Thursday, February 8th, 2024
ROANOKE, Va. (February 8, 2024) – The Virginia law firm Gentry Locke is pleased to announce the election of the following individuals to serve on the firm’s Executive Board for 2024:
“We are excited to add Herschel Keller and Jon Puvak to our Executive Board leadership team this year. We have been blessed for many years with partners who are dedicated to the success of the firm, but more importantly to the success of our clients. Gentry Locke aims to be Virginia’s Leading Law Firm. By being engaged leaders within the firm, in our practice areas, for our clients, in the bar, and in our communities, we are achieving that goal each day,” said Managing Partner Brett Marston.
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, January 30th, 2024
RICHMOND, Va. (January 30, 2024) – The Virginia law firm Gentry Locke is pleased to announce that Jon R.L. Roellke has joined the firm’s Richmond office as a Civil Defense Litigation associate.
“Jon is an exceptional young attorney who had demonstrated a commitment to excellence, and we are pleased to welcome him to the firm,” said Gentry Locke Managing Partner Brett Marston.
Roellke has experience with appellate matters as well as civil litigation issues. Prior to joining Gentry Locke, he served as a law clerk to the Honorable Robert J. Humphreys in the Virginia Court of Appeals and also to the Honorable Edward Robbins, Jr. in the Chesterfield Circuit Court. In those roles, Roellke regularly drafted memoranda, opinions, and orders on civil matters, including workers’ compensation, personal injury, estates, civil rights, and complex domestic relations cases.
A graduate of the University of Richmond School of Law, Roellke was the Senior Notes and Comments Editor on the University of Richmond Law Review executive board. He also earned his B.A. from the University of Virginia. While attending law school, Roellke served as a law student intern for the Central Virginia Legal Aid Society as well as with the office of the Federal Public Defender in the Western District of Virginia.
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, January 9th, 2024
Mike Pace admired Atticus Finch. No doubt Mike aspired to live like Atticus Finch. To many, Mike Pace was Atticus Finch. And if you ever met Mike, you know that he enjoyed talking about Atticus and all that Atticus stood for in the legal world and in the real world. For those of us who had the pleasure of knowing Mike, in working with him in practice, and in watching him operate in the community and the bar, he may be as close to Atticus as we will ever know.
To describe the impact and the influence that Mike seamlessly and positively supplied to this firm, and the bar, and the community, would take volumes. To portray it succinctly, Mike was the one person who simultaneously never met a stranger or an impossible task, and somehow seemed to have 48 hours in a day to make it happen. With Mike’s passing at a way-too-early age, we can rest easier knowing that Mike squeezed at least twice as much into his professional career and his family commitment as any other person we know. And he did it all well, very well.
Mike’s contributions to the firm were immense. From day one, Mike was a natural leader, full of ideas, energy, confidence, and contagious friendliness. He quickly worked his way through the leadership ranks to become the firm’s second managing partner at the early age of 41, being tasked with filling the shoes of one of his mentors, Bill Rakes. Mike helped build on the strong base that Bill had begun in adding a commercial practice to the firm. Under Mike’s leadership, Gentry Locke grew in numbers, in stature, and in focus. No one spent more hours, even into the late-night/early-morning caring for his clients and for the firm that he called home.
Mike extended his leadership skills well beyond just the firm, exhibiting that same passion and commitment to bar groups, including being President of the Roanoke Bar Association and the Virginia Bar Association, and to the community, where he provided leadership as President of the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce and as President of the Roanoke Regional Partnership, among many other groups. While leading these bar groups, he helped form the Center for the Study of the Rule of Law which he planted at Roanoke College during the years when he became the school’s first general counsel, and helped to spread the recognition of the importance of the Rule of Law across the entire state, country, and other parts of the world. Mike was the epitome of commitment, and of getting done what he said he would do.
Like his mother, Mike was an educator at heart. Beyond his time at Roanoke College and with the Rule of Law program, Mike spent countless hours providing support, leadership, and creative ideas to his alma maters, Hampden Sydney College and Washington & Lee Law School, where he helped to establish the third-year externship program for students to gain real-life experience and was an adjunct professor. At Gentry Locke, he led the formation of an in-house education program, Gentry Locke University (GLU), that continues to help young attorneys learn more about the practical elements of legal practice.
