places a number of guardians at the gates of the courthouse, in an attempt to […]

Read full article
LinkedIn Google+
Wythe Michael

Gentry Locke Welcomes Corporate Partner G. Wythe Michael to its Richmond Office

News

RICHMOND, Va. (March 4, 2024) – The Virginia law firm Gentry Locke is pleased to announce that G. Wythe Michael has joined the firm’s Richmond office as a partner in our Corporate practice. “The hiring of Wythe Michael is another step forward for the growth of Gentry Locke’s commercial and transactional practice across Virginia. Wythe is a super-talented and experienced business attorney with an outstanding reputation in working with businesses of all types to successfully navigate their corporate law issues. We are pleased that he will bring his outstanding legal, leadership, and business skills to serve our clients in Virginia […]

Read full press release
LinkedIn Google+
Monica Monday Circle of Excellence Award

Gentry Locke’s Monica T. Monday Named an Inaugural Circle of Excellence Honoree by Virginia Lawyers Weekly

News

ROANOKE, Va. (February 29, 2024) – The Virginia law firm Gentry Locke is pleased to announce that Monica T. Monday, Chair of the firm’s Executive Board and head of Gentry Locke’s Appeals and Critical Issues team, has been honored in the inaugural class of the 2024 Circle of Excellence by Virginia Lawyers Weekly. The Circle of Excellence award is given to past Virginia Lawyers Weekly Influential Women of Law recipients who have sustained a great level of achievement and record of leadership. This inaugural class of Circle of Excellence honorees includes 5 women throughout Virginia who are inspiring and accomplished leaders, serve as mentors to […]

Read full press release
LinkedIn Google+
The Legal Process Article

The Legal Process: Stages of a Virginia Personal Injury Case

Articles

Plaintiff personal injury clients are different than other types of clients because their Virginia personal injury case is generally their first interaction with the civil legal system. Clients sometimes have an expectation that the process moves fast. Television shows, like Suits and Law & Order, may be to blame for such an expectation. Unfortunately, this expectation is mistaken—the legal process is quite slow. It can take anywhere from weeks to several years to resolve a Virginia personal injury case. This can be especially difficult for a plaintiff who is the victim of a trucking collision, motor vehicle collision, slip-and-fall accident, […]

Read full article
LinkedIn Google+

Rule 702 Amendments Will Likely Lower Courts’ Tolerance of “Shaky” Expert Witness Testimony

Articles

The long-awaited amendments to Federal Rule of Evidence 702 took effect across federal courts on December 1, 2023.  Companies and individuals whose trial and settlement outcomes come down to expert witness testimony should pay close attention to the growing body of caselaw defining the import of these amendments. Rule 702 provides a key tool for litigants to keep “junk science” out of trial, and imposes on courts an important “gatekeeping” responsibility to exclude any expert opinions that lack sufficiently reliable methodologies.  Although “[n]othing in the amendment[s] imposes any new, specific procedures” to the rule, the Advisory Committee’s comments strengthen the […]

Read full article
LinkedIn Google+
FacebookTwitterLinkedIn