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Immigration Law 2025

Pratibha Kanive Agarwal
Agarwal Group
Washington, D.C.

Miriam Airington-Fisher
Las Abogadas RVA
Glen Allen

D. Earl Baggett
Williams Mullen
Richmond

William J. Benos
Williams Mullen
Richmond

Eileen Blessinger
Blessinger
Falls Church

Ofelia L. Calderón
Calderón Seguin
Fairfax County

Lakshmi Challa
Challa Law Group
Glen Allen

Tanishka V. Cruz
Cruz Law
Charlottesville

Debra Dowd
Dowd & Co.
Midlothian

Anna Ernest
Ernest Law Group
Virginia Beach

Katherine Fourmy
Just Neighbors
Annandale

John Gardner
Gardner & Mendoza
Virginia Beach

Michael H. Gladstone
McCandlish Holton
Richmond

David E. Gluckman
McCandlish Holton
Richmond

Naureen F. Hyder
Hyder Immigration Law
Henrico County

Ra Hee Jeon
Pender & Coward
Virginia Beach

Helen L. Konrad
McCandlish Holton
Richmond

Sarah Katherine Lollar
Gardner & Mendoza
Virginia Beach

Tariq K. Louka
Bischoff Martingayle
Virginia Beach

Irina Manelis
Manelis Law
Glen Allen

Jaime McGuire
Amaryllis Law
Salem

Radlyn Mendoza
Gardner & Mendoza
Virginia Beach

Mara Mijal
Serratelli Mijal
Virginia Beach

Jennifer A. Minear
McCandlish Holton
Richmond

Jonathan L. Moore
McCandlish Holton
Richmond

Tom C. Narvaez
Williams Mullen
Richmond

Meghan Marie Phillips
Vanderpool Frostick & Nishanian
Manassas

Andrea Rahal
Rahal Immigration Law
Richmond

Mark B. Rhoads
McCandlish Holton
Richmond

Denyse Sabagh
Duane Morris
Washington, D.C.

Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg
Murray Osorio
Fairfax

Arthur Serratelli
Serratelli Mijal
Virginia Beach

Heather Silkstone
Ernest Law Group
Virginia Beach

Satnam Singh
Satnam Singh PC
Norfolk

Allyson Martin Sladic
Roth Jackson Gibbons Condlin
Richmond

Jacquelyn E. Stone
McGuireWoods
Richmond

Emily Sumner
Sumner Immigration Law
Henrico County

Soulmaz Taghavi
Taghavi Immigration Law
Henrico County

Charles A. Tievsky
Tievsky Immigration Law
Reston

Jacob Tingen
Tingen Law
Henrico County

Hugo Valverde
Valverde Law
Virginia Beach

James B. “Jimmy” Wood
Willcox Savage
Norfolk

Taxes/Estates/ Trusts 2025

Paul J. Abraham
PJI
Fairfax

Maureen C. Ackerly
Armstrong Bristow Farley & Schwarzschild
Henrico County

Jeffrey R. Adams
Wharton Aldhizer & Weaver
Staunton

Alvi Aggarwal
Yates Campbell
Fairfax

Farhad Aghdami
Williams Mullen
Richmond

Morgan W. Alley
Dunton, Simmons & Dunton
Kilmarnock

Hugh T. Antrim
ThompsonMcMullan
Richmond

Sarah C. Aviles
McCandlish Lillard
Fairfax

Jean Galloway Ball
Hale Ball Murphy
Fairfax

Paul W. Barnett
Manning, Murray, Barnett & Knerr
Arlington County

Gunnar Bedford
Hancock Daniel
Glen Allen

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 D. Bristow
Armstrong Bristow Farley & Schwarzschild
Henrico County

Neal Brodsky
NB Law Group
Virginia Beach

Jonathan R. Bronley
Bronley Law
Fairfax

Eleanor Weston Brown
Patten, Wornom, Hatten & Diamonstein
Newport News

Gerald W.S. Carter
Harrell & Chambliss
Richmond

W. Hall Carter Jr.
Sands Anderson
Richmond

Vonda W. Chappell

Chesapeake

Deborah D. Cochran
Cochran Law Group
Tysons

Xue Connelly
Friedman Grimes Meinken & Leischner
Alexandria

Jenny H. Connors
Williams Mullen
Richmond

James P. Cox III
MichieHamlett
Charlottesville

Payton D. Cromwell
Midgett Preti Olansen
Virginia Beach

Mariah Daniel Carney
Daniel Law Office
Richmond

C. Richard “Dick” Davis
Stiles Ewing Powers
Henrico County

Gregory R. Davis
Kaufman & Canoles
Williamsburg

Rachel Davis
Friedman Grimes Meinken & Leischner
Alexandria

Anna K. Derewenda
Williams Mullen
Richmond

Allan G. Donn
Willcox Savage
Norfolk

Daniel J. Durst
Williams Mullen
Richmond

Miriam Epstein
MDE Law Group
Fairfax

Matthew M. Farley
Armstrong Bristow Farley & Schwarzschild
Henrico County

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

Stephanie Lipinski Galland
Miles & Stockbridge
Tysons

James Conrad Garcia
Williams Mullen
Richmond

Timothy H. Guare
Timothy H. Guare PLC
Henrico County

David J. Gundlach
Sands Anderson
Richmond

W. William Gust
Gentry Locke Attorneys
Roanoke

Henrik B. Haeckel
Hirschler
Tysons

Brooke R. Hannah-Mascola
Hoover Penrod
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

William L. Holt
Kaufman & Canoles
Franklin

Elizabeth Mason 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
FloranceGordonBrown
Richmond

