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Ballston BID names new CEO

The (BID) has named Danette Nguyen its next , the organization announced Monday.

A resident, Nguyen previously was the managing director of the Maryland Women’s Business Center (MWBC), a program which encourages women to start, sustain and grow their businesses. Additionally, Nguyen spent five years working at the , according to her LinkedIn profile. She has a bachelor’s in management information systems and marketing from George Mason University.

“Danette’s impressive track record and experience are exactly what we need in Ballston,” Simon Carney, senior vice president of Brookfield Properties and president of the Ballston BID board, said in a statement. “Her ability to collaborate across both private and public sectors, strategize and execute economic initiatives is where she excels. Danette brings a forward-thinking approach to the BID at a time when innovation and bold ideas are crucial.”

Nguyen, who steps into the role Thursday, replaces Tina Leone, who had led the organization from its 2011 founding until June. She is now the CEO of District Dogs, a pet care business. Cassandra Hanley, who previously worked as the executive director of Capital for Children, a private-equity membership organization that invests in Washington, D.C.-based youth development nonprofits, led the organization during the transition.

The Ballston BID represents commercial property owners in a 25-block neighborhood, which offers more than 8.3 million square feet of office space, one million square feet of retail space and 9,000 residential units. A tax paid by commercial property owners within the BID funds the organization.

CharlottesvilleFamily Magazine Unveils New Vision for 2025: Fresh Initiatives and Renewed Community Focus

CharlottesvilleFamily Magazine, a trusted resource for Central Virginia families for over two decades, is excited to announce a fresh vision for 2025. This new chapter for the popular media brand includes innovative advertiser initiatives, expanded editorial content, and a return to in-person events to better serve families.

Key highlights of the 2025 vision include:
*The First Annual ‘Doing Good’ Marketing Grant – This $10,000 marketing grant supports local nonprofits making a difference. The inaugural winner, Lilypads Housing, provides free, short-term housing for families receiving care at UVA Children’s Hospital.
*Expanded Editorial Vision – Guided by the new CharlottesvilleFamily Advisory Panel, a group of local experts lending insights and expertise, the magazine will broaden its editorial perspective to better address readers’ needs.
*New Print Schedule – A streamlined print schedule will complement timely digital content, ensuring a balanced and engaging reader experience.
*Return to In-Person Events – The inaugural CharlottesvilleFamily KidFest & Camp Expo will take place February 23, 2025, at the Piedmont Family YMCA. Families can explore camps, meet providers, and enjoy activities for all ages.

“This new vision reflects our commitment to evolving with the needs of our readers while staying true to our mission of enriching family life and supporting small local businesses,” said Publisher Jennifer Bryerton. https://www.CharlottesvilleFamily.com


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Submit your form here

100 People to Meet in 2025

In our sixth annual list of 100 Virginians you’ll want to meet in the new year, you’ll encounter interesting people of many ages and occupations — from a doctor in his 80s who built the Chesapeake Care Clinic to a 10-year-old who started his own popcorn business and whose parents are his employees. 

In between, we have folks helping underrepresented entrepreneurs secure capital funding, a couple of bestselling authors, several innovative startup founders and a handful of builders behind the commonwealth’s biggest development projects — as well a sparkling list of scientists, physicians, nonprofit leaders, educators, lawyers, business owners and company executives.

This year’s cohort of to Meet even has a rapper, a sculptor, a cyclist and an Olympic gold medalist — so plunge on in. You’ll definitely find some people here you’ll want to introduce yourself to in 2025. As always, you can break the ice by saying you read about them in Virginia Business.

Find their profiles in the below categories:

Angels

Builders

Educators

Go-Getters

Hosts

Impact Makers

Innovators

New Folks

Public Faces

Rainmakers

Storytellers

The 25th edition of the Virginia Business Legal Elite

Launched in cooperation with the Virginia Bar Association in 2000, Virginia Business’ polls lawyers licensed to practice in Virginia each year, asking them to identify which of their peers are the top attorneys across 21 specialties. Additionally, up-and-coming attorneys are recognized under the Young Lawyer category.

