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Check out the rest of the 24th edition of the Virginia Business Legal Elite.
Legal Elite 2023: Young Lawyer
Title: Associate attorney
Legal specialties: I specialize in commercial, construction and real estate litigation.
Education: Bachelor’s degree, Bellarmine University; law degree, George Mason University
Family: I live in Alexandria with my partner, Josh, and our two pets.
Career mentors: Bruce Blanchard and Chidi James
Most recent book read: “The Cartiers: The Untold Story of the Family Behind the Jewelry Empire,” by Francesca Cartier Brickell
Hobbies: Gardening, DIY home renovation projects and learning about wine and the winemaking process.
You were a law clerk. What was that like, and how did it help prepare you? Being a law clerk offers the best possible insight into the disposition of the law. In addition to honing your writing and research skills, a law clerk gains invaluable knowledge of the litigation process from understanding the thinking behind judicial decisions to witnessing the way attorneys approach their cases in court.
What’s your best advice for people interested in law school? As with any other endeavor, prepare for the journey before you set out. Find and speak with practicing attorneys who can offer real-world advice on becoming a lawyer. Join clubs and organizations focused on the law. Find internships and externships at law firms to gain practical experience. And above all, know that you’ll have days when you love what you’re doing as well as days when you question the sanity of your choice to study the law.
Legal Elite 2023: Cybersecurity/Data Privacy/Technology
Darius K. Davenport
Crenshaw, Ware & Martin, Norfolk
Jonathan V. Gallo
Woods Rogers Vandeventer Black, Norfolk
William H. Hall Jr.
Hancock Daniel, Glen Allen
Christopher K. Jones
Sands Anderson, Richmond
C. Andrew Konia
McGuireWoods, Tysons
Sharon D. Nelson
Sensei Enterprises, Fairfax
Kellam T. Parks
Parks Zeigler, Virginia Beach
Kevin D. Pomfret
Williams Mullen, Tysons
Andrew B. Stockment
Flora Pettit, Charlottesville
Bobby N. Turnage Jr.
Sands Anderson, Richmond
Beth Burgin Waller
Woods Rogers Vandeventer Black, Roanoke
Legal Elite 2023: Cybersecurity/Data Privacy/Technology Q&A
Title: Managing partner and chair of Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Practice Group
Other legal specialties: Government and public sector
Education: Bachelor’s degree, Norfolk State University; law degree, University of Wisconsin Law School; certified information privacy professional, International Association of Privacy Professionals
Family: Wife, Maria Lawson-Davenport, and sons Darius Davenport Jr., David Davenport and Daniel Davenport
Career mentors: Chief Justice Leroy Hassell, Justice Bernard Goodwyn, Judge Raymond Jackson, Judge Jerrauld Jones, Judge Helivi Holland, Sharron Goodwyn, Jeff Brauch, Jim Murphy, James Chapman, George Martin, Antoinette Wright-McRae, Melinda Comfort, Jim Woods, Cassandra Newby-Alexander, Robert Davenport
Most recent book read: “Across That Bridge: A Vision for Change and the Future,” by John Lewis
Hobbies: Fishing, DJing
What recommendations do you make to clients for mitigating their cyber risks? Take reasonable action when it comes to securing sensitive information. Reasonable action does not require one to turn their organization into Fort Knox, but it does require you to do more than nothing to protect company, employee and client data. Reasonable action equals two major components: implementing sound employee policies that provide the left and right boundaries for what employees should be doing, and properly resourcing information technology/security personnel to deploy reasonable security measures throughout your IT environment.
What’s important to keep in mind regarding data privacy in 2024? I think it is important to look/hope for a comprehensive data breach notification law and a data privacy protection law. We currently have a national patchwork of states promulgating their own breach notification, privacy and biometric laws. However, we need a federal standard to alleviate the complications and confusion that businesses have to deal with when recovering from a multistate data breach and find themselves subject to the requirements and timelines of multiple jurisdictions. Based on the common themes to all breach, privacy and biometric laws, it should be a light lift for Congress to agree to a federal standard.
Legal Elite 2023: Corporate Counsel Q&A
Title: Shareholder
Other legal specialties: Mergers and acquisitions
Education: Bachelor’s degree, Virginia Tech; law degree, George Mason University
Family: Just celebrated 25th wedding anniversary with my wife, Kelly. We have five children: Tommy, 24; Logan, 22; Billy, 20;
Brady, 18; and Sawyer, 16.
Career mentors: My partners, Jimmy Pittleman and David Lawrence
Fan of: Lacrosse and college football. It has been tough lately since I am first and foremost a Hokie fan.
