ROANOKE, VA (December 30, 2015) – The Virginia law firm of Gentry Locke and three of its attorneys are noted in the 2015 edition of Benchmark Litigation, a Euromoney publication. Benchmark ranks leading local firms and star attorneys in the U.S. commercial litigation and plaintiff markets.
Gentry Locke ranks among the Recommended firms for the commonwealth of Virginia, with three attorneys named 2015 Local Litigation Stars:
Each of these attorneys received this recognition in 2013 and 2014 as well.
Since it was published in 1983, Benchmark Litigation has positioned itself as the definitive guide to America’s leading litigation firms and attorneys. Annual results stem from a six-month research period where Benchmark researchers conduct extensive interviews with litigators and their clients to identify the leading litigators and firms. During these interviews, researchers examine recent casework handled by law firms and ask individual litigators to offer their professional opinions on peers.
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Reedy Wrongfully Convicted in Roanoke City Virginia Circuit Court on Discredited Fire Science Evidence
Roanoke, Va. — On August 10, 1987, a fire erupted at Davey Reedy’s home in southeast Roanoke, Virginia. As a result Mr. Reedy’s two children were killed and Mr. Reedy was severely injured. Mr. Reedy was later convicted on First Degree Murder and Arson charges, receiving two Life Sentences plus 10 years’ incarceration from a Roanoke City Circuit Court jury. His appeal was unsuccessful and, after serving over 20 years of incarceration, he was released on parole in 2009. Mr. Reedy has always maintained his innocence.
In 1999, prompted by the investigative reporting of Laurence Hammack of the Roanoke Times, former assistant public defender Roberta Motherway Bondurant undertook Mr. Reedy’s habeas and actual innocence proceedings and clemency petitions. In her pro bono efforts Ms. Bondurant received pro bono assistance from noted scientists such as John Lentini of Scientific Fire Analysis LLC, Islamorada, Florida; Dr. Richard J. Roby, Douglas J. Carpenter and Jason A. Sutula (now with Jensen Hughes) of Combustion Science & Engineering, Columbia, Maryland; and Richard McGarry (retired) of Roanoke Division of the Virginia Department of Forensic Science. Attorney Donald A. Waltz of Kane Russell Coleman & Logan PC, Dallas, Texas also played a pivotal role in the effort. In 2009, Thomas J. Bondurant, Jr., of the Roanoke, Virginia office of Gentry Locke attorneys, assumed responsibility for Mr. Reedy’s Petition for Clemency on a pro bono basis. On December 21, 2015, Governor Terry McAuliffe granted Mr. Reedy a full pardon for the Murder and Arson convictions.
Mr. Reedy was convicted on outdated and long discredited fire science evidence analysis techniques and an inaccurate scientific analysis claiming the presence of gasoline at the crime scene. As observed in correspondence with the Governor’s Office, the determination of Mr. Reedy’s guilt would better be resolved by “reading tea leaves” than the scientific evidence presented in the criminal jury trial.
Mr. Reedy is extremely grateful for Governor Terry McAuliffe’s and Virginia Parole Investigator Trudy Harris’ courage and fairness in looking at the actual evidence and “getting it right.” It is a stain on our criminal justice system that it took Mr. Reedy serving over 20 years in the penitentiary, being bound by the chains of parole for 7 years and suffering the public stigma of killing his own children before justice was served. There is no doubt there are many others like Mr. Reedy who were wrongfully convicted on faulty evidence and were executed, served long prison sentences, or are still serving long terms of incarceration. It is imperative these old arson convictions be reviewed in the same thoughtful and evenhanded process as that employed by Governor McAuliffe.
With more than 50 lawyers practicing across a range of disciplines, Gentry Locke brings uncommon thinking and deep expertise to the legal and business challenges of companies, institutions, organizations, and individuals—a commitment we’ve met since 1923. Operating from offices in Roanoke and Lynchburg, Va., Gentry Locke serves clients in Virginia and across the U.S., as well as worldwide as a member firm of the ALFA International Legal Network. Meet our dynamic attorneys and learn more about our fierce drive to achieve success for our clients by exploring this website.