David Kamer
Kaufman & Canoles
Norfolk

Joshua D. Kelly
Hirschler
Richmond

Helen Lewis Kemp
Virginia Estate & Trust Law
Henrico County

Cassandra L. Kincaid
Troxell Leigh
Leesburg

Ann H. Larkin
Midgett Preti Olansen
Virginia Beach

Alison V. Lennarz
Kaufman & Canoles
Williamsburg

David S. Lionberger
Hirschler
Richmond

Stephan Lipskis
Pierce Jewett
Norfolk

Jennifer A. Lucey
Lucey Law
McLean

James E. McNair
Reed Smith
McLean

Charles E. McWilliams Jr.
Walsh Colucci Lubeley & Walsh
Prince William County

Gretchyn G. Meinken
Friedman Grimes Meinken & Leischner
Alexandria

Melinda Merk
McCandlish Lillard
Fairfax

Bruce L. Mertens
Sands Anderson
Richmond

Sarah E. Messersmith
Kaufman & Canoles
Newport News

Yahne Miorini
Miorini Law
Vienna

Elizabeth C. Morrogh
Blankingship & Keith
Fairfax

J. Kevin Muldowney
Hirschler
Richmond

Catherine F. Schott Murray
Odin Feldman Pittleman
Reston

Jon G. Neal
McGuireWoods
Richmond

Ashley E. Nimitz
Midgett Preti Olansen
Virginia Beach

Nathan R. Olansen
Midgett Preti Olansen
Virginia Beach

J. Lee E. Osborne
Woods Rogers
Roanoke

W. Joseph Owen III
Owen & Owens
Midlothian

Trey T. Parker
Kaufman & Canoles
Norfolk

Mark V. Pascucci
Wolcott Rivers Gates
Virginia Beach

John M. Peterson
Kaufman & Canoles
Norfolk

Christine Nguyen Piersall
Williams Mullen
Virginia Beach

Todd J. Preti
Midgett Preti Olansen
Virginia Beach

Ellis Pretlow
Bessemer Trust
Norfolk

Katherine E. Ramsey
Virginia Estate & Trust Law
Henrico County

Bradley A. Ridlehoover
Tuckahoe Holdings
Henrico County

C. Arthur Robinson II
Wolcott Rivers Gates
Virginia Beach

N. Pendleton Rogers
Hirschler
Richmond

Nancy Newton Rogers
Virginia Estate & Trust Law
Henrico County

Neil L. Rose
Willcox Savage
Norfolk

Seth Benjamin Royster
Shannon & Wright
Alexandria

Gregory J. Rupert
Reed Smith
McLean

C. Edward Russell II
Kaufman & Canoles
Norfolk

Harry P. Sakellaris
Harry P. Sakellaris PC
Danville

William I. Sanderson
McGuireWoods
Charlottesville

Alexander I. Saunders
Woods Rogers
Roanoke

Jennifer Schooley
Schooley Law Firm
Richmond

George B. Shepherd Jr.
Freed & Shepherd
Richmond

Jennifer E. Shirkey
Flora Pettit
Charlottesville

Kendal A. Sibley

Richmond

Theresa D. Small
McCandlish Lillard
Fairfax

D. Shane Smith
Whiteford Taylor & Preston
Richmond

Stephanie C. Smith
Midgett Preti Olansen
Virginia Beach

George P. Snead
Parrish Snead Franklin Simpson
Fredericksburg

David A. Snouffer
Willcox Savage
Norfolk

Bruce C. Stockburger
Gentry Locke Attorneys
Roanoke

Kathryn C. Swain
McCandlish Lillard
Fairfax County

Heather H. Szajda
Virginia Estate & Trust Law
Henrico County

Cameronne M. Taillon
Geller Law Group
Fairfax County

Sharon B. Ten
Bowen Ten Long & Bal
Henrico County

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

E. Diane Thompson
Pender & Coward
Suffolk

Robert V. Timms Jr.
Inman & Strickler
Virginia Beach

Daniel Tirle
Alperin Law
Virginia Beach

Jaime E.K. Tyler
Willcox Savage
Norfolk

Alec S. von Elten
Hancock Daniel
Glen Allen

Elizabeth von Keller
von Keller Thelin
Manassas

Matthew Von Schuch
Flora Pettit
Harrisonburg

Lewis W. Webb III
Kaufman & Canoles
Norfolk

Caryn Rivett West
Clarke, Dolph, Hull and Brunick
Virginia Beach

Elizabeth L. Wildhack
MWM Group
Arlington County

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 D. Yates
Yates Campbell
Fairfax

Gino Zaccardelli
McGuireWoods
Tysons

Labor/ Employment 2025

Faith A. Alejandro
Sands Anderson
Richmond

Matthew T. Anderson
Williams Mullen
Richmond

Zev Antell
Butler Curwood
Richmond

Ryan M. Bates

Tysons

Paul Beers
Glenn Feldmann Darby & Goodlatte
Roanoke

Amanda Tapscott Belliveau
McCandlish Holton
Richmond

John V. Berry
Berry & Berry
Reston

Lisa Bertini
Bertini Firm
Virginia Beach

Anne G. Bibeau
Woods Rogers
Norfolk

R. Patrick Bolling
Woods Rogers
Norfolk

Elaine Charlson Bredehoft
Charlson Bredehoft Cohen Brown & Nadelhaft
Reston

John M. Bredehoft

Norfolk

Carla D. Brown
Charlson Bredehoft Cohen Brown & Nadelhaft
Reston

Douglas R. Burtch
Burtch Law
Henrico County

Jack W. Burtch Jr.
Burtch Law
Henrico County

David C. Burton
Williams Mullen
Virginia Beach

Harris D. Butler
Butler Curwood
Richmond

Jeremy D. Capps
Harman, Claytor, Corrigan & Wellman
Glen Allen

Victor O. Cardwell
Woods Rogers
Roanoke

Claire Carr
Kalbaugh Pfund & Messersmith
Chesterfield County

Maureen E. Carr
Bean Kinney & Korman
Arlington County

Caine J. Caverly
Fisher Phillips
Washington, D.C.