In compiling the edition of the Legal Elite, Virginia Business contacted more than 14,000 attorneys and more than 50 firms, directing them to a balloting website, which was available only during the annual voting period. Virginia Business contracted with Colorado-based media research and analytics firm DataJoe to conduct balloting.

This year’s Legal Elite list includes a total of 1,572 lawyers, 32.4% of the 4,845 attorneys who were nominated by their peers this year. Attorneys cast 1,241 ballots, making 23,032 separate votes across all 22 categories.

Additionally, the 18 attorneys who have appeared in all 25 editions are recognized in a special list. Ten are from Central Virginia, while five are based in Hampton Roads and three are in Northern Virginia.

Two firms are well represented in this list of 25-year honorees, with three attorneys each. Willcox & Savage has Allan G. Donn, William M. Furr and Thomas G. Johnson Jr. Williams Mullen also has three long-term honorees: William D. Bayliss and firm president, and Chairman Calvin W. “Woody” Fowler Jr., who are based in , and Thomas R. Frantz, the firm’s chairman emeritus, in Virginia Beach. 

The 25th annual Legal Elite

Silver Jubilee: Attorneys recognized as Virginia’s Legal Elite for all 25 years

 

Pittsylvania megasite wins $1.3B battery separator project

Tennessee-based will invest $1.3 billion to build a separator facility at the Southern Virginia at Berry Hill in Pittsylvania County, Gov. Glenn announced Nov. 13. The company expects to create 2,015 jobs.

The megasite’s first tenant, Microporous will develop Lot 1 at the park in two phases, with each phase being about 500,000 square feet. Lot 2 of the megasite will be under consideration for Microporous’ potential future expansion. Virginia successfully competed with North Carolina for the project.

During the ceremonial groundbreaking for the project, Youngkin nodded at the controversy created in 2023 after word broke that the governor had pulled the Southern Virginia Megasite out of the running for a $3.5 billion Ford Motor Co. electric vehicle battery factory over national security concerns that a Chinese company would be involved in its operation.

“I want to say it very clearly,” Youngkin said. “This is an American company using American that will hire American workers and supply American companies.”

For more than eight decades, Microporous has produced separators for lead-acid batteries, the oldest rechargeable battery technology, which is typically used in vehicles and to power grid systems. The company’s headquarters are in Sullivan County, Tennessee, near Bristol, Virginia. It also has a facility in Austria.

At the megasite, Microporous plans to expand into creating battery separators for lithium-ion batteries, which are used in electric vehicles, energy storage systems and other applications.

Microporous John Reeves says the facility will be at the forefront of clean energy: “We are driven by commitment to innovation, sustainability and growth, and today marks an extraordinary step in that journey.”

The company’s Berry Hill manufacturing facility will be fully operational by 2026, according to Reeves.

The Southern Virginia Megasite at Berry Hill is owned jointly by the City of and through the Danville-Pittsylvania Regional Industrial Facility Authority (RIFA). Leaders in the two counties have worked to make the site a reality since 2008.

Last year, the U.S. Department of Energy announced Microporous was tapped to receive $100 million in federal funding for the project.

The Virginia Partnership worked with the Danville-Pittsylvania County RIFA, Pittsylvania County, the City of Danville, the Southern Virginia Regional Alliance, the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission and the General Assembly’s Major Employment and Investment Project Approval Commission to secure the project.

Aiming for the fences

When renters tour the new Novel apartment building in ‘s Scott’s Addition neighborhood, one fifth-floor vantage point has particular appeal. The windows on the building’s east side look across Arthur Ashe Boulevard onto the site where the Richmond Flying Squirrels’ new baseball stadium, CarMax Park, is expected to open in time for the 2026 season.

“It’s a lot of fun when we are giving tours. You’re looking down into the progress,” says Brandon Wright, managing director for Crescent Communities, the North Carolina developer that built Novel with Richmond’s Thalhimer Realty Partners. In August, Crescent began marketing about half of Novel’s 275 units. “We’ve certainly seen a demand for units on that side of the building.”

