Va. to receive $107.4M in updated opioids settlement
Virginia stands to receive up to $107.4 million in a multistate settlement proposed by OxyContin producer Purdue Pharma and its owners, the Sackler family, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares announced Thursday. The defendants in the federal case have offered to pay $7.4 billion to 14 states to settle claims that under the leadership of the […]
Va. Bar Association elects 2025 president
A Richmond attorney who leads the family law practice group at FloranceGordonBrown in Richmond will serve as the 2025 president of the Virginia Bar Association, the professional organization announced earlier this month. President of FloranceGordanBrown, Kimberlee Harris Ramsey joined VBA in 1989 and is a past chair of the association’s domestic relations section. Additionally, the […[...]
Martinsville doctor found guilty of 460+ counts of opioids distribution
A federal court jury in Abingdon found Dr. Joel Smithers, who previously practiced in Martinsville, guilty of 466 federal counts of illegally prescribing Schedule II controlled substances, the U.S. Attorney‘s Office for Western Virginia announced Dec. 31, 2024. He was also found guilty of one count of maintaining a place for the purpose of illegally […]
Richard Cullen to become Youngkin’s counselor
Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin has selected former Virginia Attorney General Richard Cullen as counselor to the governor. A senior partner and former chairman of McGuireWoods, Cullen will leave Virginia’s largest firm on Jan. 14, the day before Youngkin is sworn in. Cullen joined McGuireWoods in 1977. From 1991 to 1994, he served as U.S. attorney for […]
Republicans win down-ticket statewide races, possible House majority
Like the top of the ticket, Virginia’s attorney general and lieutenant governor races were close, but Republicans were ultimately victorious. The party appeared headed to regain control of the Virginia House of Delegates, but The Associated Press said Wednesday morning that several races were too close to call. However, the state GOP, which swept back […]
Nexus Services CEO calls state AGs’ lawsuit ‘a form of retaliation’
Nexus Services Inc., the bonding company being sued by the states of Virginia, Massachusetts and New York, responded Friday with accusations of its own. In a statement, Nexus CEO and President Mike Donovan said that the state attorney generals’ allegations that the company financially preyed on immigrants held in federal detention are “offensive, 100% false […]
State reaches $39.3M settlement with defunct Keysville tobacco company
Twenty-three years after the landmark Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement was reached, defunct Keysville tobacco company S&M Brands Inc. has settled with Virginia for nearly $40 million, the attorney general‘s office announced Wednesday. S&M Brands, the makers of Bailey cigarettes and other products, closed in 2019. It was started in 1995 by father and son Mac […]
Virginia, other states sue Augusta County company Nexus Services
Updated 3:30 p.m. Feb. 22 Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring joined Massachusetts and New York in suing Virginia-based bonding company Nexus Services Inc., alleging in the suit that its Libre by Nexus subsidiary “preys on consumers held in federal detention centers by offering to pay for consumers’ immigration bonds to secure their release.” In exchange […]