Tuesday, June 11th, 2024
NORFOLK, Va. (June 11, 2024) – The Virginia law firm Gentry Locke is pleased to announce that Christopher D. Lagow has joined the firm’s Norfolk office as a partner in the firm’s Corporate practice. He is the former Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary to PRA Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: PRAA), and has extensive global experience in the financial services industry in the areas of complex litigation, regulatory compliance, corporate governance and business transactions.
“Chris is a seasoned business leader with a reputation for developing and maintaining professionals to deliver quality legal support across a highly regulated, international organization. We are pleased he will bring his outstanding leadership and business skills to serve our clients in Virginia and around the country,” said Gentry Locke Managing Partner Brett Marston.
The majority of Lagow’s career has been spent leading PRA’s global legal department, including teams handling litigation, regulatory compliance, privacy and corporate transactions. As a member of PRA’s Senior Leadership Team, he also was instrumental in helping to drive a number of initiatives related to investments, risk, strategy, communications and government affairs.
“Gentry Locke is well known for exceptional client service and for its lawyers’ capabilities in handling complex, high-stakes legal matters,” said partner Chris Lagow. “I am excited to be joining the firm and look forward to collaborating with the talented people at Gentry Locke to help businesses compete, thrive, evolve, and achieve greater success and profitability.”
Lagow received his J.D. from the Roger Williams School of Law and his B.A. from James Madison University. He is licensed in Virginia and New York.
Gentry Locke announced the opening of its Norfolk office in March 2023, marking the firm’s fourth office in the Commonwealth and identifying Hampton Roads as an area for development.
About Gentry Locke
With over 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, Richmond, and Norfolk, 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.
Friday, June 7th, 2024
ROANOKE, Va. (June 7, 2024) – The Virginia law firm Gentry Locke has been recognized as a leading Virginia firm for general commercial, white-collar crime, construction, and employment law by Chambers USA 2024. In its 2024 prestigious ranking of law firms and attorneys, Chambers USA ranked four Gentry Locke practices and four attorneys.
The firm’s Criminal & Government Investigations practice is one of only two in Virginia ranked by Chambers USA in Band 1, making specific mention of Partners Thomas J. Bondurant, Jr. (Band 1) and Erin M. Harrigan (Band 2), both ranked four years in a row.
Commentators describe Bondurant as “an outstanding white-collar practitioner. His extensive experience as a former federal prosecutor makes him an invaluable asset to the client as well as co-counsel when contemplating strategy and how the government is likely to proceed.” And others note that Harrigan “is phenomenal.”
Gentry Locke Chairperson Monica Monday was recognized in the top tier (Band 1) in the areas of Litigation: Appellate and Litigation: General Commercial, ranked nine years in a row. Commentators describe Monday as “a true leader in the Virginia Bar and is a trusted resource. She is the dean of appellate lawyers in Virginia.”
Gentry Locke Managing Partner Brett Marston was recognized in Band 4 in the area of Construction for the second year. Commentators describe Marston as a “great lawyer who gets good results for clients.”
Gentry Locke’s General Commercial Litigation team is ranked Band 3 for the thirteenth year as well as the firm’s Labor & Employment practice for the fourth year. The Construction team is newly ranked in Band 4.
Chambers USA ranks the leading firms and lawyers in a variety of practice areas. Its rankings are based on a rigorous and thorough process that includes peer and client research. The Chambers rankings are used by companies and firms throughout the world.
Chambers ranks individual lawyers in their practice area based on their legal knowledge and experience, ability, effectiveness, and client service. Law firms and their departments are ranked based on their technical legal ability, expertise, and experience specific to the practice area and jurisdiction, client service, the depth of the team, commercial vision and business understanding, diligence and value for the money.
About Gentry Locke
With over 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, Richmond, and Norfolk, 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.
Tuesday, June 4th, 2024
ROANOKE, Va. (June 3, 2024) – The Virginia law firm Gentry Locke is pleased to announce that it has been named the 8th largest law firm in Virginia among the 2024 “Virginia’s Largest Law Firms” list, published by Virginia Lawyers Weekly. Gentry Locke currently has 86 lawyers who are licensed to practice in Virginia across 4 offices in Roanoke, Lynchburg, Richmond, and Norfolk.
The annual survey of “Virginia’s Largest Law Firms” is based on the number of Virginia-licensed lawyers practicing from an office located within the Commonwealth. The list recognizes 88 law firms across Virginia, and you can find the full list available here.
Gentry Locke is committed to being Virginia’s leading law firm. In 2023, they expanded their physical presence by opening their fourth office in Norfolk, Virginia, where there are now five lawyers. The firm’s Richmond office has seen continued growth since its start in 2018, now up to 23 attorneys.