Mike’s commitment did not stop there. There was never a minute that he was not bragging on his parents, his wife Nancy, or his two scholarly and athletic daughters. Returning for a late night at the office after leaving to watch a girl’s lacrosse game was just the way Mike was wired. He was proud of them, and all of their accomplishments.
We too are proud. Proud to have called Mike Pace one of our own, a member of the Gentry Locke team and family. Though he is no longer present with us, the indelible and positive marks he has made on us individually, on our families, on this firm, on our communities, and on his family will last eternally. Well done. Here’s to you Mike. Or shall we say …. Atticus!
Friday, January 5th, 2024
LYNCHBURG, Va. (January 5, 2024) – The Virginia law firm Gentry Locke is pleased to announce that partners Glenn W. Pulley, Herschel V. Keller, and Andrew O. Gay were selected for inclusion on Lynchburg Business magazine’s “2024 Top Lawyers of Greater Lynchburg” list. The ranking recognizes the “best of the best” in the region’s legal community.
Pulley was named for Business Law. Since Pulley’s career began in 1976, he has tried more than 150 civil jury trials for plaintiffs and defendants involving personal injury/property damage, product liability, commercial, construction, employment, estates, and eminent domain. Glenn’s trial experience has helped many clients in the courtroom, and they have often benefited from his advice on how to avoid the expense, inconvenience, and risk of litigation. He was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers in 2002 at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City, and has served as the leader of the Virginia Fellows.
Keller was named for Construction Law. He represents businesses, governmental entities, and institutions in Lynchburg and across the Commonwealth through his practice of corporate and business law, commercial construction law litigation, complex contract drafting, and government and regulatory affairs. Herschel heads up Gentry Locke’s Lynchburg office and services clients in our Richmond office. He is active in the community, including serving on the Virginia Amateur Sports Board of Directors, Lynchburg Business Alliance Legislative Committee, and the Associated General Contractors of Virginia Board of Directors.
Gay was named for Construction Law. He is the deputy chair of the firm’s Construction Industry practice group, where he assists clients with construction contracts and resolving construction disputes. He also has experience resolving lien and bond claims, performance disputes, licensing investigations, workplace safety violations, design defects, construction defects, and delay claims. In addition to his construction practice, Andrew also advises clients on an array of general business and real estate matters as well as residential and commercial landlord tenant issues.
About Gentry Locke
With 81 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.
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Wednesday, January 3rd, 2024
RICHMOND, Va. (January 3, 2024) – The Virginia law firm Gentry Locke is pleased to announce that attorneys Jeffrey P. Miller and Ryan J. Starks have been promoted to partnership, effective January 1, 2024.
“Ryan and Jeff are talented attorneys who have demonstrated hard work and commitment to our clients,” said Gentry Locke Managing Partner Brett Marston. “We congratulate them on this significant career accomplishment, and we are pleased to announce and celebrate their advancement within the firm.”
Miller is a member of the firm’s Civil Defense Litigation practice group, where he frequently defends trucking companies in catastrophic injury, brain injury, and wrongful death cases, in addition to his work defending retailers and amusement parks and litigating various commercial and intentional tort claims. Miller has extensive experience collaborating with experts in the fields of accident reconstruction, human factors, biodynamics, brain injury medicine, engineering, and other professionals with a wide range of specialties. He also assists the firm’s transportation clients as part of the rapid response team, helping them navigate the crucial minutes and hours immediately after an accident occurs. Miller earned his J.D. from the University of Richmond School of Law and received his B.S. from Regis University. He has served on the board of the Henrico County Bar Association and was elected as President for the 2023-2024 term.
Starks is a member of the firm’s Business Litigation practice group, where he assists clients with complex business and civil disputes in state and federal courts throughout Virginia. He has also practiced before the U.S. Government Accountability Office and the Court of Federal Claims. Starks represents businesses and individuals in lawsuits involving construction, contract, employment, government contracting, and real estate disputes. He earned his J.D. from the Washington and Lee University School of Law and received his B.A. from the State University of New York (SUNY) Albany. Starks is a member of the Virginia State Bar and the Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys and serves on the CLE Committee of the Richmond Bar Association.
