Clifton Lawyers

U Mass Amherst - University of Massachusetts at Amherst - Political Science - Undergraduate Degree

Real Estate Broker License - Commonwealth of Virginia

Juris Doctorate Degree - Law Degree - Liberty University School of Law - Lynchburg, Virginia

Virginia State Bar - Commonwealth of Virginia

Hi, I'm Matthew.



I approach the practice of law with a focus on helping my clients understand an often complicated legal system. Working collaboratively allows me to anticipate my clients' needs, while also aiding my clients by providing them an informed view of all the potential dangers and rewards of each unique case. My primary practice areas are Divorce, Child Custody, Trusts & Wills and Bankruptcy. However, I also provide legal support for small businesses looking to incorporate, resolve disputes with employees or review potential contracts and business transactions.

I was born in Britain and moved to Canada as a young child. During my teenage years, I traveled between England, Portugal, and Spain while completing my secondary school education. I earned a Bachelor of Arts with a major in French and a minor in Spanish from the University of Calgary, followed by a Bachelor of Laws from the same university in 1989. Later, I pursued an American Master of Laws with a focus in litigation from the George Washington University School of Law, receiving my degree in 2003. I became an American citizen in 2006. In 1991, I established my...

Eleven years’ legal experience in business law, corporate formation, compliance, complex consumer litigation, regulatory, contracts and bankruptcy law. Local experience in family law; advocate for domestic violence survivors. Four years in Am Law (top 100 American law firms) located in DC, with business, bankruptcy and commercial litigation focus. Experience in automotive and construction fraud litigation. Fifteen years’ corporate experience, gained as business owner, award-winning author and airplane owner. Advanced knowledge of and experience working with UDAAP, Bankruptcy rules...

Our office is a litigation and trial law firm serving Clarke County and the surrounding areas of the Shenandoah Valley. Our diverse experience in criminal, business, and other civil litigation matters positions us to deliver high-quality representations, and compassionate legal services to our clients. We also offer estate planning and business advisory & transactional services to residents and business located within Berryville or Clarke County.

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Timothy R. Johnson is the owner-attorney managing and providing legal services through The Law Offices of Timothy R. Johnson, PLC.

Mr. Johnson was born and raised in New Jersey, but fell in love with Virginia when he...

THOMAS SOLDAN is a personal injury and criminal defense attorney practicing in Virginia. Thomas has spent his entire career fighting for the rights of those injured due to the negligence of another and those facing serious consequences as a result of criminal charges.

CRIMINAL DEFENSE: Thomas also regularly represents those charged with serious criminal offenses. Mr. Soldan has handled a wide variety of criminal cases including, DUI offenses and Reckless Driving, drug charges, assault charges, larceny offenses, as well as domestic violence and sex offense charges.

PERSONAL INJURY: Common types of personal injury he regularly handles include car...

Ben Carafiol dedicates his practice to making a difference in someone's life. He has represented clients throughout Northern Virginia for the past twelve years. Former clients and other attorneys alike remark on his steady counsel and expansive knowledge. Ben has litigated, mediated, or settled every type of family law matter in Virginia. Those efforts have earned him a Superb rating from Avvo and a perfect 10.0 from Justia. He is also recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star, and has been every year since 2016.

Born in St. Louis, Ben attended The College of William & Mary, where he graduated...

Danielle joined Allen, Allen, Allen & Allen in 2015. She practices out of Allen & Allen's Fredericksburg office, and she focuses on personal injury cases, including accidents involving cars, trucks or motorcycles. Danielle has a rich theater background, and she brings this confidence and poise to her role as an advocate for her clients. She has also been a victim of a motor vehicle accident herself. This experience provides her with a high level of empathy for her clients, and a passion to bring about a successful outcome for them, including the compensation they deserve.

A native of New Jersey, Danielle...

John is listed in "Who's Who in America", and is a regular guest commentator in print, tv , and radio on law and politics including MSNBC, CNN, & FOX.

John is a former federal prosecutor from the Southern District of NY who handled widely publicized criminal investigations and prosecutions that ran the gamut from securities fraud to a mob prison break, the bribery of Congressman Dan Flood by a rabbi, the federally funded summer feeding scandal in the South Bronx, and heroin-trafficking by major organized crime figures including "Matty" Madonna.

In private practice at the mid-town Manhattan law firm of Poletti Friedin...

If you are struggling with debt, you've come to the right place.

• Highest ratings.
• 26+ years of bankruptcy law experience.
• Affordable.

When it comes to your finances, you need a lawyer you can trust.
Ratings and experience matter.

We listen. Bankruptcy is not a "one-size-fits-all" thing.
We tailor our advice to what is best for YOU.
And we show you exactly how to get out of debt.

