The Library

ROANOKE, Va. (September 30, 2018) – The Virginia law firm of Gentry Locke is pleased to announce that Caley A. DeGroote has joined the firm’s Roanoke office as an associate on the Personal Injury and Medical Malpractice teams, where she will assist with complex litigation matters. Before joining Gentry Locke, Caley researched criminal and civil legal issues in preparation for hearings and trials as a law clerk for the Twenty-third Judicial Circuit Court. Prior to that, she analyzed legal issues and helped create opinions and legal orders as a summer intern for The Honorable J. Michelle Childs at the U.S. District […]

The laws for restaurants regarding “tip pooling” (and other pay practices) can be complex and confusing. For example, did you know that the almost 900-page Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018, which took effect March 23, 2018, contained a passage that also amended the “tip pooling” laws?  Moreover, the statutory remedies for a violation of the “tip pooling” laws can be harsh, even for innocent mistakes. In 2018 alone, the following restaurants paid large settlement amounts in Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) wage-hour collective action cases for allegedly violating tip pooling (and other FLSA) laws:  Bob Evans ($3 Million); P.F. Chang’s ($2.65 […]

Firm also launching Government and Regulatory Affairs Practice Group ROANOKE, Va. (September 4, 2018) – The Virginia law firm of Gentry Locke is pleased to announce that it is expanding its presence across the state with the launch of its new Richmond office. Litigation partner Gregory D. Habeeb will oversee the office, with John G. “Chip” Dicks joining the firm as a partner in Richmond. In addition to forming Gentry Locke’s new office and expanding its outreach to existing clients in the Richmond market, Dicks and Habeeb are launching the firm’s Government and Regulatory Affairs Practice Group. “This is an […]

ROANOKE, Va. (August 13, 2018) – The Virginia law firm of Gentry Locke is pleased to announce that David R. Berry  has joined the firm’s Roanoke office as an associate. Dave will practice on the Commercial Litigation team, helping clients to resolve complex business disputes. Before joining Gentry Locke, Dave served for two years as a law clerk to The Honorable Donald W. Lemons, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia. He has also held roles in the United States Attorney’s Office and Office of the Attorney General of Virginia. Dave earned his J.D. summa cum laude from the […]

Powell M. (Nick) Leitch, III Selected for ‘Lawyer of the Year’ Award ROANOKE, Va. (August 15, 2018) – The Virginia law firm of Gentry Locke is pleased to announce that 20 of the firm’s attorneys were selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® (2019 edition), a national legal ranking. Attorneys were nominated by their peers and recognized for their outstanding professional achievement in numerous legal practice areas, including appellate, banking and finance law, bet-the-company litigation, commercial litigation, criminal defense, employment law, insurance law, medical malpractice law, real estate law, tax law, trusts and estates, and others. In addition, Powell M. […]

ROANOKE, Va. (July 30, 2018) – The Virginia law firm of Gentry Locke is pleased to announce that it has been named to Vault’s 2019 “Top 150 Under 150” list, which recognizes leading midsize law firms based on the following criteria: firm culture, quality of life, satisfaction, diversity, pro bono, hours, compensation and selectivity. “We are pleased to have earned a position on Vault’s 2019 list,” said Gentry Locke Managing Partner Monica Taylor Monday. “We are very proud to be considered a top law firm at which to work. We value and foster a collaborative, inclusive culture, and appreciate that Vault’s […]

On July 25, 2018 the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals issued its decision in Berkley, et al. v. Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC, et al, and found that landowners cannot challenge the constitutionality of the Natural Gas Act in federal district court. Instead, landowners must present such constitutional claims first to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the same body that landowners challenge cannot lawfully act under the Natural Gas Act. FERC consistently states that it does not and cannot decide such issues. Once FERC issues its decision, including findings that it cannot even consider challenges to the Natural Gas Act, […]

Gentry Locke Partner Gregory D. Habeeb, who specializes in complex business and catastrophic injury cases at Gentry Locke while also serving in the Virginia House of Delegates representing Virginia’s 8th District, was recently noted in a list of “legislative all-stars” in an editorial by The Roanoke Times. The editorial cited how Habeeb’s bill to make court records accessible to the public through a single source, which became law, has made it easier for the public and researchers to access the information. Here is how The Roanoke Times described the impact this law has on the Commonwealth: If you believe government should […]

ROANOKE, Va. (June 12, 2018) – The Virginia law firm of Gentry Locke is pleased to announce that Roanoke Retired Partner J. Rudy Austin has been named to the Virginia Lawyers Hall of Fame, a Virginia Lawyers Weekly awards program designed to recognize Virginia’s most significant senior lawyers. Rudy was formally recognized at the Hall of Fame event on June 12. “We are thrilled for Rudy, who is highly deserving of this honor,” said Gentry Locke Managing Partner Monica Taylor Monday. “He is an unwavering example of the ethical practice of law, with innumerable career accomplishments.” Membership in the Hall […]