Deborah Y. Collins
Yeng Collins Law
Norfolk

Helenanne Connolly
Cooley
Reston

David E. Constine III
Troutman Pepper Locke
Richmond

John C. Cook
Cook Solutions
Fairfax

Craig J. Curwood
Butler Curwood
Richmond

Kimberly W. Daniel
Hancock Daniel
Glen Allen

John Davidson
Davidson & Kitzmann
Charlottesville

Mary Elizabeth “Betsy” Davis
Whiteford Taylor & Preston
Richmond

Garen E. Dodge
Odin Feldman Pittleman
Reston

Mihir V. Elchuri
Hirschler
Tysons

Karen S. Elliott
Ford Harrison
Henrico County

Lindsay K. Bunting
Eubanks Sands Anderson
Richmond

William M. Furr
Willcox Savage
Norfolk

Todd M. Gaynor
Gaynor Law Center
Norfolk

Sean M. Gibbons
Roth Jackson Gibbons Condlin
Richmond

Ryan A. Glasgow
Hunton Andrews Kurth
Richmond

Steven P. Gould
PLDR Law
Danville

Betty S.W. Graumlich
Reed Smith
Richmond

Laura Geringer Gross
Kaufman & Canoles
Norfolk

Robyn Hylton Hansen
Sands Anderson
Williamsburg

Richard F. Hawkins III
The Hawkins Law Firm
Richmond

Patice L. Holland
Woods Rogers
Roanoke

Melissa Jackson Howell
Howell Law Group
Virginia Beach

Edward Lee Isler
IslerDare
Vienna

Joshua Jewett
Pierce Jewett
Norfolk

Benjamin Johnson
Pierce Jewett
Norfolk

Nick Johnson
Berenzweig Leonard
McLean

Stephanie P. Karn
Williams Mullen
Richmond

Laurie L. Kirkland
Blankingship & Keith
Fairfax

Paul G. Klockenbrink
Gentry Locke Attorneys
Roanoke

Yiorgos L. Koliopoulos
Williams Mullen
Virginia Beach

Lindsey Komisin
IslerDare
Richmond

David A. Kushner
Willcox Savage
Norfolk

Todd A. Leeson
Gentry Locke Attorneys
Roanoke

Declan Leonard
Berenzweig Leonard
Tysons

Katie Lipp
The Lipp Law Firm
Reston

Vijay K. Mago
O’Hagan Meyer
Richmond

Kevin E. Martingayle
Bischoff Martingayle
Virginia Beach

Richard H. Matthews
Pender & Coward
Virginia Beach

Joan C. McKenna
O’Hagan Meyer
Richmond

Charles G. Meyer III
O’Hagan Meyer
Richmond

Christopher M. Michalik
McGuireWoods
Richmond

Melisa G. Michelsen
Litten & Sipe
Harrisonburg

Monique Miles
Old Towne Associates
Alexandria

W. Barry Montgomery
Kalbaugh Pfund & Messersmith
Chesterfield County

Charlene A. Morring
Morring Law
Norfolk

David E. Murphy
McCandlish Lillard
Fairfax

Ramesh Murthy
Hancock Daniel
Johnson City, Tenn.

Brian G. Muse
Sands Anderson
Williamsburg

Susan Childers North
Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani
Williamsburg

Noah S. Oberlander
Reed Smith
Richmond

Samantha Stecker Otero
McCandlish Holton
Richmond

W. David Paxton
Gentry Locke Attorneys
Roanoke

Alicia Penn-Taylor
Lawrence Queen
Richmond

Michael D. Pierce
O’Hagan Meyer
Richmond

William Daniel Prince IV
Thompson McMullan
Richmond

Barbara Queen
Lawrence Queen
Richmond

Elizabeth Redpath
Lee Meier
Atlanta

Merrell B. Renaud
Miles & Stockbridge
Tysons

Sharon Kerk Reyes
Kaufman & Canoles
Norfolk

Leigh Rhoads
Virginia Employment Law
Roanoke

John J. Rigby
McInroy, Rigby & Rhodes
Arlington County

Sarah Flynn Robb
Sarah Robb Law
Richmond

Jimmy F. Robinson Jr.
Ogletree Deakins
Richmond

R. Barry Rowell
Klein Rowell & Shall
Virginia Beach

Matthew K. Sarfan
Hirschler
Richmond

Thomas J. Sawyer
Odin Feldman Pittleman
Reston

Andrew P. Sherrod
Hirschler
Richmond

James H. Shoemaker
Patten, Wornom, Hatten & Diamonstein
Newport News

Scott A. Siegner
Ogletree Deakins
Richmond

Aaron Siegrist
Pierce Jewett
Richmond

Nicholas Simopoulos
Simopoulos Law
Richmond

Amy E. Smith
IslerDare
Richmond

Drew Smith
Berenzweig Leonard
McLean

Randy C. Sparks Jr.
Kaufman & Canoles
Richmond

J. Thomas Spiggle
The Spiggle Law Firm
Alexandria

Kristina Keech Spitler
Vanderpool Frostick & Nishanian
Manassas

Leah M. Stiegler
Woods Rogers
Roanoke

Tommy Strelka
Virginia Employment Law
Roanoke

David Sullivan
Kaleo Legal
Virginia Beach

Jonathan M. Sumrell
Hancock Daniel
Glen Allen

Neil S. Talegaonkar
Kaufman & Canoles
Richmond

R. Douglas Taylor Jr.
Bean Kinney & Korman
Arlington County

James R. Theuer
James R. Theuer PLLC
Norfolk

John E. Thomas Jr.
McGuireWoods
Tysons

Crystal L. Tyler
IslerDare
Richmond

Thomas E. Ullrich
Wharton Aldhizer & Weaver
Harrisonburg

Roya Vasseghi
Vasseghi Law Group
Fairfax

Amanda M. Weaver
Williams Mullen
Richmond

Cathleen P. Welsh
Flora Pettit
Charlottesville

Lauren E. Fisher White
Christian & Barton
Richmond

Burt H. Whitt
Kaufman & Canoles
Chesapeake

Jeffrey D. Wilson
Pender & Coward
Chesapeake

Laura D. Windsor
Williams Mullen
Richmond

Thomas M. Winn III
Woods Rogers
Roanoke

Jaime B. Wisegarver
Hirschler
Richmond

Cher E. Wynkoop
Willcox Savage
Norfolk

Melissa Y. York
Harman, Claytor, Corrigan & Wellman
Glen Allen

Kristin A. Zech
Berenzweig Leonard
McLean

Bankruptcy / Creditors’ Rights 2025

Bandar K. Al-Saif
Odin Feldman Pittleman
Reston

Timothy V. Anderson
Virginia Office
Virginia Beach

Kelly M. Barnhart
Chapter 12 & 13 Trustee – Divisions for the Eastern District of Virginia
Suffolk

