Woods Rogers Vandeventer Black Promotes Two to Principal

Woods Rogers Vandeventer Black (WRVB) is pleased to announce the promotion of two attorneys to principal: W. Thomas Chappell in Norfolk and Elaine D. McCafferty in Charlottesville. Chappell and McCafferty are valued members of the firm’s appellate advocacy team and litigation and dispute resolution practice. Both Chappell and McCafferty are former law clerks for justices on the Supreme Court of Virginia.

“Through hard work and professionalism, Thomas and Elaine have distinguished themselves as outstanding lawyers,” offered WRVB President Dan Summerlin. “We celebrate their accomplishments and this important milestone in their careers.”

Chappell’s civil litigation practice focuses on appellate advocacy, trusts and estates litigation, real estate litigation, and the representation of community associations. Through his appellate litigation practice, he represents clients before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, the Supreme Court of Virginia, the Court of Appeals of Virginia and the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission. He has written and presented extensively on appellate advocacy issues. Chappell is an executive board member of the Chesapeake Bar Association and the James Kent American Inn of Court.  Prior to joining WRVB, Chappell served as a judicial law clerk for Justice S. Bernard Goodwyn of the Supreme Court of Virginia. He earned his undergraduate degree magna cum laude from the College of William & Mary and his law degree, magna cum laude, Order of the Coif, from the University of Richmond School of Law, where he was a John Marshall Scholar and a member of the University of Richmond Law Review.

McCafferty’s litigation practice focuses on appellate advocacy. She has litigated appeals in state and federal courts involving products liability, malpractice, labor and employment, and property rights. She also has experience with financial services investigations, white-collar criminal investigations, and cybersecurity matters. McCafferty earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Connecticut and her law degree from Washington and Lee University School of Law, where she was a Burks Scholar and Lead Articles Editor for the Washington and Lee Law Review. Prior to joining WRVB, she served as a law clerk to the Honorable Chief Justice Lemons of the Supreme Court of Virginia and worked at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP. McCafferty also served as an extern to the Honorable Michael F. Urbanski.