Gentry Locke was recognized by Virginia Lawyers Weekly in its inaugural “Law Firms on the Move” list, recognizing the most innovative firms in Virginia. Gentry Locke was also named among the 2023 “Best Places to Work: Law Firms” national list, published by the Business of Law Digest in conjunction with Best Companies Group. Gentry Locke is also named to Vault’s Top 150 under 150 List.
About Gentry Locke
With over 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, Richmond, and Norfolk, 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.
Wednesday, May 1st, 2024
ROANOKE, Va. (May 1, 2024) – The Virginia law firm Gentry Locke is pleased to announce that it has been awarded “Best Law Firm – Platinum” in The Roanoker magazine’s 2024 “Best of Roanoke” reader poll. The platinum award is the highest honor bestowed in a category.
The Roanoker’s “Best of Roanoke” poll tabulates reader votes in the designated categories to determine a silver, gold and platinum winner. The 2024 “Best of” issue, which marks the 38th annual poll, published on May 1, 2024. The full list can be found here.
The Roanoker is the longest continuously published city magazine in Virginia. It is issued by LeisureMedia360, an award-winning publisher of state, regional, and local travel guides; city and regional magazines; and quality-of-life publications.
About Gentry Locke
With over 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, Richmond, and Norfolk, 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.
Thursday, April 25th, 2024
ROANOKE, Va. (April 25, 2024) – The Virginia law firm Gentry Locke is pleased to announce that 12 of the firm’s attorneys have been named to the 2024 Virginia Super Lawyers® list and six attorneys have been named to the 2024 Virginia Rising Stars list.
Additionally, for the sixth consecutive year, Monica Monday, Head of Gentry Locke’s Appeals & Critical Issues practice, has been named to all three of the publication’s “Top Lists,” including the “Top 100 in Virginia,” the “Top 50 Women in Virginia,” and she is ranked number three on the “Top 10 in Virginia.” Gentry Locke’s Managing Partner Brett Marston has also been named to the “Top 100 in Virginia” list for the 11th consecutive year.
The 12 Gentry Locke attorneys included in the 2024 edition of Virginia Super Lawyers are:
The six Gentry Locke attorneys selected to the 2024 edition of Virginia Rising Stars are:
Only the top 5% of lawyers in Virginia are named to the Virginia Super Lawyers list. No more than 2.5% of lawyers in these states are selected to the Virginia Rising Stars list and must be 40 years old or younger or have been in practice for 10 or fewer years. Published by Thomson Reuters, Super Lawyers determines its rankings through independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations. The full methodology is available here.
About Gentry Locke
With over 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, Richmond, and Norfolk, 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.
Friday, March 22nd, 2024
| RICHMOND, VA – Governor Glenn Youngkin announced today the release of the Virginia Permit Transparency (VPT) website to bring increased transparency and efficiency to the Commonwealth’s permitting processes.
“Our administration is committed to increasing transparency in the permitting process. The Virginia Permit Transparency website allows Virginia to continue to lead the country by bringing greater visibility to the regulatory and permitting processes,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “Virginia is demonstrating how a transparent permitting process can continue to attract top-quality business and job opportunities.”
VPT provides the public a centralized platform to track the daily status and timeline of critical steps for Commonwealth of Virginia’s permits. Users can search permit applications or filter results by fields such as agency, application number, locality, and more. VPT can be accessed at Permits.Virginia.Gov.
Today, the permits of three agencies are available on the website: Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Virginia Energy (ENERGY), and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC). Additional agencies will be added in the coming months. The program was first launched as a pilot program last year at DEQ and has was several awards including the “2023 State Program Innovation Award” from the Environmental Council of the States
“The Commonwealth of Virginia continues to drive innovation in transparency and accountability for government. VPT is another example of Virginia setting the standard for the rest of the country,” said Director of the Office of Regulatory Management Andrew Wheeler, whose office is leading the VPT development and expansion. |
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Monday, March 18th, 2024
ROANOKE, Va. (March 18, 2024) – The Virginia law firm Gentry Locke is pleased to announce that the firm’s managing partner K. Brett Marston has been named the next President-Elect of the Virginia State Bar (VSB). He will be elected as the 2024-2025 President-Elect of the VSB at the 2024 VSB Annual Meeting in late May. His term as President-Elect will begin July 1.
“We are proud of the dedication Brett has shown in serving the legal profession and upholding the highest standards of professionalism, and know that his leadership will be a benefit to the Virginia State Bar,” said Gentry Locke Chair of the Executive Board Monica Taylor Monday.
