71 Woods Rogers Attorneys Named to 2025 Best Lawyers

The attorneys work daily to deliver on our promise of exceptional legal services. Their work demonstrates to clients, colleagues, and peers what it means to discover uncommon ground. Recognition of this work from our peers is a great honor.

For that reason, Woods Rogers is pleased to announce that 71 attorneys have been named to the 2025 Best Lawyers in America. With more than 130 Woods Rogers attorneys practicing across five Virginia locations, more than half received this honor.

Three attorneys were listed for the first time in their respective practice areas and six attorneys have been listed for at least 25 years. Demonstrating their excellent legal work and commitment to their profession, 10 attorneys from Roanoke, Richmond, and Norfolk also were named “Lawyer of the Year.”

The complete list of honorees by region and practice area is below.

Charlottesville, VA

Steven W. Blaine
Administrative / Regulatory Law
Land Use and Zoning Law
Real Estate Law

Alden English
Banking and Finance Law
Real Estate Law

Lynchburg, VA

Bernard C. Baldwin III
Corporate Law
Litigation - Trusts and Estates

Eric J. Sorenson, Jr.
Corporate Law

Robert C. Wood III
Commercial Litigation

Norfolk, VA

Christopher Ambrosio
Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
Corporate Law
Real Estate Law

Anne G. Bibeau
Employment Law - Management

Nash Bilisoly
Workers' Compensation Law - Employers

William Birkhead
Transportation Law

Dean T. Buckius
Employment Law – Management
Labor Law - Management

Deborah M. Casey
Community Association Law

Mark T. Coberly (2025 Lawyer of the Year)
Admiralty and Maritime Law
Transportation Law

Richard J. Crouch
Banking and Finance Law
Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
Real Estate Law

William E. Franczek
Arbitration
Construction Law
Litigation – Construction
Mediation

Patrick A. Genzler
Construction Law
Environmental Law
Litigation – Construction
Litigation - Environmental

Richard S. Guy
Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
Mergers and Acquisitions Law

James R. Harvey III
Construction Law
Litigation - Construction

Geoffrey G. Hemphill
Tax Law

Patrick W. Herman
Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law
Tax Law

Ray W. King
Banking and Finance Law
Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law
Commercial Litigation
Corporate Law
Litigation - Real Estate
Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law
Real Estate Law

Neil S. Lowenstein
Construction Law
Litigation - Construction

Bryant C. McGann
Banking and Finance Law
Commercial Finance Law
Commercial Transactions / UCC Law
Financial Services Regulation Law
Litigation - Banking and Finance
Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law
Project Finance Law

Richard Ottinger
Admiralty and Maritime Law

Kathleen Panagis
Community Association Law

Anita O. Poston
Corporate Law
Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants

Adam S. Rafal (2025 Lawyer of the Year)
Workers' Compensation Law - Employers

Michael L. Sterling
Construction Law

Brian L. Sykes
Workers' Compensation Law - Employers

Daniel R. Weckstein
Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law

Richmond, VA

John K. Byrum, Jr.
Administrative / Regulatory Law

Donna L. Foster
Health Care Law

Tracy Taylor Hague
Health Care Law

Douglas M. Palais
Commercial Litigation
Insurance Law
Litigation – Securities
Securities / Capital Markets Law

William H. Shewmake
Land Use and Zoning Law

Joseph Spruill (2025 Lawyer of the Year)
Banking and Finance Law
Financial Services Regulation Law

Roanoke, VA

Stan Barnhill
Commercial Litigation
Construction Law
First Amendment Law
Litigation – Construction
Litigation - First Amendment
Professional Malpractice Law - Defendants

Neil V. Birkhoff
Tax Law
Trusts and Estates

Victor O. Cardwell
Employment Law – Management
Labor Law – Management
Litigation - Labor and Employment

Claude D. Carter
Real Estate Law

Francis H. Casola
Commercial Litigation
Litigation – Antitrust
Litigation - Intellectual Property
Litigation - Real Estate

Agnis C. Chakravorty
Employment Law – Management
Labor Law – Management
Litigation - Labor and Employment

Martha (Mollie) Withrow Elder
Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants

Michael P. Gardner
Employment Law – Management
Litigation - Labor and Employment

Michael E. Hastings
Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
Litigation - Bankruptcy

Michael J. Hertz
Trade Secrets Law

Patice L. Holland
Insurance Law
Litigation - Labor and Employment
Railroad Law

Nicole F. Ingle
Real Estate Law

James W. Jennings Jr. (2025 Lawyer of the Year)
Commercial Litigation
Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
Railroad Law

Neal Keesee Jr.
Corporate Law

Fourd Kemper
Securities / Capital Markets Law

Talfourd H. Kemper
Corporate Law
Real Estate Law
Trusts and Estates

Alton L. Knighton Jr.
Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
Project Finance Law
Public Finance Law

Charles Carter Lee
Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants

Mark D. Loftis
Commercial Litigation
Insurance Law
Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
Technology Law

Josh Long
Litigation - Intellectual Property
Litigation - Labor and Employment

Richard C. Maxwell
Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
Litigation - Bankruptcy

Lee E. Osborne
Trusts and Estates

Thomas T. Palmer
Health Care Law

Elizabeth Guilbert Perrow
Health Care Law
Litigation - Health Care
Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants

Matthew P. Pritts
Railroad Law
Transportation Law

Nancy Fuller Reynolds
Health Care Law

Brooke C. Rosen (2025 Lawyer of the Year)
Family Law

Benjamin Rottenborn
Commercial Litigation
Criminal Defense: White-Collar

Daniel T. Sarrell
Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants

Alexander I. Saunders (2025 Lawyer of the Year)
Corporate Law
Tax Law
Trusts and Estates

Christopher W. Stevens
Insurance Law
Litigation - Insurance

Daniel C. Summerlin III
Labor Law – Management
Litigation - Labor and Employment

King F. Tower (2025 Lawyer of the Year)
Employment Law – Management
Labor Law - Management

Joshua R. Treece
Commercial Litigation

Elizabeth Burgin Waller
Privacy and Data Security Law

Thomas M. Winn III (2025 Lawyer of the Year)
Employment Law – Management
Labor Law – Management
Litigation - Labor and Employment

Other acknowledgments given to Woods Rogers attorneys include Best Lawyers’ “Ones to Watch” and “Lawyer of the Year” lists.

Best Lawyers lists are compiled based on an exhaustive evaluation. Attorneys are reviewed by their peers based on professional expertise and undergo an authentication process to ensure they are in current practice and in "good standing." Lawyers are not required nor allowed to pay a fee to be listed; therefore, inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered an honor.