About Gentry Locke
With 81 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, January 2nd, 2024
LYNCHBURG, Va. (January 2, 2024) – The Virginia law firm Gentry Locke is pleased to announce that Robert E. Evans has joined the firm’s Lynchburg office as of counsel in the Plaintiff’s Practice Group.
“Bob is highly regarded throughout the Commonwealth and we are pleased to welcome him to our team and know that the high level of client service that he provides, and his wealth of experience will benefit our team and our clients,” said Gentry Locke Managing Partner Brett Marston.
Prior to joining Gentry Locke, Evans worked as a sole practitioner for more than 40 years, serving clients in Lynchburg and throughout Virginia. He focuses his practice on general civil litigation, workers compensation and personal injury matters. Evans has additional experience in real estate litigation and real estate, land use and zoning law.
Evans earned his J.D. from the University of Richmond School of Law and his undergraduate degree from Wake Forest University. He is a member of the Virginia State Bar and an active member of the Lynchburg Bar Association where he served as president.
About Gentry Locke
With 81 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, December 7th, 2023
ROANOKE, Va. (December 7, 2023) – The Virginia law firm Gentry Locke is pleased to announce that it has been named among the 2023 “Best Places to Work: Law Firms” list, published by the Business of Law Digest in conjunction with Best Companies Group. The inaugural list recognizes 28 law firms from across the country that have prioritized their employees’ well-being and created a positive work environment for their teams.
The Best Places to Work program entails a two-part research process which includes anonymous employee surveys as well as independent research comparing firms against hundreds of industry benchmarks. The combined scores determine the top firms and final rankings of those achieving high marks in categories including confidence in leadership, strong communication, corporate culture, ongoing training options, fair pay and benefits, as well as overall satisfaction. The full list of honorees is available here.
“We are proud to be included on this prestigious list which evaluates law firms of all sizes from throughout the country based on employee feedback,” said Gentry Locke Managing Partner Brett Marston. “Our firm has always believed that our people set us apart by creating a welcoming and inclusive culture while providing top-tier client service. It is incredibly rewarding to know that our employees feel valued as we continue to grow in size and scope.”
The “Best Places to Work: Law Firms” recognition is the culmination of a benchmark year for Gentry Locke, who has been celebrating its centennial throughout 2023. In January, the firm restructured its leadership team by forming an executive board to oversee its rapid growth and continue to modernize the firm’s operations. In March, Gentry Locke expanded into Norfolk, deepening the firm’s Virginia roots with its fourth office in the Commonwealth. The firm was also named to Vault’s 2024 “Top 150 Under 150” for the sixth consecutive year, recognizing the firm’s reputation for providing superior service and delivering successful results to clients. Gentry Locke was also ranked in the 2024 edition of Best Law Firms, receiving 17 Tier 1 metropolitan rankings in Virginia.
Gentry Locke’s also enjoyed continued growth throughout the firm’s footprint in its 100th year, increasing the number of attorneys by ten percent across a variety of practices areas to better serve clients and add depth to the firm’s key areas of focus.
Read About What Our Employees Are Saying
- “Gentry Locke cares about people as individuals and provides a good work platform for professional success.”
- “Employees are constantly challenged to do their best work and are treated and compensated fairly.”
- “Gentry Locke is supportive both personally and professionally. The people are great, and the work is interesting.”
- “I feel this firm is very inclusive and everyone treats each other with mutual respect. It is a fun place to work and I feel like I laugh with and enjoy my co-workers every day.”
- “It is very collegial and friendly. People care about you and want to get to know you. There is great entry level training and support from the top down.”
- “People are treated with respect and valued for what they bring to the table.”
- “Gentry Locke supports charitable causes.”
- “There are opportunities for continued learning, good benefits and employment participation in firm events.”
About Best Companies Group
Since 2004, Best Companies Group has specialized in identifying and recognizing great employers to work for. They are an independent research firm that ranks companies based on an established research methodology, with surveys providing actionable data that allows companies to benchmark their initiatives and improve employee recruitment and retention.