Crescent was driven to invest in the project, its entry into greater Richmond, by the hot Scott’s Addition neighborhood — known for its popular breweries, eateries and entertainment options — and plans for the adjoining $2.4 billion mixed-use Diamond District development, which is being led by Thalhimer.

“This is the hottest market in the entire Richmond MSA,” Wright says.

Wright’s observations echo the city government’s excitement about the Diamond District project, which will include replacing the nearly 40-year-old Diamond baseball stadium with the new $117 million-plus, 8,000-seat CarMax Park stadium.

But that’s far from the only major development happening in the greater Richmond region. From a massive indoor farm and sports arenas to and office development, the state capital and its surrounding counties are ripe for growth.

Richmond

Over time, the Diamond District will be more than a baseball hub. Development plans for the 67-acre neighborhood call for as many as 3,000 residential units, 935,000 square feet of office space, 195,000 square feet of retail and community space, and a hotel. 

“It’s an opportunity to intentionally create a neighborhood that meets some goals — bringing jobs, affordable housing [and] also public amenities like a stadium,” says Matt Welch, Richmond’s acting director of economic development. “Residents have said loud and clear that they want the Flying Squirrels to stay in Richmond, while creating an intentional neighborhood.”

Currently, much of the predevelopment work has involved putting in infrastructure and utilities, says Jason Guillot, principal with Thalhimer Realty Partners and managing partner for Diamond District Partners, the joint venture developing the project.

CarMax Park is set to debut for baseball’s opening day in April 2026 as part of the Diamond District’s first phase, which will likely not be completed until 2028, says Guillot.

“With a project this large and complex, the key is to break it down into bite-size pieces and to plan, design and then build while managing the expectations of every internal and external stakeholder, which for us is the most arduous task, as there are many,” Guillot says.

It’s unclear whether a $40 million lawsuit filed by a Connecticut developer against Diamond District Partners will delay the timetable. In the lawsuit, Republic Projects claims it was cut out of the development deal after initially being a partner.

However, “I think it’s fairly obvious to anyone driving by the site that this project is moving forward,” says Guillot, who adds he cannot comment on pending litigation.

Closer to downtown Richmond, -based CoStar Group is moving forward on the $460.5 million expansion of its riverfront Richmond campus. The global real estate data and analytics company, which is known for its Apartments.com and Homes.com brands, is building a 26-story office tower and a six-story building adjacent to its main hub at 501 S. Fifth St. CoStar expects to add about 2,000 jobs and 750,000 square feet of office space through the expansion, which is projected to be mostly complete in 2026.

The company’s new Corporate Innovation Campus in Richmond will house employees in sales, marketing, software development and other divisions.

As part of the benefits package for CoStar’s Richmond expansion, the state legislature approved a $15 million grant reimbursing the company for public infrastructure improvements, including commuter access and parking and pedestrian access. The grant is contingent on CoStar reaching at least 90% of its pledged job creation and capital investment targets by Dec. 31, 2028. 

Another major project underway in the city is the 7,500-capacity, $30 million outdoor Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront. A project led by Charlottesville’s Red Light Ventures and Live Nation, the amphitheater is expected to open in time for the summer 2025 concert season. The first new major concert venue in Richmond in decades, the amphitheater will be set on 4 acres near the banks of the James River, near CoStar’s Richmond campus and Tredegar.

In September, Plenty Unlimited opened its Chesterfield indoor vertical farm, which will produce 4 million pounds of Driscoll’s strawberries each year. Photo courtesy Plenty Unlimited

Henrico County

In neighboring Henrico County, , a planned multibillion-dollar, 220-acre residential, commercial and entertainment community, is slowly moving forward.

Originally announced in 2020 as an environmentally friendly mixed-use development to be built around a 17,000-seat sports and entertainment arena, GreenCity has been delayed due to rising construction costs and financing needs, says Anthony Romanello, executive director of Henrico’s Economic Development Authority.