Brett has been involved in bar leadership since he began working with Gentry Locke in 1994. Initially, he served on the VSB Young Lawyers Conference Board of Governors (1997-2001), and was named the VSB R. Edwin Burnette Jr. Young Lawyer of the Year in 2004. He served on the Roanoke Bar Association Board and as the association’s President in 2006-2007. He served on the VSB Construction and Public Contracts Section Board of Governors from 2003-2014 and as its Chair in 2012-2013. He has also served on the VSB Council representing the 23rd Judicial Circuit (2016-2022), on the VSB Executive Committee (2021-2022), and the VSB Budget and Finance Committee (2020-2022). He currently serves on the VSB Professionalism Committee, and the Standing Committee for Legal Ethics.
Brett currently serves as Managing Partner of Gentry Locke, and maintains a thriving Construction Law practice with experience in construction contract negotiations and preparation and handling significant construction disputes in federal and state courts, and alternative dispute resolution. He also works as a mediator and arbitrator for construction-related disputes.
Brett would become the firm’s second VSB President following William R. Rakes who served in that role in 1991-92. “I am very pleased that Brett will be assuming the position of President-Elect of the Virginia State Bar. He will do an excellent job. This honor will be significant to him, both professionally and personally, and we are very proud of him,” said Bill Rakes.
About Gentry Locke
With over 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, Richmond, and Norfolk, 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.
Thursday, March 7th, 2024
ROANOKE, Va. (March 7, 2024) – Gentry Locke Attorneys and Ferrum College are pleased to announce the 2024 Gentry Locke Lecture Series will be hosted at the College on Wednesday, April 10. The spring presentation titled “Demystifying AI: The Truth…a Terrible and Terrific Future” will focus on artificial intelligence, and its impact on industry, the future of jobs, and what higher education needs to consider as it prepares the students of today and tomorrow.
Guest speakers will have opportunities to engage with Ferrum College students throughout the day and the evening presentation. The evening presentation is open to the public and will feature several speakers. Kevin Holt and Jessiah Hulle will host the event on behalf of Gentry Locke Attorneys.
Guest Speakers:
- Joshua Fairfield, JD is the William Donald Bain Family Professor of Law and Director of Artificial Intelligence Legal Innovation Strategy at Washington and Lee School of Law. He is an internationally recognized law and technology scholar who specializes in digital property, electronic contract, big data privacy, and virtual communities. He has written on the law and regulation of e-commerce and online contracts and on the application of standard economic models to virtual environments. Professor Fairfield’s current research focuses on big data privacy models and the next generation of legal applications for cryptocurrencies. His articles on protecting consumer interests in an age of mass-market consumer contracting regularly appear in top law and law- and-technology journals, and policy pieces on consumer protection and technology have appeared in the New York Times, Forbes, and the Financial Times, among other outlets. Before entering the law, Professor Fairfield was a technology entrepreneur, serving as the Director of Research and Development for language-learning software company, Rosetta Stone. Professor Fairfield consults with U.S. government agencies, including the White House Office of Technology and the Homeland Security Privacy Office, on national security, privacy, and law enforcement within online communities and as well as on strategies for protecting children online.
- Katherine Martin, Ph.D is a Chief Engineer and AI Solutions Architect at with over 12 years of experience in applying advanced statistical and computer vision techniques to complex problems. She serves as the strategic and technical authority on the deployment of cutting-edge AI/ML capabilities to the dismounted military forces. Martin is a Chief Engineer and AI Solutions Architect at with over 12 years of experience in applying advanced statistical and computer vision techniques to complex problems. She serves as the strategic and technical authority on the deployment of cutting-edge AI/ML capabilities to the dismounted military forces. Martin works alongside warfighters, government civilians, and the broader industrial base to operationalize AI and provide U.S. warfighters with decision advantage and overmatch capabilities. The Department of Defense tackles some of the most difficult and exciting problems in the world as warfighters operate in extremely constrained environments that require specialized design considerations and tailoring. Martin develops these innovative solutions that bring AI to the battlefield to enhance warfighter effectiveness and survivability.
- Laura Hodges Sprouse, CPA is a partner and Chief Operations Officer of Brown Edwards CPAs with over twenty years of accounting experience. In her role as COO, she provides leadership to the firm’s administrative teams including information technology, Human Resources, finance, business development, and spearheads many of the firm’s special projects. In January 2024, she was announced as the incoming CEO and Partner at Brown Edwards. Sprouse received her B.S. in Accounting, Finance and Decision Support Systems from Ferrum College in 1997. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants (VSCPA).
- Kevin Holt is a partner at Gentry Locke whose diverse practice includes commercial, real estate, intellectual property and ERISA (employee benefits) litigation. Kevin represents companies and individuals in business and contract disputes, including complex financial and real estate matters. He also represents clients with cases involving intellectual property rights. He represents employers, insurance carriers and plan fiduciaries defending ERISA claims involving life, accident, and disability benefits. Kevin is a past President of the Roanoke Bar Association and currently serves on Bar Council, the governing body of the Virginia State Bar. Kevin grew up in Ferrum and his parents and stepfather were long-time members of the Ferrum College community.
