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McLean-based Appian wins $2B verdict in trade secrets lawsuit
Defendant Pegasystems says it will appeal
Appian Corp., a cloud computing firm based in McLean, won $2.03 billion — an amount estimated to be the largest award in Virginia state court history — in a trade secrets verdict against a competitor Monday in Fairfax County Circuit Court. Appian sued Massachusetts-based Pegasystems Inc. and an individual, Youyong Zou, in May 2020, alleging
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Legal review
Attorneys in power positions amid talent shortage
Published
In law firms across Virginia, power is now definitely on the side of individual attorneys, who can command larger salaries and other perks so long as they’re willing to cope with heavier workloads. As demand for legal services has soared, the number of lawyers available to perform that work has slumped, leaving even the most
Maritime law firms
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Judge dismisses Trigiani lawsuit against New Peoples Bank
Russell County-based bank wins summary judgment
Published
A federal judge issued a summary judgment last week, dismissing all claims in former executive Mary Y. Trigiani’s lawsuit against Russell County-based New Peoples Bank for discrimination and wrongful termination. Trigiani’s complaints of a “cultlike office culture” did not hold up to judicial scrutiny, U.S. District Judge James P. Jones ruled. A Big Stone Gap
Woods Rogers, Vandeventer Black law firms to merge July 1
Combined firm will be state's fifth-largest
Published
Woods Rogers PLC and Vandeventer Black LLP announced Wednesday that the two law firms have agreed to merge as Woods Rogers Vandeventer Black, creating the state’s fifth-largest firm, with more than 130 attorneys and a total workforce of 250 people. The merger will go into effect July 1. Daniel Summerlin, president of Roanoke-based Woods Rogers,
Sentara Healthcare names new general counsel
Earl Barnes was chief legal officer for Amita Health
Published
Earl Barnes will join Sentara Healthcare as its general counsel on June 2, the Norfolk-based health system announced Tuesday. Barnes previously was executive vice president and chief legal officer for Chicago-based Amita Health. In that role, he managed the legal, compliance, audit and risk departments, leading a 60-person team and managing a $10 million annual
Hunton Andrews Kurth promotes execs
Law firm names new executive chairman, general counsel
Published
Virginia’s second-largest law firm, Richmond-based Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, has named a new executive committee chair, the firm announced Monday. Randall S. Parks will succeed George C. Howell III as the chair of the firm’s executive committee. Parks joined the firm (then Hunton & Williams LLP) in 1988. Howell served as chair for five years,
The big crunch
Uptick in demand stretches law firms
Published
Although the “Great Resignation” is hitting other industries harder, Virginia law firms are experiencing a tight labor market while also seeing increased demand for services. Alison McKee, a past president of the Virginia Bar Association and an attorney at Kaufman & Canoles PC in Virginia Beach, notes that “2021 was the busiest year in a
Va. Bar Association elects first Black president
Victor O. Cardwell to serve as 134th president
Published
The Virginia Bar Association elected Victor O. Cardwell as its first Black president, the organization announced Monday. Cardwell is a Roanoke-based partner and board chairman of Woods Rogers PLC. He has served as a delegate in the American Bar Association, representing Virginia, and was appointed to Virginia’s Human Rights Council. “I am proud to be
Richard Cullen to become Youngkin’s counselor
Former McGuireWoods chairman to leave firm on Jan. 14
Published
Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin has selected former Virginia Attorney General Richard Cullen as counselor to the governor. A senior partner and former chairman of McGuireWoods, Cullen will leave Virginia’s largest firm on Jan. 14, the day before Youngkin is sworn in. Cullen joined McGuireWoods in 1977. From 1991 to 1994, he served as U.S. attorney for