Monday, December 2nd, 2019
ROANOKE, Va. (December 1, 2019) – The Virginia law firm of Gentry Locke is pleased to announce that 24 attorneys have been named to the 20th annual report, “2019 Legal Elite” by Virginia Business magazine. The list is determined by peer votes and is divided into 18 specialties. The Gentry Locke attorneys listed as “Legal Elite” for 2019 are:
Virginia Business polls more than 14,000 attorneys in the Commonwealth, asking them to select from their peers the best lawyers in each practice category. The 2019 list can be seen in its entirety here.
About Gentry Locke
With more than 60 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 www.gentrylocke.com.
Thursday, November 7th, 2019
RICHMOND, Va. (November 7, 2019) – The Virginia law firm of Gentry Locke is marking the first anniversary of its Richmond office with continued growth, including additional physical space, the expansion of its Government and Regulatory Affairs practice with the addition of Government Affairs Director Matthew S. Moran, and the hiring of litigation Associate Jeffrey P. Miller, and former Williamsburg Vice-Mayor and commercial Associate Daniel Scott Foster, Jr.
Gentry Locke’s Richmond office now includes a dozen full-time employees and the firm recently doubled its physical space and occupies nearly half of the 11th floor in the SunTrust building. The firm expects additional hires for the Richmond office.
“We could not be more excited about the success of Gentry Locke’s Richmond office,” said Gentry Locke Managing Partner Monica Monday. “As we pass our first anniversary, we look forward to continued growth to help meet the needs of our clients.”
With the opening of the firm’s Richmond office in the fourth quarter of 2018, it launched its Government and Regulatory Affairs practice with Partners Gregory D. Habeeb and John G. “Chip” Dicks, both of whom are former members of the Virginia House of Delegates. Moran’s arrival and background in government will dramatically increase the firm’s ability to help clients navigate the changing political landscape in Virginia.
“Gentry Locke is now the only firm than can offer clients the capabilities of two former legislators, one Democrat and one Republican, a senior legislative and political staffer, and a former elected local government official,” said Monday. “Matt’s tremendous experience in state policy and strategic communications will be a great asset to our clients and Scott’s experience in local government will be key to supporting our clients’ needs at the local level.”
Moran most recently served as Chief of Staff to Virginia House of Delegates Speaker Kirk Cox. He also served as a top adviser to House Speaker Bill Howell, and worked for Congressman Morgan Griffith and 2017 gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie. Since 2011, Moran has worked on numerous state and federal political campaigns, and since 2013 he has worked on nearly every major policy initiative in the Virginia General Assembly. At Gentry Locke, Moran will provide strategic communications guidance to clients who need a comprehensive strategy to support their legal and policy goals. Moran earned his B.A. in government from the University of Virginia.
Miller will join the firm’s Litigation practice group with a focus on insurance defense, business disputes, brain injury litigation, products liability, consumer law, construction law, and appellate. He has tried dozens of General District Court cases to verdict, tried multiple Circuit Court trials to jury verdict as second-chair, and assisted with multi-day federal jury trial that settled just before giving the case to the jury. He also won dismissal of million-dollar premises lawsuit on a pre-discovery motion to dismiss. Miller is a graduate of the University of Richmond School of Law and Regis University.
Foster will join the firm’s General Commercial practice focusing on land use, outdoor advertising and representing businesses in general corporate matters. He will also work with the Government and Regulatory Affairs practice on matters related to local government. In 2010, as a student at William & Mary, Foster was the first college student to be elected to Williamsburg City Council. During his time on city council, Foster worked to redevelop the downtown area and improve the relationship between William & Mary and the City of Williamsburg, and was instrumental in adopting the progressive 2013 City of Williamsburg Comprehensive Plan. Foster earned both his undergraduate degree and his J.D. from William & Mary.
“With the leadership of Greg and Chip we have been proud to provide high quality service to clients. But the addition of Matt, Jeff and Scott takes our offering to the next level as we ensure our clients are positioned to navigate the wide ranging changes expected out of the capitol,” Monday added.
About Gentry Locke
With more than 55 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 www.gentrylocke.com.
Friday, November 1st, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ROANOKE, Va. (November 1, 2019) – The Virginia law firm of Gentry Locke is pleased to announce its inclusion in the 2020 “Best Law Firms” rankings published by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers®. The firm secured rankings in 27 practice areas, including 18 rankings as Metropolitan Tier 1, which is the highest tier for regional recognition. The firm’s list of rankings can be found below and also here.