Marshall Slayton, Owner of Slayton Law:
• Is rated 10 out of 10 on Justia.
• Is rated 10 out of 10 on Avvo.
• Has a Preeminent Award on Martindale-Hubbell....

Lindsay Connolly is a lead senior associate attorney at Livesay & Myers, P.C., practicing exclusively family law. She is experienced in handling every type of family law matter in Virginia, including separation, divorce, custody and support cases. Ms. Connolly works in the firm’s Fredericksburg office, and represents clients in Stafford, Spotsylvania, Fredericksburg and surrounding areas. Originally from Milford, Massachusetts, Ms. Connolly graduated magna cum laude from Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island. She then earned her law degree from David A. Clarke Law School in Washington, D.C., graduating summa cum laude and the top female in her class. Ms. Connolly was...

J. Douglas McCarthy is a founding partner of McCarthy & Akers, PLC. His practice focuses on transactional law dealing with Estate Planning, Real Estate and Corporate matters. Prior to founding McCarthy & Akers, PLC, Mr. McCarthy was a partner in the Winchester, Virginia law firm of Groves and McCarthy.

Mr. McCarthy received his J.D. from the Keller School of Law at The University of Dayton, in Dayton, Ohio, where he earned honors in the fields of Taxation, Wills and Trusts. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, where he majored in Political Science.

Edward is an accomplished litigator and talented personal injury attorney who has tried and won cases in both state and federal courts. He wants clients to be treated fairly in the legal system, so he strives to serve as a compassionate advocate on their behalf. Edward currently serves as the President of the Allen Law Firm.

Edward helped spearhead the firm’s expansion to Northern Virginia and has been the managing partner of the Fredericksburg office since it opened in 1994. He joined Allen & Allen in 1987 after graduating from Washington and Lee University School of Law. He is proud to...

Accomplished and result-focused with 24 years of experience in Family Law, Bankruptcy and Administrative Law specializing in Security Clearance Defense and Medical License Defense.

John graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in English before attending law school at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. John was still a student when he tried his first case as a member of the Criminal Defense Clinic. He also attempted to free the wrongly convicted, working with the Innocence Project. John gained invaluable experience as a research assistant for a member of the law school's faculty and as an intern for the North Carolina's Office of the Attorney General. John has always practiced criminal defense. He began his...

Christopher J. Toepp dedicates his practice of to helping clients and making his community a safer place. Although still early in his career, he has earned a reputation as an exceptional litigator in the courtroom. His expansive trial experience includes hundreds of bench and jury trials. This background gives Chris an understanding of jurors' expectations when they evaluate a case. He knows how to present evidence so that the jury comprehends his client's hardships and the impact their injuries have had on their lives.

Chris works on a wide range of personal injury cases including car crashes, truck accidents and motorcycle...

Sarah Patras is a lead senior associate attorney at Livesay & Myers, P.C. She practices exclusively family law, representing clients in separation, divorce, custody, visitation and support cases, including a large number of contested cases. Ms. Patras works in the firm’s Fredericksburg-Stafford office, and represents clients in Stafford, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania and surrounding areas. Born in Nebraska, Ms. Patras grew up in Iowa and earned double B.A. degrees from Iowa State University. She then relocated to Virginia, and graduated from the University of Richmond School of Law in 2016. After law school, Ms. Patras clerked for one year for a Virginia Circuit Court...

Amy Harber has a wealth of experience in both criminal and civil litigation and advocates smartly and effectively for her clients in personal injury, criminal and traffic, and civil matters. Amy served as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney in the City of Hampton from 2008-2012 and Loudoun County from 2012-2020. In that time, she prosecuted cases ranging in severity from traffic tickets to murder and everything in between. In 2020, Amy joined Allstate Insurance Company’s Fairfax, Virginia legal office as a Senior Attorney and handled litigation involving bodily injury, property damage suits, automobile diminished value claims, wrongful death and infant settlements,...

John Whitbeck is the founder and partner of WhitbeckBennett. His practice focuses on family law, more specifically divorce, child custody, child and spousal support, domestic violence and protective orders, adoption, special education law, and mental health law.

He is a professor of law at George Mason University Law School, and the former Director of the George Mason University Law and Mental Illness Clinic.

John uses his expert knowledge of the law to advocate for his clients and their families.

David is an experienced and compassionate personal injury attorney who manages the Stafford, Virginia office of Allen & Allen. His legal career has focused almost exclusively on personal injury law, including car accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, and slip and fall cases. He dedicates himself to shielding injured people from unfair and unsympathetic treatment from insurance companies.