However, construction on the project’s residential portion is expected to begin in January 2025. “We don’t have a timeline on the arena, but we are excited that dirt will be turning,” Romanello says of the project from Concord Eastridge and Future Cities.

An arena would benefit Henrico’s sports tourism economy, says Romanello, noting that there’s already been high demand for the county’s Henrico Sports & Events Center, which opened in December 2023 off Interstate 95 in northern Henrico and has been booked for at least 46 weekends, he says.

“Sports tourism is a growth industry,” Romanello says. “We are working very hard to seize that opportunity. It’s a great revenue opportunity for the county.”

In the county’s East End, plans are underway for White Oak Technology Park II, a 622-acre site in Sandston that was rezoned to allow data center development. QTS completed its purchase of the property this past summer for approximately $137 million.

Henrico already houses approximately 16 data centers, including several at the original White Oak Technology Park, located at the intersection of interstates 64 and 295 in eastern Henrico.

Romanello estimates that it could be 10 years before the second White Oak tech park is fully built.

To be sure, data centers have been fruitful for Henrico. From 2017 to 2024, through real estate and business property tax revenues, data centers have contributed more than $18 million to the county coffers.

Henrico’s board of supervisors announced in May that it would funnel unbudgeted revenue from data centers to a county affordable housing fund grant program.

Indoor vertical farming and a Lego toy-making factory are some of the newest developments in Chesterfield, a testament to the area’s economic development focus on manufacturing and production.

Last year, Danish toymaker The broke ground on a $1 billion, 340-acre manufacturing campus in Chesterfield’s Meadowville Technology Park, with plans to begin production in 2025. But that timeline has been pushed back to 2027, due to finalizing agreements with the general contractor and assessing design and ramp-up plans. 

Even so, construction is already taking place at the site, and Lego’s first building is expected to take shape within the next six months, says Matt McLaren, deputy director for Chesterfield Economic Development.

Already, Lego has hired 300 people to work at a temporary packing and training facility in the county, and Lego plans to hire a total of more than 1,750 employees in Chesterfield over the next decade.

“We are really excited to continue to partner with Lego,” McLaren says. “They are keeping all of their promises moving forward. This is one of the largest projects in the county and in the region.”

According to Lego, its Virginia facility will expand its global manufacturing network and support its sustainability goals, with energy efficient production equipment and manufacturing processes that minimize energy use. It also aims to locate more factories closer to major markets, so that it can respond quickly to shifts in demand for products and shorten its supply chain, says Lego spokeswoman Colleen Arons.

Once complete, the Lego campus is expected to house 13 buildings and a high-bay warehouse, all housing everything from offices to operations such as molding, processing and packing.

Nearby, another tenant in the county’s Meadowville Technology Park, California-based vertical indoor farming company Plenty Unlimited, expects to reap the first fruits from its new $300 million indoor vertical farm in early 2025.

Plenty opened its 120-acre, multibuilding Chesterfield campus in September, its second farm and its first production site on the East Coast. Also its first berry farm, the facility will grow more than 4 million pounds of Driscoll’s strawberries a year on 30-foot-tall towers inside an approximately 40,000-square-foot space. Plenty’s farms use artificial intelligence and other technology to grow produce in indoor spaces that aren’t subject to variables in temperature and weather conditions.

Initially, the company planned to hire 60 employees, but as it expands its Chesterfield campus, it hopes to grow to more than 300 employees.

“We’re supportive of these kinds of projects,” says McLaren. “They are not like the typical greenhouse. They use levels of power and light and nutrients. The scale of these buildings is such that it needs to be supported in an industrial park area, rather than outside on the farm.”

Both Plenty and Lego are examples of the ways that manufacturing jobs stretch across industries.

And that lines up with Richmond area economic trends. Since July, the majority of the Richmond region’s active development projects have involved manufacturing, followed by life sciences and food and beverage businesses, says Jennifer Wakefield, president and of the Greater Richmond Partnership.

Meanwhile, Chesterfield continues attracting big manufacturing operations to Meadowville. This summer, Danish electrolyzer manufacturer Topsoe paid $4.95 million for about 57 acres at the county technology park, where it plans to build a $400 million manufacturing plant and create 150 jobs.

