A year for rethinking
November 23, 2009 6:00 AMby Robert Powell
The sour U.S. economy has prompted many law firms to slim down and rethink the ways they do business. Some, for example, are lowering salaries for new hires and considering doing away with billable hours in favor of contingency fees.
The Legal Elite also has undergone some rethinking. Since 2000, Virginia Business and the Virginia Bar Association have recognized top lawyers (as voted by their peers) in a variety of legal categories. In the past two years, Virginia Business has gradually widened the base of potential Legal Elite voters by offering an online ballot in addition to mailing paper ballots to about 7,000 lawyers.
This year, new electronic ballots replaced paper ballots. They were e-mailed to more than 12,000 lawyers across the state. The voter list included the e-mail addresses of all 2008 Legal Elite voters, plus others from the Virginia Bar Association and the Virginia State Bar. Virginia lawyers also were invited to send in their e-mail addresses before the balloting began in June.
Virginia Business received just over 1,600 ballots, roughly the same number as 2008. However, the voters represented a broader group than before, and they nominated more people for the Legal Elite. The number of lawyers receiving votes rose 7 percent, from 3,488 to 3,729. That increased the competition for each spot on the Legal Elite. The 774 lawyers on this year’s list represent about 20 percent of the nominees, down from 27 percent in 2007.
The Legal Elite is divided into 15 categories selected with the help of Virginia Bar Association. In the following pages, a representative from each category is profiled. The profile subjects are chosen from the top 10 vote recipients in their categories, but they are not necessarily the person with the most votes. Only one lawyer was picked from any firm. Previous profile subjects were not considered.
Following are the Legal Elite winners and selected profiles listed by category.
Alternative Dispute Resolution
- List
- Profile: Hon. Diane M. Strickland (retired)
Bankruptcy
- List
- Profile: Robert M. Marino
Business Law
- List
- Profile: Guy R. “Rusty” Friddell III
Civil Litigation
- List
- Profile: Hunter W. Sims Jr.
Construction
- List
- Profile: Williarm R. Mauck Jr.
Criminal Law
- List
- Profile: Paul G. Beers
Family/Domestic Relations
- List
- Profile: Terrence R. Batzli
Health Law
- List
- Profile: Stacy R. Purcell
Intellectual Property
- List
- Profile: Timothy M. Hsieh
Labor/Employment
- List
- Profile: Ronda Brown Esaw
Legal Services/Pro Bono
- List
- Profile: Michael S. Dingman
Legislative/Regulatory/Administrative
- List
- Profile: Thomas A. Lisk
Real Estate/Land Use
- List
- Profile: James W. Theobald
Taxes/Estates/Trusts/Elder Law
- List
- Profile: Nancy Newton “Newnie” Rogers
Young Lawyer (under 40)
- List
- Profile: Anne Graham Bibeau
This list gives readers a good idea of who they will be dealing with in the judicial system and what type of fees people will be charging for legal services in this tough economy.
--Personal Loans of USA
Mar. 30, 2010 at 09:16 PM
This list will be very helpful for all Virginians that will be suing their stock brokers and advisors!
--Health Insurance of Virginia
Apr. 18, 2010 at 12:05 AM
“Some, for example, are lowering salaries for new hires”
And it’s not only the new hires and graduates who are being bitten. Law firms and accounting firms are lowering the salaries they are giving to staff receiving promotions dramatically - in some cases promoting staff without any change in salary at all.
--can i make money online
May. 20, 2010 at 09:34 PM
With the winners being selected through a ballot by the Virginia Business community and the Virginia Bar Association, we get a clear picture of the top lawyers in their various categories! His time there was a broader base as they had given online facilities along with the mailing of the ballot papers! So now we know the best in their respective categories are!!
--ChaCha
Jul. 15, 2010 at 11:49 PM
Congratulations are definitely in order when you consider how many lawyers are competing for these honors and how difficult it is to rise to the top in any field. Some very hard working individuals here and worthy of respect.
--James
Oct. 6, 2010 at 09:20 AM