First legal job: Where I am now. I have been at Odin Feldman Pittleman my entire legal career.
What led you to pursue a law degree after earning your CPA? I liked but did not love accounting. I wanted to pursue a career where my accounting background would be useful, but not my main focus. As a business lawyer, my accounting and tax background is invaluable and has made me a much better lawyer.
What is it like helping businesses get off the ground? Nothing has been more rewarding in my career than building longstanding relationships with my clients. There have been numerous instances where I have formed a client’s business, become their trusted adviser over the years, and then helped them successfully sell their business. From my perspective, when this happens as a business lawyer, it is as good as it gets.
Legal Elite 2023: Bankruptcy/Creditors’ Rights Q&A
Title: Associate attorney
Other legal specialties: Estate planning, estate administration, estate litigation, guardianships and conservatorships
Education: Bachelor’s degree, William & Mary; law degree, George Mason University
Family: I have an incredibly supportive husband and a large family, both here and all over the world.
Career mentors: I have been very fortunate to have many mentors in my legal career. All the partners at Wade Grimes Friedman Meinken & Leischner have mentored me. I am extremely fortunate to work with attorneys who are at the top of their field and who support, encourage and inspire me.
Favorite dish: Sushi from Momo Sushi & Cafe on Queen Street in Alexandria
Hobbies: I love to bake, cook, read and travel. I love exploring new cultures and locations.
You’ve held several leadership roles in the Alexandria Bar Association. What are your goals for it? I am currently the president-elect for the Alexandria Bar Association and a board member of the Alexandria Bar Foundation. I strive to promote and increase access to justice for members of our community. I believe that being present and active in the community through volunteer work and educational programs, especially within our schools, is a vital component to providing knowledge and access to our legal system.
How did your time in Bogotá, Colombia — as an intern in the Department of Justice’s Overseas Prosecutorial Development and Training program — affect how you practice law? I bring my background and experience to everything I do. At DOJ, I learned the value of communication and the importance of continuously improving our advocacy to better serve our community. I carry those skills to my practice today.
Legal Elite 2023: Business Law
Jeffrey R. Adams
Wharton Aldhizer & Weaver, Staunton
Everette Garrett Allen III
Roth Jackson Gibbons Condlin, Richmond
Joseph B. Allen
Willcox & Savage, Tysons
Christopher Ambrosio
Woods Rogers Vandeventer Black, Norfolk
Joel Ankney
Ankney Law, Virginia Beach
Eric E. Ballou
Kaufman & Canoles, Richmond
David M. Bastiaans
Wolcott Rivers Gates, Virginia Beach
Mark R. Baumgartner
Pender & Coward, Virginia Beach
Seth Charles Berenzweig
Berenzweig Leonard, McLean
Joel Michael Birken
Rees Broome, Vienna
Gregory R. Bishop
Williams Mullen, Richmond
Rebecca C. Bowen
ThompsonMcMullan, Richmond
Jeffrey W. Breeser
Willcox & Savage, Norfolk
Steven L. Brinker
Crenshaw, Ware & Martin, Norfolk
W. Ashley Burgess
Sands Anderson, Richmond
Benton Burroughs Jr.
Reed Smith, Tysons
James K. Cowan Jr.
Cowan Perry, Blacksburg
Beverley L. Crump
ThompsonMcMullan, Richmond
David L. Dallas Jr.
Williams Mullen, Charlottesville
Sam Darby
Glenn Feldmann Darby & Goodlatte, Roanoke
David M. Delpierre
Kaufman & Canoles, Norfolk
Anna K. Derewenda
Williams Mullen, Richmond
Dustin H. DeVore
Kaufman & Canoles, Williamsburg
Tricia Dunlap
Dunlap Law, Richmond
S. Brian Farmer
Reed Smith, Richmond
Thomas R. Frantz
Williams Mullen, Virginia Beach
Ronald M. Gates
Wolcott Rivers Gates, Virginia Beach
Megan Martz Gilliland
Kaufman & Canoles, Richmond
Ann F. Gillooly
Gillooly Law, McLean
C. Christopher Giragosian
Hunton Andrews Kurth, Washington, D.C.
Jacob L. Glasser
Glasser and Glasser, Norfolk
Robert C. Goodman Jr.