Located across the street from Lego’s campus, the company’s facility will manufacture solid oxide electrolyzer cell stacks, which are used to produce renewable hydrogen.

A Topsoe spokesperson has said that the company expects construction on this project to take two years.

In September, Garrett Hart, Chesterfield’s director of economic development, noted Topsoe was working on a site plan and expects to begin construction in 2025.

“They’re moving forward,” Hart said.  

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Photo courtesy Virginia Tourism Corp.

Greater Richmond at a glance

Founded in 1737 by Col. William Byrd II, Richmond is known as the River City for its location on the James River. The state’s capital, Richmond is home to the Virginia General Assembly and much of state government. The metro region, which includes Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover and Henrico counties, is home to 11 Fortune 1000 companies. The region is also home to the University of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia State University and Virginia Union University.

Population
226,604 (city); 1.3 million (metro region)

Major employers

VCU/VCU Health System:
21,300 employees

Capital One Financial: 13,000

HCA Virginia Health System: 11,200

Bon Secours Richmond: 8,500

Dominion Energy: 5,400

Amazon: 5,100

Major attractions

Richmond is home to historical and cultural attractions such as the Poe Museum, the American Civil War Museum, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the Virginia Museum of History & Culture and the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia. Visitors can also enjoy time outside at Maymont park or the Kings Dominion amusement park in Hanover. Carytown, the Fan District and Scott’s Addition offer many options for shopping, dining and entertainment.

Fortune 500 companies

Altria Group

Arko

CarMax

Dominion Energy

Genworth Financial

Markel Group

Owens & Minor

Performance Food Group

Notable restaurants

21 Spoons
New American, 21spoonsmidlo.com

Buttermilk and Honey
American fast casual, buttermilkandhoneyrva.com

Lemaire
New American, lemairerestaurant.com

L’opossum
Modern French, lopossum.com

Stella’s
Greek, stellasrichmond.com

Powhatan green-lights $2.7B data center campus

Although some Virginia counties are backing away from hosting more , supervisors voted 3-2 in October to approve an estimated $2.7 billion .

The project will be on 119.9 acres partly bordering , and supervisors OKed rezoning and a conditional use permit, rejecting the Powhatan Planning Commission’s recommendation.

The developer, Newport Beach, California-based Province Group, estimates that its capital investment at full buildout would be $3 billion, but county staff estimates the full investment would be $2.7 billion, based on region square footage values. The project buildout is expected to take five years at minimum.

The as proposed has three detached data centers with a combined 1.525 million in floor area square footage, as well as six supporting structures. About 20% of the property — roughly 24 acres — will be designated open space.

The conditional use permit will allow the developer to build structures up to 75 feet high, rather than being capped at a height of 45 feet.

A Mangum Economics study projects the development will create 165 direct jobs. According to the study, the property’s data centers would directly pay $17 million in county by 2034, and the county’s total annual tax revenue, including indirect taxes from activity the data centers support, would be $21.5 million.

Several Powhatan residents said they were concerned that the project had no end user and has a provision for numerous possible other uses after 18 months.

To secure an end user, “we need to go to market,” Province Group Mark Kerslake told the board of supervisors. “In order to go to market, we need our approval. The users … have many sites being thrown at them. They won’t engage unless we have zoning approval.”

In response, Powhatan Supervisor Mark Kinney said the $17 million tax revenue projection depends on the project being fully built out.

“The $17 million is projected, and that’s if all three buildings are built out, they get a user that wants all three [and] all three buildings are packed to capacity with servers. Well, you know what comes after ‘if’ — ‘but,’” said Kinney, who voted against the permit.

The approved Powhatan data centers would use an anticipated 300 megawatts of electricity at full capacity. Dominion Energy will supply electricity to the facility, which will require building a substation. 