Peter J. Barrett
Kutak Rock
Richmond

Darren W. Bentley
Darren W. Bentley PLLC
Danville

Paula S. Beran
Tavenner & Beran
Richmond

Richard E. Biemiller
Pender & Coward
Virginia Beach

Sarah Beckett Boehm
Airlines Reporting Corp.
Richmond

G. Russell Boleman III
Boleman Law Firm
Richmond

Richard Bolger
Bolger Law Firm
Fairfax

John R. Bollinger
Boleman Law Firm
Virginia Beach

Tyler P. Brown

Richmond

Veronica Brown-Moseley
Financial Freedom
Richmond

Lynn K. Brugh
Williams Mullen
Richmond

Kristen E. Burgers
Hirschler
Tysons

Robert H. Chappell III
Spotts Fain
Richmond

Michael A. Condyles
Kutak Rock
Richmond

Andrea Campbell Davison
Bean Kinney & Korman
Arlington County

Jed K. Donaldson
Troutman Pepper Locke
Richmond

Darrell Austin Drinkwater
M. Richard Epps PC
Virginia Beach

Paul A. Driscoll
Zemanian Law Group
Norfolk

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

Brittany B. Falabella
Hirschler
Richmond

John T. Farnum
Miles & Stockbridge
Tysons

Douglas M. Foley

Richmond

David W. Gaffey
Whiteford Taylor & Preston
Falls Church

Malissa Lambert Giles
Giles & Lambert
Roanoke

Andrew S. Goldstein
Magee Goldstein Lasky & Sayers
Salem

David A. Greer
Law Offices of David A. Greer
Norfolk

Mark K. Groves
Glasser and Glasser
Norfolk

Michael E. Hastings
Woods Rogers
Roanoke

Dion W. Hayes
McGuireWoods
Richmond

Hannah W. Hutman
Hoover Penrod
Harrisonburg

Hamill D. “Skip” Jones Jr.
Florance Gordon Brown
Richmond

Lawrence A. Katz
Hirschler
Tysons

Donald F. King
Odin Feldman Pittleman
Reston

Stephen E. Leach
Hirschler
Tysons

Dennis T. Lewandowski
Kaufman & Canoles
Norfolk

Joseph T. Liberatore
Liberatore DeBoer & Ryan
Norfolk

Robert M. Marino
Redmon, Peyton & Braswell
Alexandria

Richard C. Maxwell
Woods Rogers
Roanoke

John D. McIntyre
McIntyre Stein
Norfolk

Jennifer McLain McLemore
Williams Mullen
Richmond

Stephan Milo
Wharton Aldhizer & Weaver
Harrisonburg

Ashley F. Morgan
Ashley F. Morgan Law
Chantilly

Michael D. Mueller
Williams Mullen
Richmond

Johnie R. Muncy
Sands Anderson
Richmond

Ronald A. Page Jr.
Ronald Page PLC
Midlothian

Nisha R. Patel
Samuel L. White PC
Richmond

Robyn D. Pepin
Glasser and Glasser
Norfolk

Christopher L. Perkins
Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott
Richmond

Loc Pfeiffer
Kutak Rock
Richmond

Steven B. Ramsdell
Tyler Bartl & Ramsdell
Alexandria

Brandy M. Rapp
Whiteford Taylor & Preston
Roanoke

Stephen Relyea
Financial Freedom Legal
Richmond

Christopher L. Rogan
Rogan Miller Zimmerman
Leesburg

Jeremy B. Root
Blankingship & Keith
Fairfax

Hunter W. Routten
Glasser and Glasser
Norfolk

David R. Ruby
ThompsonMcMullan
Richmond

John M. Ryan
Liberatore DeBoer & Ryan
Norfolk

Nancy R. Schlichting
Flora Pettit
Charlottesville

Donald C. Schultz
Crenshaw, Ware & Martin
Norfolk

Richard D. Scott
The Law Office of Richard D. Scott
Roanoke

David K. Spiro
Spiro & Browne
Glen Allen

Sharon Stuart
Stuart Law Firm
Henrico County

Lynn L. Tavenner
Tavenner & Beran
Richmond

Rachel E. VanHorn
Glasser and Glasser
Norfolk

Christian “Kirk” Vogel
Vogel Law Group
Henrico County

Hunter R. Wells
Canfield Wells
Henrico County

Jennifer J. West
Spotts Fain
Richmond

Robert S. Westermann
Spotts Fain
Richmond

Jeremy S. Williams
Kutak Rock
Richmond

Michael Wilson
Reaves Group
Chesapeake

Peter G. Zemanian
Zemanian Law Group
Norfolk

100 People to Meet in 2026: Casemakers

While these leaders bring a deep bench of experience, they also are helping shape the future of practicing in Virginia.

LONNIE D. ‘CHIP’ NUNLEY III

PARTNER, , RICHMOND

This year, Lonnie D. “Chip” Nunley III celebrated both his 40th year of practicing law at Hunton Andrews Kurth as well as becoming president-elect of the Virginia Bar Association, the state’s largest and oldest statewide voluntary bar organization, dating back to 1888.

A Washington and Lee University graduate who earned his law degree from the University of Virginia, Nunley represents civil litigation clients in state and federal courts and handles regulatory matters before the Virginia State Corporation Commission.

In 1994, Nunley was part of a team representing Philip Morris Cos. in a multibillion-dollar defamation case after ABC reported that the tobacco industry had added extra nicotine to its products. Ultimately, ABC settled and ran a retraction during “Monday Night Football.”

A native of Bristol, Virginia, Nunley is a long-standing member of the firm’s pro bono committee and is the partner in charge of Hunton’s Church Hill pro bono office.

Smythe
Smythe

CHRIS SMYTHE

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, , NORFOLK

Chris Smythe became executive director of Kaufman & Canoles in March, overseeing day-to-day operations of the Norfolk-headquartered law firm.

He began his career as an attorney before transitioning to the business side. He previously held roles as vice president of content at TotalVid.com and director of new ventures for Landmark Communications. The opportunity to combine his legal and business skill sets at Kaufman & Canoles was an opportunity he “couldn’t pass up.”

Smythe is focused on positioning the 215-person firm to be at the forefront of Virginia’s legal market and guiding it through rapid changes in technology — especially leveraging emerging tools like responsibly.

“AI is changing everything, and it’ll change the practice of law as well, and figuring out how to do that correctly is a big part of my job,” he says.

Tarley
Tarley

SUSAN BRADFORD TARLEY

PARTNER, TARLEY ROBINSON, WILLIAMSBURG

In March, Susan Bradford Tarley became the ‘s 2025-26 president-elect. Established in 1938 by the General Assembly, the State Bar regulates the legal profession in the commonwealth.

Tarley, who earned her law degree from George Mason University, has practiced law for 37 years. A partner at Williamsburg’s Tarley Robinson, she works with her husband, John Tarley Jr., and Neal J. Robinson. Her practice focuses on community associations, financing and development, commercial and residential real estate transactions, business matters and creditors’ rights.