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Ten attorneys in the Virginia law firm of Gentry Locke have earned recognition among the 2015 Legal Elite in Virginia.
Each year, Virginia Business magazine asks all in-state members of the Virginia Bar to nominate and select attorneys whom they hold in the highest regard or would recommend to others across 16 practice areas.
The following Gentry Locke attorneys are among a prestigious roster chosen by their peers:
Gentry Locke is pleased to welcome attorney Douglas P. Barber, Jr., who will serve clients from our Roanoke offices. Doug will focus primarily on the firm’s Plaintiff’s practice group, assisting people who have been harmed by medical malpractice or from a personal injury.
Prior to joining Gentry Locke, Doug worked as a plaintiff’s attorney litigating personal injury cases in the Hampton Roads area and as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney in Chesapeake, Virginia. For twenty-five years, he served on active duty in the United States Navy. In 2013, Doug retired from the Navy JAG Corps after a four year term as a Military Trial Judge in Washington, D.C. and Norfolk, Virginia. Before becoming a Trial Judge, Doug worked as a prosecutor, a criminal defense attorney, and as a legal advisor onboard the USS ENTERPRISE (CVN 65).
“We are thrilled to have Doug join our firm. His leadership skills and extensive experience will be a welcome addition to our growing firm,” noted Managing Partner Monica Monday.
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ROANOKE, VA (November 9, 2015) – In a ceremony held on November 9, 2015 at the Supreme Court of the United States, Gentry Locke Managing Partner Monica T. Monday was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers (AAAL).
Monday is also a Fellow of the American Bar Association, Roanoke Law Foundation, and the Virginia Law Foundation. She is rated “AV/Preeminent” by Martindale-Hubbell and in 2006 was named a “Leaders in the Law” by Virginia Lawyers Weekly. Monday has been recognized among Virginia’s Top 50 Women Lawyers and Virginia’s Top 100 Lawyers by Thomson Reuters’ Super Lawyers, and is repeatedly named to “Best Lawyers in America” and Virginia Business magazine’s Legal Elite list. She currently serves on the Virginia Bar Association’s Appellate Practice Section Council, is Virginia’s representative on the Fourth Circuit Rules Advisory Committee, and is Chair of the Appellate Practice Committee of the Virginia State Bar Litigation Section. In addition to her position as Managing Partner at Gentry Locke, she chairs the firm’s Appellate practice group.
Membership in the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers is reserved for experienced appellate advocates who have demonstrated the highest skill level and integrity. There currently are 319 Fellows nationwide, and Monday is only the 5th to be inducted in Virginia. AAAL Nominations to the organization can only be made by current Fellows. Nominees are thoroughly vetted by the legal and judicial communities in a confidential process and must be elected to the fellowship by the board of directors. Because of these high standards, Academy Fellows rank among the “Who’s Who” of appellate practice in the jurisdictions where they appear.
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ROANOKE, VA (November 2, 2015) – Gentry Locke is pleased to announce that Best Lawyers in America has ranked 26 of the firm’s practices on their 2016 Best Law Firms award list.
Gentry Locke practice areas that merited “2016 Best Law Firms” honors are:
To be eligible for a ranking in a particular metro region or practice, a law firm must have at least one lawyer who was included in Best Lawyers in that particular practice and metro region. Twenty-three Gentry Locke attorneys were recently recognized as “2016 Best Lawyers in America” by Best Lawyers. The “Best Lawyers in America” and “Best Law Firms” commendations testify to the respect earned by leading lawyers and law firms within each community. Additionally, “Best Law Firms” honors reflect a rigorous evaluation that includes the collection of lawyer and client evaluations, peer reviews, and additional information provided by law firms.
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Since 2008, Gentry Locke attorneys have been at the center of the nation’s first, and largest, food safety criminal case (United States v. Stewart Parnell). From Congressional Hearings in 2009 to Indictment in 2013, Gentry Locke’s Criminal and Government Investigations (“CGI”) group, anchored by E. Scott Austin, Thomas J. Bondurant, Jr., and Justin M. Lugar, have led Stewart Parnell’s defense. Leading up to trial, our CGI group poured through over 5 million documents and prepared a vigorous and thorough defense culminating in a two-month-long trial in the Middle District of Georgia in the summer of 2014, resulting in a partial acquittal.