Legal Elite 2024: Taxes/ Estates/ Trusts

Paul J. Abraham
PJI
Fairfax

Maureen C. Ackerly
Armstrong Bristow Farley & Schwarzschild

Jeffrey R. Adams
Wharton Aldhizer & Weaver
Staunton

Alvi Aggarwal
Yates Campbell
Fairfax

Farhad Aghdami
Williams Mullen
Richmond

Morgan W. Alley
Dunton Simmons & Dunton
White Stone

Rebecca Shwayder Aman
Carney Patterson Meade
Newport News

Hugh T. Antrim
Thompson McMullan
Richmond

Elizabeth J. Atkinson
Baker Donelson
Falls Church

Sarah C. Aviles
McCandlish Lillard
Fairfax

Craig D. Bell
McGuireWoods
Richmond

Gregory P. Bergethon
Sands Anderson
Richmond

Neil V. Birkhoff
Woods Rogers
Roanoke

Jessica M. Booth
Pender & Coward
Suffolk

Churchill Gibson Bowles
Bowles Affiliates
Richmond

Leigh Anne Bowling
Leigh Anne Bowling JD LLM PC
Virginia Beach

John Decker Bristow
Armstrong Bristow Farley & Schwarzschild
Richmond

Neal P. Brodsky
NB Law Group
Virginia Beach

Jonathan R. Bronley
Bronley Law
Fairfax

Gerald W.S. Carter
Harrell & Chambliss
Richmond

W. Hall Carter Jr.
Sands Anderson
Richmond

Deborah D. Cochran
Cochran Law Group
Tysons

Jenny H. Connors
Williams Mullen
Richmond

James P. Cox III
MichieHamlett
Charlottesville

Payton Dickinson Cromwell
Midgett Preti Olansen
Virginia Beach

Gregory R. Davis
Kaufman & Canoles
Williamsburg

C. Richard “Dick” Davis
Stiles Ewing Powers
Richmond

Anna K. Derewenda
Williams Mullen
Richmond

Scott Dondershine
Reston Law Group
Reston

Allan G. Donn
Willcox Savage
Norfolk

Miriam Epstein
MDE Law Group
Fairfax

James A. Evans
James A. Evans Attorney at Law
Virginia Beach

Matthew M. Farley
Armstrong Bristow Farley & Schwarzschild
Richmond

Foster S.B. Friedman
Friedman, Grimes, Meinken & Leischner
Alexandria

J. Conrad Garcia
Williams Mullen
Richmond

Timothy H. Guare
Timothy H. Guare PLC

David J. Gundlach
Sands Anderson
Richmond

W. William Gust
Gentry Locke Attorneys
Roanoke

Henrik B. Haeckel
Hirschler
Tysons

Kristen Hager
McGuireWoods
Richmond

Brooke R. Hannah
Litten & Sipe
Harrisonburg

Philip L. Hatchett
Kaufman & Canoles
Newport News

Jessica A. Hayes
Wolcott Rivers Gates
Virginia Beach

Geoffrey G. Hemphill
Woods Rogers
Norfolk

Patrick W. Herman
Woods Rogers
Norfolk

Elizabeth M. Horsley
Christian & Barton
Richmond

Richard H. Howard-Smith
Flora Pettit
Charlottesville

Meghan Gehr Hubbard
McGuireWoods
Richmond

Lauren A. Jenkins
Offit Kurman
Tysons

Susanna Brailsford Jones
Florance Gordon Brown
Richmond

David Kamer
Kaufman & Canoles
Norfolk

Joshua D. Kelly
Hirschler
Richmond

Helen Lewis Kemp
Virginia Estate & Trust Law
Richmond

Benjamin J. Kinder
Odin Feldman & Pittleman
Reston

Ann H. Larkin
Midgett Preti Olansen
Virginia Beach

David S. Lionberger
Hirschler
Richmond

Stephan J. Lipskis
Williams Mullen
Norfolk

Jennifer A. Lucey
Lucey Law
Washington, D.C.