A Pennsylvania native, Tarley also has served for 18 years as a substitute judge for the 9th Judicial Circuit and is an adjunct professor at William & Mary Law School.

In January, Tarley was one of 26 lawyers inducted into the Virginia Law Foundation’s Fellows Class of 2025, recognizing attorneys with a “steadfast commitment to strengthening their communities across the commonwealth and to upholding the rule of law.”

Click here to return to the 100 People to Meet in 2026 list

JMU focuses on strengths for strategic planning

Summary:

Before Jim Schmidt joined in July as its seventh president, he went looking for something he believes is in short supply today — civility.

“It’s a tradition that Dukes look around and hold the door for others. It doesn’t matter who you are — at that moment, that act of kindness shows respect for the individual,” says Schmidt, who previously was chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

On a visit to Harrisonburg in January, well before he was named the university’s next president, Schmidt tried what he calls a “secret shopper trick” to test whether the tradition still held.
“Without fail, a student opened the door,” he reports. When Schmidt opened doors in return, “students said, ‘Thank you so much, sir.’”

Now that Schmidt is recognizable to JMU at large, he is working to build the university’s tradition of neighborliness, as well as focusing on other goals, including training more nurses and making sure graduates are prepared for the workforce.

In August, as students returned to campus, Schmidt said in a speech that he and other JMU officials are working on the university’s next strategic plan. Instead of being a “laundry list of everything we do,” he said, “the JMU plan will focus on three or four bold ideas that will truly take us into the future.”

In an interview with Virginia Business in October, Schmidt said that the plan is expected to be ready for release in April 2026 and that he has been conducting a series of listening sessions to determine particular points of focus for the university’s future. But one thing is for sure: Health care education will be a high priority.

To address the labor shortage, JMU aims to increase the number of nursing graduates it produces. Photo courtesy James Madison University
To address the labor shortage, JMU aims to increase the number of nursing graduates it produces. Photo courtesy James Madison University

Addressing health care shortages

As a public university, JMU takes seriously its responsibility to the commonwealth and public good, especially improving health care accessibility in rural Shenandoah Valley, Schmidt says.

In his August speech, he asked, “What if we made rural health a priority and assembled the expertise and passion across disciplines to create a program — or even a medical school?”

JMU is a top producer of nurses in the state, having graduated more than 270 nurses in 2024. However, its bachelor’s program for nursing has been able to accept only 68% of qualified applicants due to faculty shortages, competition for clinical placements and on-campus space constraints.

The state currently has a need for 20,254 registered nurses, a number that is expected to double in the next decade, according to the state, and the problem is worse in rural regions, where hospitals often lack funding to recruit nurses with higher salaries, according to the state’s Office of Rural Health.

Although it can’t fix the compensation challenge, the state recommends increasing access to health care education in rural areas, since nursing students are more likely to remain in their hometowns once they’re certified.

JMU has requested $1 million in ongoing funding from the state to produce 30 more undergraduate nursing majors per year through a nontraditional model that would allow students to complete core nursing coursework in one calendar year instead of two academic years. Classes, which would be held on campus and online in a hybrid model, and clinical placements would take place on evenings and weekends.

The state gave JMU $1 million this year in one-time funding that will go toward building more lab space and hiring additional faculty, and the university expects its first cohort of 30 students in the summer of 2026.

Schmidt says that he aims to forge more partnerships between JMU and community health systems and other local organizations to address challenges specific to rural health care, taking a page from his playbook at UW-Eau Claire, where he was a founding partner of Wisconsin’s Rural Health Innovation Alliance.

Schmidt also initiated a research agreement between his previous university and the Mayo Clinic, which brought faculty and students together with physicians and researchers. Begun in 2017, the relationship has resulted in more than 165 joint research projects.

In Virginia, Schmidt says, “We’re looking for organizations that have a long view. Those partners will bring expertise to the table that students wouldn’t be able to get if they just worked with the university.”

JMU will host seminars in 2026 examining the nation's founding principles and civic engagement. Photo courtesy James Madison University
JMU will host seminars in 2026 examining the nation’s founding principles and civic engagement. Photo courtesy James Madison University

Ready for work

Since the start of the academic year, Schmidt has conducted a series of listening sessions and forums with JMU’s community. While he is still taking input, the new strategic plan will be based on a few general tenets: Prioritizing the student experience, building on university partnerships, marketing JMU’s strengths, accelerating innovation and pursuing national prominence.

One of Schmidt’s priorities is to make sure that graduates have the skills they need for the workforce, and that alumni who are struggling to find full-time employment receive support.
Schmidt expects the strategic plan to build on the Madison promise that “we stand behind our graduates.” In particular, he wants to be sure the university fulfills its promise to students and employers regarding workforce training and job placements.

“What if a student doesn’t have a job after six months?” Schmidt asks. “We’ll assign a coach and provide up to 12 credits of additional undergraduate coursework — at our expense. We would work out a strategy.”

Or, for example, what if an employer finds that while a new JMU graduate has the accounting skills for the job, the person lacks the writing skills needed to go with it?

“We’ll take the graduate back. We’ll provide a coach. It’s a very tangible thing,” he says.

Many today are questioning the value of a college education, Schmidt notes. “They’re asking: Is it a good investment? I believe this strategic plan will go directly at that,” he says, and prove that “we are good stewards.”

Although two of JMU’s neighbors, the University of Virginia and George Mason University, have contended with significant federal pressure to prove they’re eliminating all traces of diversity, equity and inclusion programs on campus, Madison has not received the same level of attention.

In April, JMU’s board of visitors passed a resolution to end the university’s Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, following ‘s executive order demanding the closure of DEI programs at institutions that receive federal funding. Money saved by the department’s closing is being reallocated to support Pell-eligible student scholarships.

Schmidt says that the DEI division’s closure hasn’t resulted in substantial change, because JMU “did not build up a lot of those special programs based on color of skin or other identifiers. Our mission has not changed. For 120 years, JMU has been committed to all students. The Madison promise is that we can help remove barriers for them to achieve their own goals. We are proud of our outcomes.”

That brings Schmidt back to the idea of civility, which helps foster a culture of respect, he says.
“I think we’re ready for more of that,” he says. “Isn’t that a great thing? Wouldn’t a business want that as part of their company?”

A survey by the Society for Human Resource Management finds that 40% of U.S. workers say they have experienced or witnessed incivility at work. The consequences are strained relationships, decreased productivity and increased turnover, according to SHRM, which puts the daily cost of incivility in the U.S. at over $2 billion.

