Thursday, July 25th, 2013
On July 25, 2013, The Roanoke Times reported on a case where the family of a Gentry Locke Rakes & Moore client prevailed in a wrongful death trial. The article reports that Roanoke Orthopaedic Center was found liable in the death of an 89-year-old woman in a wheelchair when she fell while standing for an X-Ray at the Roanoke, Virginia facility.
The jury awarded a total of $660,000, which included $10,000 for her funeral expenses, $50,000 for her medical bills, and $200,000 each to her three family members.
According to the article, “Although officials at the center had medical records indicating that Robertson was a fall risk, they instructed the woman to stand for X-rays taken of her spine. Robertson’s legs gave way while she was standing unassisted, and she fell, striking her head on the floor, according to the lawsuit. She died six days later at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital.”
The case was handled by Gentry Locke attorneys Tony Russell and Anthony Segura. According to Russell, “This is a verdict that not only helps her children’s hearts heal, but it serves to improve medical care so that this unfortunate and preventable situation never again occurs to another family.”
Saturday, July 13th, 2013
On July 13, 2013, The Roanoke Times has reported on the confidential settlement of a case where a woman was sexually attacked by a co-worker who had a prior conviction as a sex offender.
Gentry Locke attorney Les Bowers was co-counsel on the case, in which the United States District Court noted that all of the parties had “resolved and settled the claims.”
Friday, June 14th, 2013
Sixteen Gentry Locke Rakes & Moore attorneys have been named Virginia Super Lawyers for 2013, and nine have been named Virginia Super Lawyers Rising Stars.
Managing Partner Monica Monday earned a spot on the “Top 50 Women” list, and Partner Brett Marston was listed on “Virginia’s Top 100”.
Wednesday, June 12th, 2013
In The Roanoke Times article written by reporter Jeff Sturgeon, the 2012 outbreak of meningitis is revisited through the experiences of two area people who are still suffering its effects.
Gentry Locke attorney Scott Sexton‘s court filings are quoted in the article. Sexton is representing numerous plaintiffs who suffered adversely from the tainted epidural injections.
Thursday, May 30th, 2013
The Roanoke Law Foundation has inducted Gentry Locke Partner Monica T. Monday as a Fellow.
Induction as a Fellow is a special honor awarded to selected Virginia attorneys, law professors, and retired members of the judiciary who are deemed to be outstanding in their profession and in their community.
The Roanoke Law Foundation serves as the public service and philanthropic arm of the Roanoke Bar Association for the purpose of supporting, improving and facilitating the administration of justice and providing and supporting law-related education. This mission is to be accomplished by raising funds to provide grants and other financial assistance to individuals and other organizations to support law-related educational activities, and to provide scholarships for potential future attorneys, and by providing public service in support of this mission.
Thursday, May 23rd, 2013
In the May 23, 2013 issue of Virginia Lawyers Weekly, Gentry Locke Partner David Paxton was quoted in an article written by Correy E. Stephenson entitled “Hacked: What to do if your office computers are breached”.
So what should law firms do if they get hacked?
First, stop the breach, said Roanoke lawyer W. David Paxton. Identify the access point(s) the hackers are using and the security weaknesses. If possible, preserve any relevant data to help track the hackers and determine what information was accessed – just certain client files? The entire system? Second, investigate the nature and the extent of the breach, Paxton said, like the length of access and what information was involved in the breach, notifying the proper law enforcement authorities. The next steps are the most complicated – and costly – for attorneys: notifying those affected by the breach and attempting to stop it from happening again.
Additional quoted sources included a a digital forensics and information security company executive. Read the full article in the link below.
Wednesday, May 22nd, 2013
On Wednesday, May 22nd, Gentry Locke Partner Brett Marston presented the 
Richard Rakes Scholarship Award at the Roanoke Kiwanis Club meeting in downtown Roanoke. The recipient was Sejal Mistry, a Northside High School senior, who will attend Washington & Lee University in the Fall of 2013.
According to Marston, “The scholarship recipients this year were so impressive. Gentry Locke is very proud to be affiliated with the Kiwanis and this excellent program.”
The Roanoke Kiwanis awarded several scholarships. The Richard Rakes Scholarship is sponsored by Gentry Locke Rakes & Moore in honor of Dick Rakes, the retired name partner of the firm. Mr. Rakes is still active in Kiwanis, and as the attorneys and staff at Gentry Locke can attest, is an enthusiastic Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast ticket salesman every year.
Wednesday, May 22nd, 2013
On May 22, 2013, HR professionals and in-house counsel throughout Virginia participated in a webinar hosted by the employment law attorneys at Gentry Locke. Darrell Graham, the new Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Director of the Richmond office, was the guest speaker. He provided an excellent overview as to his leadership style and priorities moving forward for the Richmond office. Mr. Graham also answered questions from the audience throughout the webinar.
As many in the business community know, persons continue to file record numbers of discrimination, harassment and retaliation charges with the EEOC. The EEOC’s Richmond office has authority over a good part of the Commonwealth of Virginia including most of Central and Southwest Virginia. Each investigator in Richmond has hundreds of files assigned to him or her.
Gentry Locke employment lawyer David Paxton moderated the webinar, with help from Partner Todd Leeson. David and Todd, as well as the other members of the employment law team at Gentry Locke, have successfully defended employers in hundreds of EEOC charges in Virginia, and regularly work with Mr. Graham and his colleagues.
We thank Mr. Graham for his insights and for taking the time to “meet” (electronically) with the business and HR community during this webinar. It was an hour which proved quite valuable to our attendees.
For more information about EEOC initiatives or claims, contact David Paxton at 540.983.9334 (paxton@gentrylocke.com) or Todd Leeson at 540.983.9437 (leeson@gentrylocke.com).
Friday, May 10th, 2013
In its annual publication (2012-2013), Ferrum 
College highlighted the entrepreneurial achievements of Gentry Locke attorney Matt Broughton.
In addition to being a senior partner at Gentry Locke, in 2011 Broughton teamed up with Roanoke-based manufacturing company Mario Industries to create Brolero, LLC (www.brolero.com), which is a line of office furnishings, products, and gifts for attorneys and other professionals.
Broughton graduated Ferrum College in 1980 and went on to achieve a law degree from the University of Richmond T.C. Williams School of Law. His love of planes and flying grew into his achieving the rating of airline transport pilot.
Broughton helped found the Southwest Virginia Business Development Association (SWBDA) in 2002. He has been awarded numerous awards during his time at Gentry Locke, including the recently awarded “2012 Roanoke Product Liability Lawyer of the Year” by The Best Lawyers in America.
Read the full article at the link below, or see the full issue online at FerrumMagazine.com.
Thursday, May 2nd, 2013
Richard C. Rakes, the “Rakes” referred to in the Gentry Locke Rakes & Moore, LLP firm name, was recently chosen by the Roanoke Bar Association to receive the 2013 Frank W. “Bo” Rogers, Jr., Lifetime Achievement Award. 
The award was established to recognize an outstanding lawyer who embodies the highest tradition of personal and professional excellence in Southwest Virginia and, in doing so, enhances the image and esteem of attorneys in the region.
Dick Rakes was recognized for the contributions he has made at the RBA Law Day celebration on May 2, 2013. Gentry Locke attorney William R. Rakes, who is no relation to Dick Rakes, previously received the “Bo” Rogers Lifetime Award in 2010.
Kristin B. Johnson, law clerk in the U.S. District Court and wife of Gentry Locke attorney Josh Johnson, received the 2013 Young Lawyer of the Year Award.