Metropolitan Tier 1 – Roanoke
• Antitrust Law
• Appellate Practice
• Banking and Finance Law
• Commercial Litigation
• Construction Law
• Corporate Law
• Employment Law — Individuals
• Employment Law — Management
• Financial Services Regulation Law
• Labor Law — Management
• Litigation — Construction
• Litigation — Labor & Employment
• Medical Malpractice Law — Plaintiffs
• Personal Injury Litigation — Plaintiffs
• Product Liability Litigation — Plaintiffs
• Real Estate Law
• Tax Law
• Trusts & Estates Law
Metropolitan Tier 2 – Roanoke
• Bet-the-Company Litigation
• Criminal Defense: White-Collar
• Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law
• Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
• Litigation — Intellectual Property
• Mergers & Acquisitions Law
Metropolitan Tier 3 – Roanoke
• Insurance Law
• Medical Malpractice Law — Defendants
• Personal Injury Litigation — Defendants
The “Best Law Firms” rankings are based on results of an evaluation process that includes the collection of client and lawyer evaluations, peer review from leading attorneys, and review of additional information provided by law firms as part of the formal submission process. All of the quantitative and qualitative data is combined into an overall “Best Law Firms” score for each firm. This data is then compared to other firms within the same metropolitan area and at the national level.
About Gentry Locke
With more than 55 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 www.gentrylocke.com.
Wednesday, October 23rd, 2019
The Virginia law firm of Gentry Locke is pleased to announce that Partners John G. “Chip” Dicks and Catherine J. Huff were recognized at Virginia Lawyers Weekly’s “Leaders in the Law” program in Richmond on October 22, 2019. Several Gentry Locke Attorneys attended the event in support. At the program, lawyers and law-related professionals from across the state were honored for their significant accomplishments and achievements. John G. “Chip” Dicks was announced as an honoree in the Class of 2019 “Leaders in Law” and Catherine J. Huff was announced as a member of the “Up & Coming Lawyers” Class of 2019.
Tuesday, October 22nd, 2019
Congratulations to Gentry Locke Partner Kathy Wright, President of the Board of the Virginia Poverty Law Center, who played a leading role in last week’s 2019 Annual Statewide Legal Aid Conference. The VPLC is a non-profit that leads and coordinates efforts to seek justice in civil legal matters for lower income Virginians. The event was attended by over 350 lawyers, bar leaders, and individuals whose work is associated with the legal aid community. Thank you Kathy for your work at Gentry Locke and across the state on access to justice and pro bono issues!
About Gentry Locke
With more than 55 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, as well as worldwide as a member firm of the ALFA International Legal Network. Meet the firm’s dynamic attorneys and learn more about its fierce drive to achieve success for its clients by exploring this website.
Monday, October 21st, 2019
The Virginia law firm of Gentry Locke is pleased to announce that Partner Nick Leitch was voted into the American Board of Trial Advocates on October 12, 2019. ABOTA is a national association of experienced trial lawyers and judges dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the civil jury trial right.
The association’s mission is “to foster improvement in the ethical and technical standards of practice in the field of advocacy to the end that individual litigants may receive more effective representation and the general public be benefited by more efficient administration of justice consistent with time-tested and traditional principles of litigation.”
About Gentry Locke
With more than 55 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, as well as worldwide as a member firm of the ALFA International Legal Network. Meet the firm’s dynamic attorneys and learn more about its fierce drive to achieve success for its clients by exploring this website.
Thursday, October 3rd, 2019
A beautiful, new ADA-compliant cabin now stands at Fulfillment Farms, a Wildlife Foundation of Virginia (WFV) property located near Charlottesville. This cabin allows handicapped veterans the ability to stay overnight for extended hunting and fishing trips. The construction was made possible in part by Gentry Locke’s fundraising of over $55,000. The WFV built the Cool Springs Cabin with particular attention to accessibility and comfort. At the dedication ceremony on the 1900-acre farm, Gentry Locke was given special recognition as the largest cash contributor to the construction project. Hunters, hikers, and outdoor enthusiasts of all abilities will now be able to reserve the lodge to further their enjoyment of the scenery and wildlife. For more information, email Jenny West, Executive Director of the WFV.
Tuesday, September 24th, 2019
The long-anticipated “Final Rule” setting the salary thresholds employers are required to pay in order to satisfy the “salaried basis” requirement for the “white collar” exemptions was released by the US Department of Labor (“DOL”) on September 24, 2019. It will become effective on January 1, 2020. After receiving more than 116,000 comments, the DOL set the new minimum salary requirement at $684/week (or $35,568 annually). No changes were made in the “duties” tests that a salaried employee must meet to be exempt. Significantly, the DOL declined to adopt the automatic adjustment in the base salary requirement originally proposed during the Obama Administration.
Of equal importance, the DOL decided to benchmark the salary required for the “highly compensated employee” (“HCE”) exemption to the 80th (vs. 90th) percentile for all full-time salaried workers nationwide. This means that the new salary threshold for the HCE exemption will rise from the current level of $100,000 to only $107,432 as of January 1, 2020. The Final Rule goes on to state that as long as the employee receives a guaranteed salary of at least $684/week, the remainder of the compensation toward the HCE exemption can be met by payments of non-discretionary bonuses or compensation. Further, employers will now be permitted to make a final “catch-up” payment during the last pay period or within one month after the end of the 52-week period to bring an employee’s compensation up to the required level. Those who receive $107,432 or more will be exempt from the payment of overtime so long as they meet a “modified duties test:” (i) the employee’s primary duties must be non-manual, office work; and (ii) the employee must customarily and regularly perform at least one of the bona fide duties required of the white collar exemption.