JMU’s answer to this problem is Better Conversations Together, instituted last year. The goal of the program, says Kara Dillard, executive director of the James Madison Center for Civic Engagement, is to help students understand what ethical and responsible free speech is and how to engage in it.

It starts pre-freshman year, as incoming students participate in an e-learning program that explores how brains process information and how people form values and beliefs.

“It introduces the idea that a student comes in with their own foundation that shapes how they listen to others. The goal is to have students learn about themselves and about how they process information — before they meet their roommate who may have a different political flag on the wall,” notes Dillard.

Once students are on campus, they discuss important topics in small groups, like whether the minimum wage should be increased, how AI is impacting students, and whether JMU should require SAT and ACT exam scores, which are currently optional.

“It’s not just pro and con. Students have to reason together,” Dillard says. “It ends up being a rich conversation.”

Madison Center democracy fellows are trained to help set ground rules and keep conversations on track.
“It helps de-escalate,” Dillard notes. “We’ve never had screaming, yelling like you see on social media. We really encourage storytelling about a student’s lived experience with the issues at hand, but we frame it as ‘tell the story you’re comfortable with telling.’ We never encourage students to share parts of their biography that they don’t want to.”

Upperclassmen and graduate students, as well as faculty, are participating in different sessions, and senior administrators are meeting with students, sometimes over a meal.

Dillard hopes the training will result in “a wellspring of trust” as people learn how to have difficult conversations.

Beyond the Better Conversations program, the Madison Center offers programs open to community members that focus on immigration issues, Virginia legislation and civil rights.

In October, the center received more than $2.1 million from the U.S. Department of Education to expand civics education in public schools, an award connected to the United States’ upcoming 250th anniversary celebrations in 2026.

Dillard says that JMU will host a series of seminars about the nation’s founding principles, the Constitution and civil discourse in collaboration with local school districts and community partners.

All this training helps make students better citizens and better employees, Schmidt says. “They’re able to bring issues forward in a thoughtful manner. It builds good civic engagement.”

At a glance JMU

Founded  

A public research university in Harrisonburg, James Madison University was founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women. It was renamed Madison College in 1938 in honor of President James Madison and became James Madison University in 1977. JMU’s 728-acre campus is known for its distinctive bluestone buildings, as well as Newman Lake and the university’s 125-acre Edith J. Carrier Arboretum, which has numerous gardens and wooded areas with oak and hickory trees over 100 years old. Harrisonburg, which has a population of 51,000-plus
residents, is located in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, about 120 miles from Washington, D.C., and Richmond.

Enrollment*  

Undergraduate: 21,358
Graduate students: 1,799
Student profile**
Male | female: 43% | 56.7%
(in full-time undergraduate programs)
International students: 1.1%
Students of color: Hispanic or Latino (9.7%), Asian (5.2%), and two or more races (5.8%), Black or African American (5%).

Academic degrees*   

JMU offers 55 undergraduate degrees and 30 master’s degrees, one educational specialist degree, and nine doctoral degrees. Fields range from accounting and computer science to international business, psychology and nursing.

Faculty*  

Full-time: 1,085
Part-time: 380

Tuition, fees, housing and dining***  

$28,512 is the approximate annual in-state undergraduate residential cost, including tuition, mandatory fees, housing and meal plan.

*Fall 2025  | **Fall 2024  | ***2025-26 academic year

Corporate Counsel 2025

Caroline Bailey
Atlantic Union Bank
Glen Allen

Justin T. Banford
Bean Kinney & Korman
Arlington County

Daniel T. Bengston
Amur
Norfolk

Reid Broughton
Sands Anderson
Christiansburg

Alyson M. Brown
Silgan Dispensing
Richmond

Carlos M. Brown
Dominion Energy
Richmond

Anie Elizabeth Caddigan
HCA Healthcare
Richmond

Michelle Calloway
HCA Healthcare
Richmond

Joseph Carpenter
Norfolk Southern
Atlanta

J. David Carroll
Sands Anderson
Richmond

David J. Charles
Rees Broome
Tysons

Nicholas C. Conte
Carilion Clinic
Roanoke

J. Benjamin English
Hirschler
Richmond

Guy R. Friddell III
Dominion Enterprises
Norfolk

Helen Hart
Norfolk Southern
Atlanta

Ute Heidenreich
TowneBank
Norfolk

Phillip Hucles
Sentara Healthcare
Virginia Beach

Henry John Huelsberg III
Trader Interactive
Virginia Beach

Bryce D. Jewett III
NewMarket
Richmond

John S. Jongbloed
Greenberg Traurig
McLean

Amanda L. Kutz
SANS Institute
Virginia Beach

Kevin R. Learned
Reston Group
Reston

Clare M. Lewis
Whiteford Taylor & Preston
Richmond

Ryan A. Logan
BSA Group
Washington, D.C.

Michael J. Lowell
Reed Smith
McLean

Joyvan Malbon-Griffin
Minnesota Lawyers Mutual Insurance Co.
Chesapeake

Sarah McCoy
The Port of Virginia
Norfolk

Sean C.E. McDonough
American Diabetes Association
Arlington County

Steven A. Meade
Carney Patterson Meade
Newport News

Michael R. Newby
Hancock Daniel
Glen Allen

Stephen Dennis Otero
Capital One Financial
McLean

Dustin Paul
Innovations in Transportation
Chesapeake

Klementina Pavlova
Kapitus
Arlington County

Charles W. Payne Jr.
Hirschler
Fredericksburg

Phylicia A. Preston
Progressive Insurance
Richmond

Thomas F. Quinn
Odin Feldman Pittleman
Reston

Jennifer M. Rafferty
Titan America
Norfolk

John Ramirez
ADS
Virginia Beach

Jack Robb
Old Dominion Electric Cooperative
Glen Allen

Rod Satterwhite
The Hilb Group
Henrico County

John M. Scheib
Gentry Locke Attorneys
Norfolk

Jennifer O. Schiffer
Bean Kinney & Korman
Arlington County

Gene Schleppenbach
Miles & Stockbridge
Tysons

Kate J. Seikaly
Reed Smith
McLean

L. Scott Seymour

Norfolk

William F. Seymour IV
FloranceGordonBrown
Richmond

Kenneth Stout
Old Dominion Electric Cooperative
Glen Allen

Mary Thexton
McGuireWoods
Richmond

William J. Walsh
McCandlish Lillard
Fairfax

Elizabeth Anne Whalley
Phlow
Richmond

Darryl D. Whitesell
Foster Fuels
Brookneal

Investment advising in the AI era

When wealth advisers and clients meet these days, it’s likely an AI tool will join in some capacity. As seems true of every industry right now, is transforming and, by virtue, the adviser-client relationship.

