Nicholas C. Conte has extensive experience in business
law, from mergers and acquisitions to succession planning.
But he says that his legal services can be boiled down
to two particular skills.
"What I do the most is issue-spotting and problem-solving," says
Conte, chairman of the Corporate Law Group of Woods Rogers
PLC in Roanoke. "You look at what seems to be an
insurmountable hurdle and look at it from different angles
and find a solution that is beneficial to the client."
Often Conte is looking for problems
before they arise, in the sale or purchase of a business,
for example. He can give his clients a big advantage
if he can offer a solution to an issue that no one
has noticed. "That's
one of the things I enjoy the most, trying to be part
of the answer," he says.
Conte's practice concentrates on corporate and business
law, working with startup companies, closely held businesses
and public companies throughout Virginia.
One recent day was typical of
Conte's schedule. "Today
I worked with a closely held company doing business in
China," he says. "My job is to try to help
them; to grow their business and come up with solutions
to problems they may not see coming yet. Then this afternoon,
I talked to a small-business owner, an entrepreneur,
to advise him on a problem he is having with his business
and try to come up with a solution."
Conte represents companies in
a variety of industries, including high technology,
biotechnology, services and manufacturing. A short
list of his clients includes Carilion Health System,
Optical Cable Corp., RGC Resources and McAirlaids Vliesstoffe
GmbH & Co. KG. "We interviewed
a lot of potential attorneys to help us set up here;
we interviewed pretty much with every major firm in the
area," says Peter Gawley, president of McAirlaids
Vliesstoffe.
The German high-tech manufacturing
company recently announced plans to invest $85 million
on a new North American facility in Rocky Mount. "Nick was refreshingly
different, very unattorney like," says Gawley. "He
spoke his mind, cut through all the legal jargon and
told us what we could do and the best way for us to do
it.
"Since then we have been
thoroughly happy with his services to our company.
He's done everything we needed quickly and efficiently.
We couldn't be happier."
Conte has been with Woods Rogers
since he received his law degree from the College of
William & Mary in
1987. In addition to his practice, Conte is an adjunct
professor at Washington & Lee University Law School
in Lexington where he teaches corporate finance. He arranges
his work schedule so that he teaches one day a week every
other semester.
Conte believes that part of a lawyer's job is service
to the community. He sits on the board of several community
organizations, including the Art Museum of Western Virginia,
and chairs the scholarship committee for the board of
the Virginia Western Community College Foundation.
These commitments can create some long days, but Conte
still manages to make time for his family. He and his
wife, Alison, have been married for 21 years. They have
two children, Laura, who just turned 17, and Nicholas,
who is 12.
Conte says Roanoke's mix of big-city
and small-town amenities allows him to balance his
work and personal life. "I get to work 10 minutes from my family," he
says. "And I get to do something that I love for
a living. I meet lots of interesting people and try to
help them and their businesses. How neat is that?"