At sentencing, Stewart Parnell faced a possible 803 years of imprisonment and ultimately received a sentence of 28 years. News coverage of the sentencing nationwide included reports from The Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, CNN, and major wire service outlets.
Gentry Locke attorneys Austin, Bondurant, and Lugar headed Parnell’s defense team. They were quoted and provided perspective on the sentencing.
Chicago Tribune:“Former peanut executive gets 28 years in prison for salmonella outbreak”: Tom Bondurant, one of Parnell’s defense attorneys, said 28 years prison would amount to a life sentence for his client. He plans to appeal the conviction and sentence. “If you compare it with other food-safety criminal cases, it’s tremendously out of line,” Bondurant said.
Law 360: “Ex-Peanut Corp. CEO Gets 28 Years Over Salmonella Outbreak” by Sindhu Sundar: “Speaking for Stewart, his family and his whole legal team, this was a disappointment,” Lugar said. “It wasn’t unexpected, the sentencing guidelines called for more than 800 years, so we knew there was a high likelihood of an effective life sentence, but we believe it’s an excessive sentence.” Lugar said there were enough “evidentiary issues,” including that jurors got wind of the deaths linked to the outbreak, even though the deaths were not mentioned at trial. “The real, clear problem with the verdict, in our view, is that the jurors were biased and considered evidence that was not part of the trial,” he said.
Wall Street Journal: “Ex-Peanut Executive Sentenced to 28 Years in Prison for Salmonella Coverup” by Jesse Newman: “Obviously, we are very disappointed in the 28 years,” said Tom Bondurant, Mr. Parnell’s lead attorney, adding that the prison sentence is “extremely harsh, and we believe we have viable grounds for appeal.”
CNN.com: “28 years for salmonella: Peanut exec gets groundbreaking sentence” by Moni Basu: His lawyer, Scott Austin, said Parnell was devastated by the 28-year sentence. Parnell has maintained all along that his company engaged in commercial fraud but that he was not aware of it.
Politico.com Morning Agriculture (MA) Report: “Parnell to Appeal on Grounds Jury was Compromised: “We are going to appeal both the verdict and the sentence in Stewart Parnell’s case,” Scott Austin, an attorney at Gentry Locke, told MA. “The principal issue for appeal is whether the jurors improperly considered consumer deaths in a case where the only charges were conspiracy, wire fraud, mail fraud, obstruction of justice, and introduction of misbranded food into interstate commerce.”
Bloomberg BNA: “Food Execs on High Alert After Sentencing in Peanut Case” by Catherine Boudreau: Justin Lugar, an attorney at Gentry Locke who was part of the team defending Stewart Parnell, said there is criticism of the Justice Department’s focus on individual accountability. “It seems that if you’re a big company with lots of money, you will just get a slap on wrist,” Lugar told Bloomberg BNA, citing the case against ConAgra that resulted in a settlement. “If you’re a small producer or family business who is at mercy of larger food companies with certain demands, you could face serious consequences.”
Managing Partner Monica Monday is quoted in a recent Virginia Business magazine article entitled “Lawyer or Boss?” The article details the challenges managing partners face in their dual roles of serving clients in legal matters and managing the needs of an entire law firm. The article was written by Richard Foster.
In the article, Monday offers “I wouldn’t have taken the job if it had meant giving up my practice for management. I love to practice law … That’s just an important part of who I am.”
Monday headed the firm’s Appellate practice for many years prior to being named Managing Partner in 2013. In addition to continuing to lead the Appellate group, she handles broader issues and the direction of the firm’s overall management, while still ensuring she provides time for clients, lawyers, and staff at the firm.
ROANOKE, VA (August 17, 2015) – Gentry Locke is pleased to announce that twenty-three of its attorneys have been named 2016 “Best Lawyers in America” by Best Lawyers.
The “Best Lawyers in America” honor reflects exceptionally high marks – for talent, accomplishments and integrity – and is the product of a rigorous peer-review evaluation process conducted by Best Lawyers each year. The “Best Lawyers in America” commendation testifies to the respect earned by these practitioners from leading lawyers in that same practice within each community.