For more information or assistance with implementing this change, contact your Gentry Locke Employment Law Team attorney.
Saturday, September 14th, 2019
Roanoke is a community that values and supports a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. It is a Blue Ridge Mountain city with a wide variety of people and institutions working together collaboratively to foster opportunity in a multitude of fields.
Roanoke Innovates is a partnership highlighting this collaborative effort, bringing together the academics, entrepreneurs, researchers, investors and developers that power the Roanoke Innovation Corridor.
“Virginia Tech is doing amazing things, VTC, the Fralin Biomedical Institute, there’s so much incredible work going on and this is a way to sort of harness all of that and show to the larger world, not just to the community, but to the larger world, this is what we’re about and this is what we’re doing,” Marc Nelson, Roanoke’s special projects coordinator for innovation and economic inclusion, told WSLS.
Anchored by the Virginia-Tech Carilion Research Institute, School of Medicine and Carilion Clinic, the Roanoke Innovation Corridor also includes Virginia Western Community College, the forthcoming merger of Jefferson College and Radford University, and a number of burgeoning businesses and developments in the Roanoke region.
Carilion Clinic just announced a $300 million hospital expansion, and the research institute continues to grow, attracting incredible brain power and talent. Several business incubators focused on helping entrepreneurs have opened in Blacksburg and Roanoke, including the Regional Acceleration and Mentoring Program (RAMP) in Roanoke — a joint venture of the Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council, Roanoke and Virginia Western and its educational foundation.
Gentry Locke is headquartered in the very heart of this Innovation Corridor, and we support innovators and entrepreneurs in a number of ways.
We have considerable experience helping clients navigate the nuances and challenges that confront businesses, including issues relating to state and federal taxes, state and federal regulations, and complex financial transactions.
Clients turn to our lawyers for guidance through complex transactions and litigation involving the full range of intellectual property law, including: copyrights, employment agreements, IP audits and portfolio analysis, licensing agreements, nondisclosure agreements, and trademarks and service marks.
We can help with mundane business matters such as negotiating leases for commercial real estate and properly registering your business. We can help develop employment procedures that protect both you and your employees.
We can help you navigate the complexities of governmental regulatory affairs before the Real Estate Board, the State Corporation Commission, the ABC Board the Board of Contractors, and the Fair Housing Board.
We regularly work with VDOT and various branches of state government including the Governor’s Office, Cabinet secretaries, and department agency directors.
At Gentry Locke, we believe in identifying problems before they become problems.
The Roanoke region is staking its future on innovation and entrepreneurship. Gentry Locke fully supports that approach, and we look forward to doing our part to help the region and its people prosper.
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Gentry Locke’s Key Practice Areas
Business & Corporate
Business Litigation
Banking and Finance
Tax
Construction and Development
Government & Regulatory Affairs
Government Contracting
Health Care/Physician Practices
Manufacturing
Municipal & Local Government
Real Estate
Environmental
Trucking
Zoning
Appellate
Wednesday, September 4th, 2019
ROANOKE, Va. (September 4, 2019) – The Virginia law firm of Gentry Locke is pleased to announce that William “Bill” Edward Callahan, Jr. has joined the Roanoke office as a partner in the Business Litigation group.
“We are very happy to welcome Bill to our Roanoke office,” said Gentry Locke Managing Partner Monica Monday. “Bill is a distinguished and talented litigator. His experience with complex bankruptcy and creditors’ rights’ matters adds bench strength and depth to the services we provide to our business clients.
Bill’s practice primarily involves bankruptcy and creditors’ rights work for clients in various industries, including the financial services sector. He assists creditors with loan workouts and modifications and he represents businesses, financial institutions, and investment firms navigating matters of debt, bankruptcy and insolvency. Bill also represents financial institutions outside of bankruptcy proceedings in a wide variety of matters, including foreclosures, collection proceedings, and the development of non-judicial liquidation strategies.
The majority of Bill’s practice has been in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Virginia, but he has also appeared before the United States Bankruptcy Courts for the Eastern District of Virginia, the Western District of North Carolina, and the District of Delaware. Bill has served on the Panel of Chapter 7 Trustees in the Western District of Virginia since 1999. During this time, he has liquidated many businesses and property, including a grocery store chain, two heavy equipment contractors, a plywood manufacturing plant, numerous coal mining operators, a textile manufacturer, a metal machining facility and real estate, both residential and commercial, in excess of $10 million.
Bill earned his J.D. (magna cum laude) from Washington and Lee University School of Law, and his B.A. from the University of Virginia. He has served as an adjunct professor at Washington and Lee University School of Law and is a regular lecturer at continuing legal education seminars. Bill is a co-author of the chapter of “Ethics Violations, Fraud, and Crime” in the current edition of Bankruptcy Practice in Virginia.
About Gentry Locke
With more than 55 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.
