News, Events, Seminars & Articles by Gentry Locke Attorneys

HR March Madness: 2019 Employment Law Symposium

Events March 2019

Master the brackets and score for your company by attending our 2019 Employment Law Symposium. It’s March Madness, HR style! Gentry Locke’s Employment Law attorneys will help you fill out your employment law brackets so you can successfully advance and WIN for your company. Register now to get a courtside seat for this full day of action! Professional Credits: As a SHRM Recertification Provider, Gentry Locke is recognized by SHRM to offer 5.5 hours of Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for the SHRM-CPSM or SHRM-SCPSM for this day of programming. Additionally, this activity has met HR Certification Institute’s® (HRCI®) criteria for […]

$625,000 Awarded for Lingual Nerve Perforated During Wisdom Tooth Extraction

Case Studies March 2019

The results of client matters depend on a variety of factors unique to each matter. Past successes do not predict or guarantee future successes.

Gentry Locke for the Plaintiff Augusta County Circuit Court The Defendant, an oral surgeon, removed our client’s wisdom teeth when she was 12 years of age. During that surgery, the Defendant completely severed the left lingual nerve and perforated the lingual plate. This has caused numbness, hypersensitivity, discomfort, and pain to the left side of our client’s mouth that she will suffer until the day she dies. The Defendant refused to accept responsibility for her surgical negligence, so we proceeded to trial to hold the Defendant accountable and prevent this from happening to another person. An Augusta County jury unanimously […]

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Department of Labor Eliminates 80/20 Rule for Tipped Employees

Articles February 2019

Things just got a little easier for employers with tipped employees. Under previous U.S. Department of Labor rules dating back to the late 1980s, employers who used a tip credit to pay less than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 had to carefully track time employees spent performing side duties. If that time exceeded 20 percent of the employee’s hours, those duties might be considered a dual job requiring full minimum wage rather than the $2.13 an hour for tipped employees. (Employers always have to ensure that tipped employees earn enough tips to make at least minimum wage, or make […]

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AIA’s Standardized Construction Contracts: 2017 Updates Now In Effect

Articles February 2019

For more than 130 years, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) has offered a set of standardized contracts for architects, contractors, building construction owners and developers that have become the most widely used agreements for commercial construction projects. Every ten years, AIA updates the contracts and, after about 18 months, phases out the previous versions. The latest updates to the most highly used sets of contracts were released in 2017, with the 2007 contracts no longer available online after Oct. 31, 2018. Properly drawn construction contracts are vital to ensure that major projects can overcome issues or conflicts that arise […]

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Restaurant chain not required to garnish employee tips

Case Studies February 2019

The results of client matters depend on a variety of factors unique to each matter. Past successes do not predict or guarantee future successes.

Gentry Locke for the Defense Roanoke City General District Court Our client, a national restaurant chain, was sued by a creditor seeking garnishment of an employee’s wages to satisfy the employee’s debt. When a creditor receives a judgment against a person, the creditor will send a garnishment summons to the employer, resulting in the employer paying a portion of the employee’s wages to the court. In this case, the Restaurant did not have to pay any of the employee’s wages into the court because under the garnishment statute, the employee did not make enough money. The creditor then tried to include tips […]

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Partner Brett Marston inducted into Virginia Law Foundation Fellows Class of 2019

News February 2019

ROANOKE, Va. (January 29, 2019) – Gentry Locke is pleased to announce that Roanoke Partner K. Brett Marston has been inducted into the Virginia Law Foundation Fellows Class of 2019. Inductees were formally honored at the Virginia Law Foundation’s annual dinner on January 24. The Fellows of the Virginia Law Foundation are recognized as leaders in the profession, both in their practices and in their communities. They comprise a group of nearly 500 of the best and brightest legal practitioners who are committed to the highest ideals of the law and to the concept of citizen lawyer. Fellows are nominated […]

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Moderator, Recent Construction Court Cases Panel Discussion

Events January 2019

Gentry Locke Partner Herschel Keller moderated a panel of presenters for attendees of the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Virginia’s 2019 Annual Convention. The convention took place at the Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs. Herschel is a past president of the Central District Committee for the AGC of Virginia, and services clients in our Lynchburg and Richmond offices.

Supreme Court of the United States denies certiorari in Berkley, et al. v. FERC, et al

News January 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Roanoke, Va. (January 22, 2019) – Today, the Supreme Court of the United States denied certiorari in Berkley, et al. v. FERC, et al. While Landowners are disappointed that the Court did not take the case, it is important to remember two things: First, the denial of certiorari does not mean the Court necessarily agrees with the decision of the lower court. It simply means the Supreme Court will not address this particular issue at this particular time. Second, the Court receives thousands of petitions every year and it is therefore extremely rare for the Court to […]

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Gentry Locke attorney Christopher M. Kozlowski elevated to Partner

News January 2019

ROANOKE, Va. (January 4, 2019) – The Virginia law firm of Gentry Locke is pleased to announce that Roanoke office attorney Christopher M. Kozlowski has been promoted to the position of Partner, effective January 1, 2019. “I am so pleased to welcome Chris to firm partnership. He is an integral member of the Gentry Locke team, and has successfully handled many important and high-profile matters for our clients,” said Gentry Locke Managing Partner Monica T. Monday. “We are proud of his accomplishments and grateful for his firm leadership, dedication and talents. This promotion is well deserved!” Chris practices on the firm’s General […]

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Gentry Locke Executive Director Frank Pittard named a Virginia Lawyers Weekly “Unsung Legal Hero”

News January 2019

ROANOKE, Va. (January 4, 2019) – The Virginia law firm of Gentry Locke is pleased to announce that Executive Director Frank Pittard has been selected as one of Virginia Lawyers Weekly’s 2018 Unsung Legal Heroes. The award recognizes talented and dedicated legal support professionals who consistently go above and beyond the call of duty, often behind the scenes. Frank was named a “Hero” in the Firm Administrator category. Other categories included: Human Resources Professional, IT/Operations, Law Librarian, Legal Marketing Professional, Legal Secretary, Receptionist and Paralegal. “Frank has made us very proud. He is a crucial component of the firm’s ongoing […]

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