Deborah G. Matthews
Law Office of Deborah G. Matthews
Alexandria

James E. McNair
Reed Smith
McLean

Gretchyn G. Meinken
Friedman, Grimes, Meinken & Leischner
Alexandria

Melinda Merk
McCandlish Lillard
Fairfax

Bruce L. Mertens
Sands Anderson
Richmond

John T. Midgett
Midgett Preti Olansen
Virginia Beach

Pamela G. Morand
Odin Feldman & Pittleman
Reston

Elizabeth C. Morrogh
Blankingship & Keith
Fairfax

J. Kevin Muldowney
Hirschler
Richmond

Ashley E. Nimitz
Midgett Preti Olansen
Virginia Beach

Nathan Olansen
Midgett Preti Olansen
Virginia Beach

J. Lee E. Osborne
Woods Rogers
Roanoke

Mark V. Pascucci
Wolcott Rivers Gates
Virginia Beach

Paula L. Peaden
Parker, Pollard, Wilton & Peaden
Richmond

John M. Peterson
Kaufman & Canoles
Norfolk

Christine Nguyen Piersall
Williams Mullen
Norfolk

Amanda Plant
Geller Law Group
Fairfax

Holly Pratt
Dunlap Law
Richmond

Ellis Pretlow
Bessemer Trust
Norfolk

Katherine E. Ramsey
Virginia Estate & Trust Law
Richmond

Bradley A. Ridlehoover
Tuckahoe Holdings
Richmond

Arthur Robinson
Wolcott Rivers Gates
Virginia Beach

C. Arthur Robinson II
Wolcott Rivers Gates
Virginia Beach

N. Pendleton Rogers
Hirschler
Richmond

Nancy Newton Rogers
Virginia Estate & Trust Law
Richmond

Neil L. Rose
Willcox Savage
Norfolk

Seth Benjamin Royster
Shannon & Wright
Alexandria

Gregory J. Rupert
Reed Smith
McLean

Harry P. Sakellaris
Harry P. Sakellaris PC

William I. Sanderson
McGuireWoods
Charlottesville

Jennifer Schooley
Schooley Law Firm
Richmond

Catherine F. Schott Murray
Odin Feldman & Pittleman
Reston

Robert Edwin Sevila
Sevila Saunders Huddleston & White
Leesburg

George B. Shepherd Jr.
Freed & Shepherd
Richmond

Jennifer Erdman Shirkey
Flora Pettit
Harrisonburg

Kendal Sibley
Hunton Andrews Kurth
Richmond

Theresa D. Small
McCandlish Lillard
Fairfax

Stephanie C. Smith
Midgett Preti Olansen
Virginia Beach

David A. Snouffer
Willcox Savage
Norfolk

Elizabeth M. Soc
The Law Office of Elizabeth M. Soc
Alexandria

Martha Leary Sotelo
Vaughan, Fincher and Sotelo
Tysons

Bruce C. Stockburger
Gentry Locke Attorneys
Roanoke

Kathryn C. Swain
McCandlish Lillard
Fairfax

Heather H. Szajda
Virginia Estate & Trust Law
Richmond

Cameronne Taillon
Taillon Law
Vienna

Sharon B. Ten
Bowen Ten Long & Bal
Richmond

Frank A. Thomas III
Frank A. Thomas III PLC
Orange

E. Diane Thompson
Pender & Coward
Suffolk

Robert Vaughan Timms Jr.
Inman & Strickler
Virginia Beach

Jaime E.K. Tyler
Willcox Savage
Norfolk

Alec S. von Elten
Hancock Daniel
Richmond

Lewis W. Webb III
Kaufman & Canoles
Norfolk

Caryn R. West
Parks Zeigler
Virginia Beach

Carolyn A. White
Midlothian Estate and Elder Law
Midlothian

Kyle H. Wingfield
Williams Mullen
Richmond

Gordon M. Wolcott
Wolcott Rivers Gates
Virginia Beach

G. Christopher Wright
Shannon & Wright
Alexandria

Joshua C. Wykle
Woods Rogers
Charlottesville

Thomas Yates
Yates Campbell
Fairfax

Gino Zaccardelli
McGuireWoods
Tysons

Read all of the 2024 Virginia Legal Elite here.