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, 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, December 7th, 2023
ROANOKE, Va. (December 7, 2023) – The Virginia law firm Gentry Locke is pleased to announce that Phoebe M. Brannock, Jessica Otiono and Kate Pollard have joined the firm as associates.
“We are excited to welcome this exceptional group of young attorneys who have already been a part of the Gentry Locke team as summer associates during their law school tenures,” said Gentry Locke Managing Partner Brett Marston. “These women each bring a high level of legal skill and commitment to client service, and we are pleased to officially welcome them aboard.”
Brannock joins the firm’s Roanoke office where she is a member of the General Commercial Practice Group. She concentrates her practice on commercial transactions, real estate and land use, and mergers and acquisitions. Brannock served as a 2022 summer associate with Gentry Locke. She earned her J.D. from Washington and Lee University School of Law and received her B.A., summa cum laude, from The College of William & Mary. While attending law school, Brannock served as a judicial intern for the Texas Second Court of Appeals and as a research assistant for the Appalachian Law Center.
Otiono has also joined Gentry Locke’s Roanoke office and is a member of the firm’s Commercial Litigation, Civil Defense Litigation and Employment Practice Groups. She focuses on providing strategic counsel to clients and handling the complexities of commercial litigation. Otiono worked as a 2022 summer associate for Gentry Locke and received her J.D. magna cum laude from the University of Richmond School of Law. A Nigerian immigrant, she is also licensed in Nigeria having earned her B.L. from Nigerian Law School and her L.L.B. from Lagos State University in Lagos, Nigeria.
Pollard joins the firm’s Richmond office as a member of the Commercial Litigation and Civil Defense Practice Groups. She worked as a summer associate for Gentry Locke in 2022 before earning her J.D. from William & Mary Law School. Pollard also received her B.A. from the University of Virginia. While attending law school, she served as a judicial intern for the Arlington County Circuit Court and as an intern at the Legal Aid Society of Eastern Virginia. Pollard also worked as a research assistant for the Virginia Coastal Policy Center and as a legislative aide at a boutique lobbying firm in Washington, D.C.
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, November 30th, 2023
ROANOKE, Va. (November 30, 2023) – The Virginia law firm Gentry Locke is pleased to announce that 23 attorneys have been named to Virginia Business magazine’s 2023 Legal Elite list.
The list is determined by peer votes and is divided into 21 specialties. The Gentry Locke attorneys recognized in the 2023 Legal Elite list and the areas in which they are recognized include:
Virginia Business magazine polls attorneys each year, contacting more than 14,000 attorneys in 2023, asking them to select which of their peers are the top attorneys in each practice category. The full list of 2023 Legal Elite honorees is available here.
About Gentry Locke
With 79 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, 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.
Wednesday, November 15th, 2023
NORFOLK, Va. (November 15, 2023) – The Virginia law firm Gentry Locke is pleased to announce that Joshua E. Lepchitz has joined the firm’s Norfolk office as an associate in the Civil Defense Litigation Group.
“Josh has tremendous experience with the rules and procedures of the criminal courts in Virginia and has demonstrated his commitment to providing exceptional client service and we are pleased to welcome him to our team while continuing to grow our presence in Norfolk,” said Gentry Locke Managing Partner Brett Marston.
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.
Prior to joining Gentry Locke, Lepchitz worked as an associate at a boutique criminal defense firm in Norfolk after spending three years as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney for the city of Norfolk. While in the prosecutor’s office, he prosecuted misdemeanor and felony offenses ranging from traffic infraction appeals to murder and managed a high volume of cases to prepare for trial, maintaining an understanding of current criminal code to make complex decisions and negotiate plea deals to advance justice.
Lepchitz earned his J.D. from the University of Richmond School of Law and his B.A. from The College of William & Mary. He is a member of the Norfolk Portsmouth Bar Association. Lepchitz is a supporter of the fine arts in his local community and is a member of the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art and of the PRISM Society, which is for Young Professionals in Support of the Virginia Opera.
About Gentry Locke
With 79 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.