David has an “AV Preeminent” rating (the highest available) from the Martindale-Hubbell attorney listing service. He has litigated a broad range of matters in various areas of personal injury law in both state and federal court, and he has even successfully argued cases before...

Ariel Baniowski is a managing partner at Livesay & Myers, P.C., practicing exclusively family law. She is experienced in handling every type of family law matter in Virginia, including separation, divorce, custody and support cases. Ms. Baniowski works in the firm’s Ashburn office, and represents clients in Leesburg, Ashburn, Loudoun County, and all across Northern Virginia. Ms. Baniowski is known as one of the more aggressive attorneys at Livesay & Myers, P.C., and has litigated every type of family law matter in Virginia, including custody, support, separation and high asset divorce cases. Ms. Baniowski’s work ethic and drive are unmatched. To say...

Amanda Stone Swart is a lead senior associate attorney at Livesay & Myers, P.C., practicing exclusively family law. She is experienced in handling every type of family law matter in Virginia, including separation, divorce, custody and support cases. Ms. Stone Swart works in the firm’s Ashburn office, and represents clients in Leesburg, Ashburn, Loudoun County, and all across Northern Virginia. Ms. Stone Swart is originally from Boone, Iowa. She graduated summa cum laude from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska in 2004, with Bachelor’s of Arts degrees in both Political Science and Journalism. Upon graduation, Ms. Stone Swart worked in politics in...

In addition to representing clients in education, family law and guardianship and conservatorship matters, Joan is certified as a Guardian ad litem to represent incapacitated adults in guardianship, conservatorship, and family law matters. She is also certified as a Guardian ad litem for children.

I am an experienced litigator whose practice is dedicated to standing up for the rights of clients who have been seriously injured through no fault of their own. I practice out of the Allen Law Firm's Fredericksburg office in the areas of personal injury litigation, including automobile and trucking accident litigation, product liability, and premises liability in both state and federal courts. Prior to joining Allen & Allen, I practiced law with a Richmond insurance defense firm where I gained valuable knowledge of how insurance companies and their attorneys evaluate claims and handle cases. I use this understanding combined with...

Ellie Pittman is an attorney at Livesay & Myers, P.C., practicing exclusively family law. Her practice covers every type of family law matter in Virginia, including separation, divorce, custody, visitation and support cases. Ms. Pittman works in the firm’s Fredericksburg-Stafford office, and represents clients in Stafford, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania and surrounding areas. Ms. Pittman graduated cum laude from the University of Richmond School of Law in 2021, after graduating cum laude from the University of Delaware in 2018.

I have been representing workers injured in Virginia for over thirty years. With a statewide practice, I have represented firefighters in Fairfax, policemen and policewomen in Alexandria, poultry workers in Harrisonburg, auto workers in Dublin, factory workers in Winchester, store workers in Richmond, oyster shuckers in Tappahannock, and construction workers in Loudoun, to name a few. I have always worked hard for working people. (And its "Sweeny," not "Sweeney.")

I am a partner at Dunlap Bennett & Ludwig PLLC. My practice focuses primarily on civil litigation in the areas of patent, trademark, copyright, internet / domain names, commercial transactions, government contracts, community associations, and bankruptcy law / creditor's rights, as well as trademark and copyright prosecution. I have represented local and national clients in federal and state court litigation matters, as well as in bankruptcy proceedings. I have represented manufacturing companies in complex patent infringement matters, technology companies in trademark infringement matters, and copyright holders in infringement actions against the likes of Disney and ABC. In 2012, I made...

Alex Butterman’s practice covers all facets of trademark prosecution and practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and virtually every trademark office around the world with the help of an extensive network of foreign associates. Alex has also been counseling a diverse group of foreign and domestic businesses in a variety of industries and commercial sectors since 1995 at all stages of development – assessing and searching the availability of marks; establishing, enforcing, and maintaining trademark and service mark rights; resolving intellectual property disputes; handling internet domain name IP issues, anti-counterfeiting matters, copyright prosecution, IP licensing and transactional...

A-V Rated Martindale Hubbell
Super Lawyer Rated
Boyd-Graves Conference Member (invitation only)
President Virginia State Bar Litigation Section
Board Member Virginia State Bar Standing Committee on Legal Ethics
Board Member Virginia Trial Lawyers Association
Member American Association for Justice
Past President, Young Trial Lawyers Association, Virginia Trial Lawyers Association
Past Board Member, Virginia State Bar Young Lawyer Conference
Owner, Veldhuis Law Group
Former Adjunct Professor and Lecturer (13 years), University of Virginia School of Law (Mental Health Law Clinic).
Former Board Member, Brain Injury Association of Virginia
Former Board Member, Sexual Assault Resource Agency