It might be tempting to predict — as some analysts have — that AI could put advisers out of work. But the reality is that advisers and clients both are already relying on these tools, and doomsday predictions have yet to come true.

Rather, most Americans say they continue to trust human advisers to manage their money over AI tools alone, according to a recent survey by Northwestern Mutual. And AI may actually improve the advising experience, as these tools could help advisers offer more holistic advice or democratize access to financial advice to a broader swath of the population, according to a report by the World Economic Forum.

Virginia financial advisers agree that AI tools are more likely to benefit the industry than pose a threat. Both Trovato and Smith readily recall meetings with current or prospective clients who mentioned they’d first consulted AI for specific financial questions.

“I think that’s wonderful,” Trovato says, adding that some prospective clients may feel more confident about hiring a human adviser if they feel they have an objective baseline to compare recommendations.

Though the tools are relatively new, AI is the natural next step for clients who came to meetings in the past asking questions about something they read online. “AI has taken that to a completely different level,” Smith says.

Acknowledging that AI is a resource that clients are likely to consult for research creates a “great opportunity” for advisers to shine by offering their own expertise on specific , Smith says. “If you don’t understand what you have and why you have it and how it’s going to respond in different markets, then all you’re left with is emotions.”

In turn, advisers also are embracing AI in their offices, finding it can free them up from rote tasks like note-taking during client meetings so they can be fully engaged and focus on providing more personalized and higher-value advice. And everyone benefits if advisers can deepen their relationships with clients.

Since Merrill launched its AI-enabled data analytics tool Client Insights in 2020, for example, its financial advisers have identified 40 million-plus different insights spanning tax efficiency, retirement planning and banking needs that they’ve been able to proactively share with clients, according to data provided by the firm.

AI can help advisers accomplish tasks that would be onerous if done manually or create efficiencies. Bernert has found one of the most useful applications of ChatGPT is making sense of the trove of research distributed by the major Wall Street firms by identifying common trends and outliers that may be useful for identifying potential investment opportunities. Using anonymous client information, these tools can also be used to automate the math required to rebalance portfolios, he adds.

“If you prompt well, you can get some pretty cool stuff out of it.”

Incorporating AI into their day-to-day work now is akin to the early days of adopting personal computers or the internet, Montgomery says, which is why advisers are wise to embrace this technology. For example, there are practical applications for AI in advising family offices with multiple portfolios as these tools will be able to more efficiently identify how various portfolios intersect, he adds.

“I view it as a positive leverage of time, and I always think that’s a good thing,” Montgomery says.
Because they see firsthand how AI can augment their services, these advisers say it’s crucial for the industry to evolve and keep pace with technological advancements.

And there’s really no reason to fear that bots are coming to replace them, so long as advisers stay focused on what they do best: understanding the needs of their clients and comforting them when financial markets or life circumstances cause angst.

“That emotional element, from my perspective, will never be replaced,” Smith says. Adds Trovato: “AI is definitely not a replacement for good financial advice.”

2025: The year of living disruptively

Looking back on 2025, the best symbol of the past year’s upheaval might be the White House, if not its most famous occupant.

Since moving back into 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. in January, our real estate mogul president has launched into a series of home renovations worthy of its own HGTV series. The most prominent changes include gilding the Oval Office in gold accents reminiscent of Versailles, paving over the Rose Garden lawn, and tearing down the 123-year-old East Wing to make way for a gargantuan $300 million ballroom.

Similarly, in his second term, has taken a wrecking ball approach to the federal government.

By the end of the year, the administration expects to shed some 300,000 federal jobs, the most since the end of World War II, according to The New York Times.

While there was undoubtedly some fat that could have been shed from among the federal government workforce, which numbered 2.4 million before Trump took office, critics have blasted the haphazard nature and severity of the workforce cuts, as well as the administration’s clawback of previously allocated government funding.

These actions have had a particularly disproportionate impact on Virginia, home to four of the world’s five largest defense contractors, nearly 150,000 federal workers and 150,000 federal contracting employees.

More than 30,000 Virginia federal workers could be out of work by the end of this year. And we’re also seeing downsizing in government contracting, with McLean-based Booz Allen Hamilton, for example, laying off about 10% of its workforce so far this year in response to federal cuts.

Partly because of this, economists at the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service are forecasting an economic slowdown here, “with Virginia experiencing its most modest economic growth since 2021” and statewide unemployment reaching 4.8% in 2026, the highest since 2021 and the pandemic.

The ‘s federal cuts and volatile tariffs were primary reasons cited by CNBC this year in dropping Virginia from No. 1 to No. 4 on its annual rankings.

These were also likely contributing factors in November’s elections, with Virginians selecting a Democratic slate led by , who will be Virginia’s first woman governor and will lead a Democratic-majority state legislature.

But those are far from the only forces powering change going into 2026.

Wealth imbalance continues to grow while consumer inflation lingers, and housing prices and mortgage rates remain elevated, prompting Trump to propose 50-year home mortgages.

The , which began the year with the S&P 500 near record highs, has remained resilient, recovering from an April global stock market crash in response to Trump’s aggressive tariffs policy.

Some of that recovery, though, is thanks no doubt to , with tech companies this year announcing $375 billion in planned AI infrastructure investments. The AI boom has raised tech company market values by nearly $19 trillion since 2022, according to some estimates, which is also leading to fears of a coming AI bubble, not to mention predictions of widespread white collar job losses.

Here in Virginia, in our new AI era, there seems to be no end to data center development, which is generating lots of local tax dollars and construction jobs. However, the electricity-hungry centers are also causing a fast-evolving power crisis, straining the grid’s ability to keep up and move to renewable energy sources.

While we’re balancing those challenges and opportunities, Virginia is also blessed to be nurturing a fast-growing and biotech industry, with pharmaceutical giants , & Co., and & Co. this year announcing nearly $13 billion in total investments to build new manufacturing operations here.

As we enter another new year, we’d be wise to remember that old saw: The only constant in life is change.

On behalf of Virginia Business, I wish all of you a happy holiday season and much success in 2026.