- Jessiah Hulle is an associate at Gentry Locke. He practices with the firm’s Criminal and Government Investigations practice group where his primary focus is working with clients on federal grand jury investigations and white-collar criminal defense matters. He also assists the Employment, Civil Defense Litigation, and Commercial Litigation practice groups with critical and dispositive motions and appeals. Prior to joining the firm, Jessiah clerked for the Honorable Mary Grace O’Brien of the Court of Appeals of Virginia. Hulle will act as a moderator for the evening panel discussion.
For speaker information, event details and directions to Ferrum College, please visit: https://www.ferrum.edu/
About Gentry Locke
With over 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, Richmond, and Norfolk, 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.
Monday, March 4th, 2024
RICHMOND, Va. (March 4, 2024) – The Virginia law firm Gentry Locke is pleased to announce that G. Wythe Michael has joined the firm’s Richmond office as a partner in our Corporate practice.
“The hiring of Wythe Michael is another step forward for the growth of Gentry Locke’s commercial and transactional practice across Virginia. Wythe is a super-talented and experienced business attorney with an outstanding reputation in working with businesses of all types to successfully navigate their corporate law issues. We are pleased that he will bring his outstanding legal, leadership, and business skills to serve our clients in Virginia and beyond,” said Gentry Locke Managing Partner K. Brett Marston.
More specifically, Michael advises closely held companies on business law matters including mergers and acquisitions, commercial transactions, security offerings, commercial real estate, and business succession planning. He also advises new and existing businesses in connection with governing documents, shareholder agreements, operating agreements, employment agreements, restrictive covenant agreements, and general contract matters.
In addition, Michael regularly acts as outside “general counsel” assisting privately held companies close deals, evaluate, and manage risk, and pursue new opportunities. He frequently works with healthcare providers, manufacturing, construction, technology, real estate, dental, and veterinary businesses.
“Gentry Locke has seen extraordinary growth over the last few years. Our Richmond office now has 25 lawyers and we launched Gentry Locke Consulting – a full service public affairs and public advocacy subsidiary. In 2022, we opened our Norfolk office which now has 4 lawyers. We have expanded the scope and breadth of our services, and I can think of no better next step than to bring in Wythe Michael as a partner in our Richmond office. Wythe brings deep ties to Richmond and a wealth of commercial experiences to support our existing clients and grow our commercial presence in this market,” added Richmond-based partner Greg Habeeb.
Wythe earned his J.D. from the University of Richmond and his B.A. from the College of William and Mary. He has been recognized by Virginia Business Magazine as a “Legal Elite” in Business.
About Gentry Locke
With over 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, Richmond, and Norfolk, 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.
Thursday, February 29th, 2024
ROANOKE, Va. (February 29, 2024) – The Virginia law firm Gentry Locke is pleased to announce that Monica T. Monday, Chair of the firm’s Executive Board and head of Gentry Locke’s Appeals and Critical Issues team, has been honored in the inaugural class of the 2024 Circle of Excellence by Virginia Lawyers Weekly.
The Circle of Excellence award is given to past Virginia Lawyers Weekly Influential Women of Law recipients who have sustained a great level of achievement and record of leadership. This inaugural class of Circle of Excellence honorees includes 5 women throughout Virginia who are inspiring and accomplished leaders, serve as mentors to others, and contribute significant time and effort to volunteerism and/or pro bono initiatives.
“Monica is the perfect attorney to be recognized with this new Circle of Excellence award. She has an unwavering commitment to leadership, extraordinary client service, and excellence in everything she does at work and in the community.” said K. Brett Marston, Managing Partner of Gentry Locke. “She exemplifies all that an attorney should be and what Gentry Locke aims to stand for.”
For three decades, Monica has advocated for her clients in Virginia’s state and federal appellate courts, handling a wide range of cases from commercial disputes to healthcare, property, personal injury, local government matters, and domestic relations. She is actively involved in the legal community, and has held various leadership roles within the Virginia Bar Association. Monica served as Managing Partner at Gentry Locke from 2013-2022 and currently leads the firm’s recruiting, diversity, and pro bono initiatives as the chair of the Executive Board and heads the Appeals and Critical Issues team. She is deeply involved in the community as well, including serving on the Board of the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra and as a member of the Virginia Poverty Law Center Advisory Council.
The full list of 2024 Circle of Excellence honorees is available here.
About Gentry Locke
With over 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, Richmond, and Norfolk, 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.
