Gentry Locke Adds Former Executive and Legal Leader Tammy M. Finley to the Firm
Experienced Fortune 500 General Counsel brings more than 25 years of leadership experience across legal, governance, HR, and enterprise risk management to the firm.
Roanoke, Va. (October 8, 2025) – The Virginia law firm Gentry Locke is pleased to announce that Tammy M. Finley, a distinguished executive with more than 25 years of multidisciplinary legal and leadership experience, has joined the firm. Finley will bring her proven record of legal strategy, executive leadership, and enterprise transformation to support the firm’s continued growth and client-service excellence.
“We are thrilled to add Tammy to the firm’s roster of attorneys,” said Gentry Locke Managing Partner Brett Marston. “Her unique combination of legal expertise, business acumen, and corporate governance will be invaluable to our clients and to our leadership team as we continue to evolve in today’s fast-changing legal and business landscape.”
As Chief Human Resources Officer and General Counsel/Corporate Secretary at Advance Auto Parts, Inc. (NYSE: AAP), Finley played an instrumental role in the company’s evolution from a regional, private-equity-backed retailer to a $10B+ publicly traded omnichannel organization. She led multiple critical functions—including HR, legal and compliance, risk management, and communications—at various points during AAP’s rapid organic expansion and 10+ strategic acquisitions. Known for building high-performance teams, Finley helped steer the company through complex integrations, multiple leadership transitions, and significant legal and regulatory matters.
Finley also brings extensive board governance experience, having advised AAP’s board of directors for over 10 years. Finley also served approximately six years as an independent director for American National Bankshares Inc. (NASDAQ: AMNB), where she chaired both the Risk and Technology Committees. Her deep understanding of corporate governance, strategic planning, director selection and onboarding, and activist investor engagement has made her a sought-after advisor on both public and private boards.
In addition to her corporate roles, Finley remains an active leader in civic and educational initiatives, serving on the boards of Hotel Roanoke LLC, Virginia Western Community College Educational Foundation, and the Taubman Museum of Art. Her previous leadership roles include board service with the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, LewisGale Medical Center (HCA Healthcare), and the Roanoke/Blacksburg Regional Business Council.
Finley began her career as a labor and employment attorney with the Center for Employment Law PLC and clerked for the Virginia Supreme Court. She holds a J.D. from the Marshall-Wythe School of Law at the College of William & Mary and a B.A. from Virginia Tech.
With Finley’s appointment, Gentry Locke strengthens its commitment to delivering not only excellent client service and top-tier legal services, but also strategic counsel grounded in decades of real-world executive and governance experience.
About Gentry Locke
With more than 80 lawyers practicing across a range of disciplines, Gentry Locke brings uncommon thinking and deep experience to the legal and business challenges of companies, institutions, organizations, and individuals—a commitment the firm has met since 1923. Operating from offices in Roanoke, Lynchburg, and Richmond, Virginia, Gentry Locke serves clients in Virginia and across the United States. Meet the firm’s dynamic attorneys and learn more about its fierce drive to achieve success for its clients by exploring our website.