Legal Elite 2024: Health Law Q&A Jason R. Davis

2024 Q&A is .


Title: Member, president and , co-chair of Health Care Practice Group

Other specialties: Litigation

Education: Bachelor’s degree in finance, University of Virginia; degree, William & Mary Law School

Family: Wife, Leigh Davis, vice president for donor engagement at the Hampton Roads Community Foundation; daughter, Ella Davis, senior at Duke University; daughter, Kate Davis, sophomore at Southern Methodist University

Career mentors: The Hon. William T. Prince Jr., R. Barrow Blackwell

Book I’d recommend: “The Underground Railroad,” by Colson Whitehead

First legal job: I worked in the Williamsburg/James City County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office as a law student, which introduced me to the courtroom and taught me to think on my feet. After law school, I clerked for Magistrate Judge Prince in the Eastern District of Virginia, which was the single most important learning experience of my career.

Favorite place I’ve traveled: Iceland. An incredible combination of beautiful, otherworldly landscapes and exciting activities

In a post-Dobbs legal environment, are hospitals and multistate health systems likely to be seeking more legal advice around Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act compliance? I believe so. On a national level, there either are or will be state statutory schemes surrounding reproduction that arguably conflict with federal obligations under EMTALA. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has recognized this and reaffirmed its commitment to enforce compliance with EMTALA obligations even in the face of conflicting state laws. This all can leave hospitals and physicians (who likewise can be penalized under EMTALA) with a great deal of uncertainty.

As Kaufman & Canoles’ new president and CEO, how do you balance your administrative and strategic role with your own practice and clients? By being part of an incredible team. I have a group of attorneys and support staff in our Health Care Practice Group who are extremely good at what they do. Our clients know they can rely on all of us. I am part of a four-attorney executive committee that is diligent and firm-minded. We work very well together. Our administrative team at K&C is top notch. And time management!

 Read all of the 2024 Virginia Legal Elite here.


Legal Elite 2024 Q&A is sponsored content.

Legal Elite 2024: Taxes/ Estates/ Trusts Q&A Elizabeth “Liz” Soc

Elite 2024 Q&A is .


Title: Founder and managing attorney

Other legal specialties: Business and corporate , commercial contracts and leasing, personal injury 

Education: Bachelor’s degree, George Mason University; law degree, Penn State Dickinson Law

Family: My beautiful, amazing and bada** parents, Khom Soc and Thanh H. Ly, as well as my sister, Soriya Walker, nephew, Ezra, and nieces, Micah, Mikaila and Joelle. I am a “bachelorette” currently seeking the right person to try and start a family of our own.

Career mentors: Too many to name them all but from Randy Ogg and Peter Grenier, the first lawyers I ever worked for as a paralegal at a “well-oiled machine” personal injury firm, to Jamel Rowe, a phenomenal domestic relations attorney with whom I worked side by side gaining tremendous courtroom and highly contested case experience, to Tonya Penn and Tori Bramble, fellow women of color law firm owners, to Andrea Bryk, another amazing woman warrior law firm owner, to retired Judge Lorraine Nordlund and Judge John Tran, who have kindly and graciously been litigation, general career and life mentors, I have been tremendously blessed.

TV show I’d recommend: “Life Below Zero,” a National Geographic documentary series about subsistence hunters making a living in remote parts of Alaska

How does being a second-generation American influence you as an attorney? Being a second-generation American informs my belief in the core American values of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Navigating different home and societal cultures and expectations equipped me with more patience, empathy and compassion and also trained me as a cultural bridge, helping to find and/or create solutions to meet complex goals among diverse individuals that foster growth and mutual respect. 

What do you find most satisfying about  and work? Helping clients attain peace of mind by guiding them through the complexities of estate and succession planning, ensuring the future of their assets, businesses and families are protected and well cared for. I call it “happy law” because I help them to proactively avoid and/or solve conflicts and problems before they arise rather than duke it out after a conflict arises.

Read all of the 2024 Virginia Legal Elite here.


2024 Q&A is sponsored content.