As chair of the litigation section at Woods Rogers, Elizabeth's practice is fully devoted to litigation and trial practice.
Get To Know Elizabeth
Elizabeth is a trial lawyer who practices primarily in the area of medical malpractice and liability defense. She has extensive experience representing healthcare providers and has successfully defended physicians, nurses, and hospitals. In that capacity, Elizabeth has tried numerous jury cases in circuit courts, federal court and has participated in numerous mediations.
Elizabeth has held a Martindale-Hubbell AV rating since 2012. She has also been recognized repeatedly in lawyer-ranking publications including Virginia Super Lawyers, Virginia Business magazine's "Legal Elite," and Best Lawyers in America. Virginia Lawyers Weekly also named her to the 2013 List of Influential Women, the 2017 Class of Leaders in the Law, the 2021 List of Influential Women in the Law, and the 2022 Go-To Lawyer for Medical Malpractice. They have also named her multiple times in the annual defense verdict/million-dollar defense verdict lists. Elizabeth is also the only attorney to be named “Boss of the Year” twice by the Roanoke Valley Legal Secretaries Association – in 2003 and 2011.
Elizabeth was also appointed and served as a substitute judge in the 23rd Circuit at the General District and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts level throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia from 2008 - 2015. She was the second-youngest president and only the second woman to serve as president of the Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys (VADA), a statewide bar association for defense attorneys. She is the third Woods Rogers attorney to serve as president of the organization. Elizabeth has lectured extensively on risk management issues to professional groups in Virginia and has authored a chapter of Virginia CLE on Medical Malpractice Law in Virginia.
Elizabeth grew up in rural Amherst County, Virginia and studied Philosophy and Political Science in college where she graduated cum laude. At the prompting of her advisor, she applied to law school where she graduated summa cum laude.
Despite earning a classical liberal arts degree, Elizabeth always had a fascination with medicine and science. That curiosity and interest led her to a career of over 25 years representing health care professionals before juries and courts across the Commonwealth of Virginia.
In her free time, she loves spending time with her husband Bruce, cooking, hiking, and spending time with their dog and two cats.
Experience
- Successfully defended hospitals and health care providers in numerous jury trials in federal and state courts throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia.
- Ongoing defense of a large healthcare system in a range of cases including medical malpractice, general torts, investigations, 1983 Litigation, premises litigation, and employment matters.
- Ongoing defense of medical malpractice claims against a large, not-for-profit healthcare system with an extensive network of hospitals, and primary and specialty physicians’ practices.
Credentials
Recognition
Education
Oklahoma City University School of Law, J.D., summa cum laude
Lynchburg College, B.A., cum laude
Admissions
Virginia
Supreme Court of Virginia
U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
U.S. District Court, Western District of Virginia
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia
Affiliations
- Association of Defense Trial Attorneys
- Boyd-Graves Conference, Member and Steering Committee Member
- Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys
- Past President (2013-2014)
- President (2012-2013)
- Chair, Medical Malpractice Section (2006-2007)
- Board of Directors, Southwestern Regional Representative (2007-2010)
- Member, Board of Directors Executive Committee
- Treasurer (2011-2012)
- Secretary (2010-2011)
- Defense Research Institute
- Journal of Civil Litigation, Board of Editors (2005-2011)
- Roanoke Bar Association, Board of Directors (2008-2010), Membership Committee and Long-Range Planning Committee (2008-2009), Service Committee (2009-2010)
- Roanoke Law Foundation, Fellow (2016 - present), Board member (2017 - present)
- The Ted Dalton American Inns of Court, Master of the Bench
- Virginia Bar Association
- Virginia State Bar, Litigation Section
News & Insights
Other Publications & Media
- with Aaron B. Houchens, "You’ve Been Poked: Social Networking and Civil Litigation," The Journal of Civil Litigation (2010).
- with Daniel T. Sarrell, "Telemedicine in Virginia: Some Legal Implications of Care from a Distance," The Journal of Civil Litigation (2009).
- "Chapter 4: Investigating the Factual Background (Defendant’s Perspective)," Medical Malpractice Law in Virginia, Virginia Continuing Legal Education (2002, 2003).
- with Thomas W. Farrell, "The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act: An Overview of Administrative Simplification," The Journal of Civil Litigation (2002).
- "Overview: Custody and Visitation Matters," Associates’ Notes, VADA Newsletter (2000).
Matter results depend upon a variety of factors unique to each case. Past results do not guarantee or predict a similar result in any future matter. Some material on this site may be considered attorney advertising in some jurisdictions.