Kaufman & Canoles, Virginia Beach
Allen C. Goolsby
Hunton Andrews Kurth, Richmond
Quinn Feldmann Graeff
Self-employed consultant, Roanoke
Michael C. Guanzon
Christian & Barton, Richmond
John Owen Gwathmey
Troutman Pepper, Richmond
Steven M. Haas
Hunton Andrews Kurth, Richmond
Brian L. Hager
McGuireWoods, Richmond
Samuel C. Haisley
McCandlish Holton, Richmond
Lisa J. Hedrick
Hirschler Fleischer, Richmond
Stephen T. Heitz
Litten & Sipe, Harrisonburg
Michael J. Hertz
Woods Rogers Vandeventer Black, Roanoke
Kathleen Broadbent Horne
Sevila, Saunders, Huddleston & White, Leesburg
Eric F. Horvitz
Miles & Stockbridge, Tysons
Robert W. Hughes
Florance Gordon Brown, Richmond
Thomas C. Inglima
Willcox & Savage, Norfolk
Meagan J. Kalantar
Williams Mullen, Virginia Beach
Herschel V. Keller
Gentry Locke Attorneys, Lynchburg
Talfourd H. Kemper
Woods Rogers Vandeventer Black, Roanoke
Michael K. Kim
Blankingship & Keith, Fairfax
Alton L. Knighton Jr.
Woods Rogers Vandeventer Black, Roanoke
David W. Kuhnsman
Protorae Law, Tysons
Stephanie B. Lauterbach-Diaz
Willcox & Savage, Norfolk
David M. Lay
Williams Mullen, Richmond
Andrew M. Lohmann
Hirschler Fleischer, Richmond
Edward B. Lumpkin
Spotts Fain, Richmond
Vincent J. Mastracco Jr.
Kaufman & Canoles, Norfolk
John M. McCormick
McCormick Law & Consulting, Norfolk
Timothy J. McEvoy
Cameron/McEvoy, Fairfax
Charles Vincent McPhillips
Kaufman & Canoles, Norfolk
John McWilliams
Reed Smith, Tysons
Alexander W. Mejias
James River Law, Richmond
David I. Meyers
Troutman Pepper, Richmond
Gregory J. Montero
Inman & Strickler, Virginia Beach
Neil F. O’Donnell
Odin Feldman Pittleman, Reston
John M. Paris Jr.
Williams Mullen, Virginia Beach
Laurence V. Parker Jr.
Williams Mullen, Richmond
Hugh L. Patterson
Willcox & Savage, Norfolk
South T. Patterson
Carney Patterson Meade
Newport News
Eric C. Perkins
Perkins Law, Glen Allen
Nathaniel R. Pierce
Pierce Jewett, Norfolk
Cari Lyn B. Pierce
Williams Mullen, Tysons
Brian R. Pitney
Sands Anderson, Richmond
Albert H. Poole
Poole Brooke Plumlee, Virginia Beach
Brian C. Purcell
Willcox & Savage, Norfolk
Phillip Quatrini
Rimon, McLean
John Matthew Ramirez
Troutman Pepper, Virginia Beach
Alfred M. Randolph Jr.
Kaufman & Canoles, Norfolk
Jeffrey L. Rhodes
McInroy, Rigby & Rhodes, Arlington County
Laura Dickson Rixey
Kaufman & Canoles, Virginia Beach
John M. Scheib
Gentry Locke Attorneys, Norfolk
Gene Schleppenbach
Miles & Stockbridge, Tysons
John C. Selbach
Whiteford, Taylor & Preston, Richmond
Conway H. Sheild III
Jones, Blechman, Woltz & Kelly, Newport News
George B. Shepherd Jr.
Freed & Shepherd, Richmond
Daniel M. Siegel
Sands Anderson, Richmond
Roderick W. Simmons
Hirschler Fleischer, Richmond
Colin Frederic Smith
The Law Firm of Colin F. Smith, Manassas
Elizabeth M. Soc
The Law Office of Elizabeth M. Soc, Alexandria
Eric J. Sorenson Jr.
Woods Rogers Vandeventer Black, Lynchburg
William R. Van Buren III
Kaufman & Canoles, Norfolk
Michael R. Vanderpool
Vanderpool Frostick & Nishanian, Manassas
Autumn R. Visser
Woods Rogers Vandeventer Black, Roanoke
Mark C. Watson
Hancock Daniel, Glen Allen
J. Britton Williston
Kaufman & Canoles, Norfolk
Stephanie D. Wilson
Berenzweig Leonard, McLean
Va. could get $100M+ lithium-ion battery project
A $100 million-plus lithium-ion battery project could be coming to Virginia, the U.S. Department of Energy announced Monday, but a spokesperson for U.S. Sen. Mark Warner said North Carolina could also be in contention.