In addition to the honors listed below, a special honor was given to Anthony M. Russell, who received the 2016 “Roanoke Lawyer of the Year” award for his Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs work.
Gentry Locke attorneys who have merited 2016 “Best Lawyers in America” honors, as identified by practice area, are:
Rudy Austin: Person Injury Litigation – Defendants
Thomas J. Bondurant, Jr.: Corporate Compliance Law; Criminal Defense – White-Collar
Matthew W. Broughton: Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs, Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs
Franklin Flippin: Banking and Finance Law; Corporate Law; Financial Services Regulation Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law
William Gust: Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law; Tax Law
Gregory J. Haley: Commercial Litigation; Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law; Government Relations Practice; Litigation – Land Use and Zoning; Litigation – Municipal
Guy M. Harbert III: Insurance Law
Kevin W. Holt: Commercial Litigation
Paul G. Klockenbrink: Employee Law – Management; Litigation – Labor & Employment
Todd A. Leeson: Labor Law – Management; Employment Law – Management; Litigation – Labor & Employment
Brett Marston: Construction Law; Litigation – Construction
Monica T. Monday: Appellate Law
S.D. Roberts Moore: Personal Injury Litigations – Defendant; Personal Injury Litigations – Plaintiffs
David Paxton: Employment Law – Individuals; Employment Law – Management; Labor Law – Management; Litigation – Labor & Employment
Glenn W. Pulley: Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
Anthony M. Russell: 2016 “Roanoke Lawyer of the Year” for Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs. Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Plaintiffs; Personal Injury Litigations – Plaintiffs; Product Liability Litigations – Plaintiffs
Scott Sexton: Commercial Litigation; Oil & Gas Law
Bruce C. Stockburger: Leveraged Buyouts & Private Equity Law; Tax Law; Trusted & Estates
Charles L. Williams, Jr.: Environmental Law
Clark H. Worthy: Real Estate Law
Kathleen L. Wright: Litigation – Municipal
Gentry Locke congratulates these attorneys for their contributions to our clients and our region.
With more than 50 lawyers practicing across a range of disciplines, Gentry Locke brings uncommon thinking and deep resources to the legal and business challenges of companies, institutions, organizations, and individuals—a commitment we’ve met since 1923. Operating from offices in Roanoke and Lynchburg, Va., Gentry Locke serves clients in Virginia and across the U.S., as well as worldwide as a member firm of the ALFA International Legal Network. Meet our dynamic attorneys and learn more about our fierce drive to achieve success for our clients at www.gentrylocke.com.
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ROANOKE, VA (August 13, 2015) – Gentry Locke Partner W. David Paxton has been named the Chair of the Labor and Employment Law Group for ALFA International. This appointment occurred at the conclusion of an international labor and employment conference held in Park City, Utah on July 24, 2015.
ALFA International, a global network of more than 150 independent law firms, exists to provide high-quality, cost-efficient legal services to clients which enables them to use local expertise to deliver highly effective legal solutions. ALFA International’s 80 US firms maintain offices in 95 of the top 100 largest metropolitan areas, and its 70 international firms are located throughout Canada, Mexico, Europe, Asia, India, South America and Australia.
“My position within ALFA International will further ensure that Gentry Locke is prepared and able to meet the growing needs of our local clients,” explained Paxton. “As our clients’ companies and business become more globally connected, it is essential that our firm have the depth and breadth to meet those needs. ALFA, which was founded in 1980, provides us with that well-connected and reliable network for clients. Similarly, Gentry Locke serves as that point of contact for 150 law firms and their clients when issues arise here in Virginia.”
Gentry Locke congratulates David on this designation.
With more than 50 lawyers practicing across a range of disciplines, Gentry Locke brings uncommon thinking and deep resources to the legal and business challenges of companies, institutions, organizations, and individuals—a commitment we’ve met since 1923. Operating from offices in Roanoke and Lynchburg, Va., Gentry Locke serves clients in Virginia and across the U.S., as well as worldwide as a member firm of the ALFA International Legal Network. Meet our dynamic attorneys and learn more about our fierce drive to achieve success for our clients at www.gentrylocke.com.
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