Virginia advisers outline 2026 investing strategies

One of the great ironies of is that even as the notches record highs as it has this year, investors know the good times inevitably cannot last.

If 2025 overpromised on uncertainty stemming from a new presidential administration, it also underdelivered on volatility. Aside from a steep — albeit short-lived — stock selloff early in the year, investors who stayed disciplined have been rewarded for their patience.

Heading into 2026, some shifting dynamics await investors. Federal Reserve policymakers cut its key interest rate for a second straight meeting in October, while cautioning that future rate cuts aren’t guaranteed. Meanwhile, tech industry spending on has boosted the economy and stock market, while stoking concerns of a bubble that could burst. Finally, investors can take advantage of a more favorable tax landscape and a wider array of investment opportunities.

While the issues du jour may feel unique — and, to a degree, they are — navigating the current investing landscape doesn’t require an equally unique approach, says Joe Montgomery, managing director of at The Optimal Service Group of Wells Fargo Advisors in Williamsburg. Rather, you should make decisions based only on changes to the fundamentals core to your strategy.

“There’s no magic to it,” says Montgomery, whom Forbes ranks as the state’s top wealth adviser. “It’s a discipline that is hard to do because greed and fear will undermine your future more than any market correction will.”

While some clients are “really concerned” about a market pullback, others worry they’re missing out on opportunities for higher returns given the exuberance surrounding AI , notes Donte Smith, vice president and financial adviser with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in Richmond. A balanced approach to investing is always important, however, especially when market dynamics create temptations to deviate from your strategy.

“I always tell my clients, ‘My biggest job is to make sure you stay invested,’” Smith says, adding that’s why it’s important to build an investment portfolio that offers peace of mind, no matter what’s happening.

What type of investment strategy is prudent, given shifting dynamics in financial markets? Four Virginia-based wealth management professionals weigh in.

‘Huge’ change in fixed income

One big difference for investors now versus a year ago is in the fixed income market and the outlook for interest rates, says Lawrence “Larry” Bernert III, senior managing director at Clearstead Advisory Solutions in Norfolk. “That’s a huge change.”

The federal funds rate, which topped 5% as recently as September 2024, is projected to fall to 3.6% by 2026, according to the median of year-end forecasts from central bankers.

That’s a bit higher than the same estimate one year ago, but warrants thinking more strategically about the duration of your fixed income assets, including U.S. Treasury bonds and certificates of deposit (CDs). It’s important to lock in relatively higher interest rates now if you haven’t already, experts say, given the likelihood of lower rates to come.

Bernert has been focusing on intermediate- term fixed income assets with maturities ranging from six to eight years. “That’s long enough,” he says. “But the big question is: Is it short enough?”

Because Fed policymakers have signaled interest rates could stay higher for longer and there will be a more gradual rate-cutting cycle, you may want to consider even shorter-duration assets, advises Nirali Raval Trovato, senior vice president of Towne Wealth Management and a financial adviser at Raymond James Financial Services in Virginia Beach. She’s been favoring high-quality bonds with durations ranging from two to seven years.

“That’s still the best place to be,” Trovato says. “You’re getting compensated for taking the duration risk, but you’re not tied up for 30 years.”

Potential AI bubble

The dominance of AI stocks has been so pronounced this year that many people are seeing comparisons to the dot-com bubble that burst in 2000, leading to the second worst bear market in modern history. While Montgomery and Bernert see some bubblelike aspects today, Trovato doesn’t think market dynamics are as “dramatic” as they were in that era.

However, these Virginia advisers emphasize it’s important to avoid a herd mentality of piling onto the market’s outperformers. The lesson to be learned from history, they say, is the value of staying the course and finding opportunities that align with your investment strategy.

In fact, the temptation to chase market winners could mean you miss out on stocks that could lead the next stage of the rally, Smith says. Corporate earnings have illustrated that, by and large, companies continue to see strong profit cycles that could be further buoyed by AI-driven efficiencies and more accommodating financial conditions, he adds.

“Lots of other companies are going to benefit, so there will be broader market participation,” Smith says. If there’s a big rotation within the U.S. stock market, as he anticipates, then investors who are well diversified will benefit from gains in sectors like utilities, industrials and financials.

There’s no reason to make drastic changes to your portfolio, as large-cap stocks are likely to remain resilient, Trovato notes. But investing in smaller companies has become more attractive, thanks to lower interest rates. “We’re in a better place for mid- and small-caps than a year ago.”

Finally, investors should consider valuations, which is why Bernert favors an overweight allocation to non-U.S. equities, including emerging markets, which are relatively inexpensive. This type of strategy will benefit investors if there’s a pullback or correction in the U.S. stock market, he says. “It’s more important than ever to be diversified.”

Revisiting tax strategies

In July, investors received some welcome certainty on the tax front, as many provisions of the 2017 tax cuts were made permanent with the Act. Since then, Montgomery and his team have been looking at various tax considerations that benefit specific clients.

These tax provisions can be significant, though they vary widely based on your circumstances. American taxpayers across the board will see reduced individual income tax rates, while high net-worth individuals stand to benefit from higher estate tax exemptions, bigger state and local tax (SALT) deductions, and changes in the tax landscape that may make family offices more attractive.

By extending investor-friendly tax provisions set to expire this year, the bill essentially allowed many investors to “hit the snooze button” on major changes to their tax strategy, Bernert says. But there are new opportunities investors should be aware of, Trovato adds.

For instance, tax cuts could make Roth conversions —transferring a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA — more attractive, while the eligible expenses for 529 plans have been expanded and could make investing money in these accounts more appealing, Trovato says. “As with any new legislation, it creates current or future planning opportunities.”

Finally, private investments will transform the investing landscape in 2026 and beyond after signed an executive order in August allowing these assets to be added to retirement plans.

“It’s as significant as anything I’ve ever seen,” says Montgomery, who has nearly

50 years of experience as a wealth adviser. “The tool kit we have available today is extraordinary.”

Democratizing access to an asset class once off-limits for most investors will be an important theme to watch, Bernert says, though it also makes him a bit nervous: “Investors should be really sure they have access to really good funds.”

Without the guidance of an adviser to understand how private assets will add benefits — and risks — to your investment strategy, investors should consider putting money into private investments with some caution, Smith says.

“All of these things are just like the meals that you eat,” he notes. “Dessert is great, but it’s dessert in moderation.”