MP Assets will build a facility to manufacture separators for lithium-ion batteries, bringing 282 permanent jobs and at least a $100 million investment, according to the announcement. The announcement named Virginia but did not identify where the project would be located, saying only that the project will provide the jobs for “double dispersed coal and Justice40 communities.” Justice40 refers to a goal set by President Joe Biden that 40% of certain federal investments, including in climate change, and clean energy and transit as well as other workforce, housing and pollution remediation, go to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved and overburdened by pollution.”
While the energy department said the project would go to Virginia, it wasn’t immediately clear that that would be the case. Rachel Cohen, a spokesperson for Warner, said North Carolina had also been considered a potential location. Additional information about the project was not immediately available Monday and a company official could not be reached.
Lithium-ion batteries are used in a range of products, including power tools and electric vehicles. The Department of Energy award was one of seven announced Monday for former coal communities totaling $275 million, as well as the largest, and the projects are expected to be matched by $600 million in private investments. The projects are part of a Biden administration initiative to address critical energy needs while rebuilding a domestic supply chain for existing and emerging technologies.
Other projects include $50 million for Boston Metal, a company founded by MIT scientists, to build a plant in Weirton, West Virginia, to manufacture metal and alloy for clean energy industries while reskilling workers in the former coal community, as well as $20 million for a wind turbine manufacturing plant in Vernon, Texas.
HII division to boost intel sharing for Five Eyes alliance
Huntington Ingalls Industries‘ McLean-based Mission Technologies division has received a three-year contract to provide information sharing capabilities between the Five Eyes intelligence alliance.
Newport News-based HII announced the award Nov. 21; information about the award was not disclosed.
The Pegasus contract is administrated by the Secretary of the Air Force‘s Concept, Development and Management Mission Partner Capability Office and calls on Mission Technologies to provide email, phone, video and chat capabilities between the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and New Zealand at the national and international levels.
“Pegasus is an important capability that will help U.S. military forces and Five Eyes members with critical war planning and execution,” Grant Hagen, president of Mission Technologies’ cyber, electronic warfare and space business group, said in a statement.
The work will be performed by HII, with Falls Church-based General Dynamics Information Technology serving as a major subcontractor.
Huntington Ingalls Industries is the nation’s largest military shipbuilder. The Fortune 500 company employs more than 44,000 workers and is Virginia’s largest industrial employer. Its Newport News Shipbuilding division is the United States’ only manufacturer of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.
Benchmark Community Bank, parent announce next CEO
Kenbridge-based holding company Benchmark Bankshares and its bank, Benchmark Community Bank, will have a new leader at the start of the new year.
Jay A. Stafford, president and CEO of the holding company and CEO of Benchmark Community Bank, will retire Dec. 31. He will also retire from the bank’s and company’s boards of directors, according to the Nov. 21 announcement.
“It has been an honor to have spent my entire banking career at Benchmark Community Bank,” Stafford said in a statement. “I’ve had a truly fortunate and unique experience of working for one bank for over 35 years. I take pride in having been a part of Benchmark’s growth and consistently strong financial performance, while contributing to growing a bank from two branches with $30 million in assets to 17 branches with over $1 billion in assets.”
E. Neil Burke, currently executive vice president and chief financial officer of the bank and assistant secretary and treasurer of the company, will succeed Stafford on Jan. 1, 2024.
“I am so appreciative to the board of directors for this opportunity and to Jay for his mentorship over the years,” Burke said in a statement. “The banking industry has changed significantly in the past 20 years, and I look forward to working with our customers and employees to incorporate time-tested financial practices with innovative technology that allows us to better serve our markets while staying true to who we are as a traditional community bank.”
Burke, who joined Benchmark in 1999 as a branch officer, has been in his current role since April 2017. Before that, he served nine years as senior vice president and CFO.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Bridgewater College and an MBA from Syracuse University. Burke attended the American Bankers Association’s Stonier Graduate School of Banking in 2004 and the University of South Carolina’s Graduate School of Bank Investments and Financial Management program in 2006.
Burke has chaired the Virginia Bankers Association’s CFO Committee since 2021. He also serves on the GO Virginia Region 3 Project Review Committee.
Elizabeth T. “Beth” Beale joined Benchmark as executive vice president in September and will succeed Burke as CFO. She previously served as executive vice president and CFO for Hampton-based Old Point National Bank, beginning in July 2019. Before Old Point acquired Citizens National Bank in 2018, Beale was its executive vice president and CFO.m Beale has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Elon University and is a member and past chair of the Virginia Bankers Association’s CFO Committee.
Founded in 1971, Benchmark Community Bank operates 17 banking offices in Southern Virginia and northern North Carolina. At the end of 2022, the bank reported $1.12 billion in assets and $13 million in net income.