Columbia Lawyers

A shareholder at Vanderpool, Frostick & Nishanian, Kristina has been practicing law for over twenty-five years, and has a perceptive understanding of her client’s legal needs. Using her extensive experience and knowledge, Kristina provides innovative solutions that are specific to each of her clients. Her experience includes Employment Law, Civil Litigation, and Municipal Law.

Kristina is a highly ranked speaker and trainer on the topic of Employment Law issues. She has most recently played a large role in hosting one of the largest annual Employment Law Summits in Virginia for the past several years. Kristina uses her experience in leading organizations...

As a criminal defense attorney, John has fought aggressively for his clients’ rights in cases involving serious felonies, including murder, malicious wounding, drug possession/distribution, white-collar crimes, and sex crimes (e.g. rape, child pornography) as well as all types of misdemeanors, including DUI, assault and battery, and simple driving infractions, such as reckless driving. As a civil litigation lawyer, John has experience in both jury trials and bench trials, and has represented clients in cases worth millions of dollars. Early on in his career, he litigated patent infringement cases all over the country. Over the years, he has continued to excel in...

Former Law Enforcement Officer practicing Criminal Defense and Traffic cases. Experienced in matters ranging from minor misdemeanor cases to capital murder. Regularly handles drug, drug conspiracy, sex offenses, larceny, malicious wounding cases in the State and Federal Courts. Certified in defending Capital Cases in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Raymond & Raymond, PLLC is a debt relief agency in Williamsburg, Virginia. We are lawyers who help people file for bankruptcy relief under the Bankruptcy Code in Williamsburg, James City County, Gloucester, Mathews, and York, Virginia.

Kevin M. McGowan has been in practice since 1978. He received his J.D. in 1978 from the University of Virginia School of Law after graduating from Belmont Abbey College in 1975 (Magna Cum Laude). He is currently an Associate with Marks & Harrison, one of the largest personal injury firms in Virginia. He concentrates on workers’ compensation and personal injury.

Mr. Heelen attended the Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law while working full-time. He brings considerable professional experience as both a successful corporate manager and former state judicial officer to his practice, which he established in 2012. Mr. Heelen's practice includes the following areas: business formation; business law; corporate law; corporate governance; contracts; trademark registration; regulatory compliance; landlord tenant; wills; and general practice. "Responsiveness and open lines of communication with my clients are hallmarks of my practice, and, in my opinion, critical to the success of any attorney client relationship. My clients don't have to contact me for...

I have practiced law for 42 yrs. I am now partially retired and limit my practice to wills and trusts, elder law matters, estates, guardianships and conservatorships. Before entering law practice, I served as a Police Officer, Police Chief, Director of Criminal Justice Planning and as an adjunct college instructor, teaching classes in law, police science and criminology. I have been married to my high school sweetheart for 52 years and we have four children, Cecilie, Jocelyn, Andrew & Fredericka. My daughter, Cecilie Hamilton, has practiced law for 21 years and is located next door to my office in Colonial...

Darren Meyer is a Fredericksburg area Criminal Defense and Traffic Attorney. Mr. Meyer practices traffic and criminal law throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia including but not limited to Spotsylvania County, Fredericksburg, Stafford County, King George County, Caroline County. Mr. Meyer will aggressively defend your case and strives to obtain the best results for his clients in all criminal matters. Attorney-client communication is something we feel is an important aspect to defending a criminal case. Being charged with a crime can be a stressful time in someone's life. It is...

Junior Ndlovu has a passion for helping clients when they are most in need. After taking on a pro bono case to help a disadvantaged family, he decided to become a plaintiff’s trial attorney in personal injury. He establishes trust with his clients, building stronger relationships.

Advocacy competitions have given Junior an edge when it comes to the courtroom. He brings to the table a strong confidence that comes from debating law and winning oral advocacy competitions. He primarily works out of the Fredericksburg office.

In his free time, Junior loves to play chess, take long walks, and listen to audiobooks. He...

Philip Wilson “Wil” Van Winkle is an associate attorney for Allen & Allen in the Fredericksburg office specializing in car accident and personal injury cases. A fourth-generation Allen, Wil believes that personal injury is an area of the law where the lawyer can do a lot of good.

Wil received his B.A. in History and Political Science from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. There, he was a member of Pi Sigma Alpha National Political Science Honor Society, and made the Dean’s List from 2012 to 2014. Wil received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law in Charlottesville, Virginia,...

Chris DeSimone joined the GRDD Law team in 2007 and manages the firm’s corporate and transactional division. Chris serves as general corporate counsel to numerous small businesses in the Washington metropolitan area and beyond. Chris tackles a wide range of legal projects for his business clients, including:

Establishing new start-up companies and assisting with initial registrations.
Preparing operating/shareholder agreements carefully tailored to meet the needs of business owners.
Providing counsel on business sale transactions, including asset sales, stock sales, mergers, and other acquisitions.
Reviewing, revising, and negotiating commercial...

Ms. Jenkins has been practicing law in Virginia since 2008 when she was admitted to the Virginia State Bar. She is also admitted in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Virginia and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. She is experienced in various practice areas such as family law, construction law, landlord/tenant actions, estate administration, debt collection, and bankruptcy. She has appeared in Virginia juvenile and domestic relations district court, general district court, circuit court, and the Virginia Supreme Court.

Raymond & Raymond, PLLC is a debt relief agency in Williamsburg, Virginia. We are lawyers who help people file for bankruptcy relief under the Bankruptcy Code in Williamsburg, James City County, Gloucester, Mathews, and York, Virginia.

Sakeena Farhath is a Managing Attorney at DiPietro Law Group, PLLC. She is a passionate advocate for our clients, helping them work to achieve the best possible outcomes for their cases. Sakeena is experienced in handling high-conflict custody and visitation cases, as well as cases with complex financial issues. Prior to joining DiPietro Law Group, PLLC, Sakeena served as a judicial intern for the Honorable Thomas P. Mann in the Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court. She also worked at the Office of the County Attorney in Fairfax, assisting on child custody issues collaboratively with the Fairfax County Department...

Douglas J. Sanderson provides legal services in the multiple areas of commercial real estate, family law/domestic relations, and business organizations and transactions. In his family law/domestic relations practice, Doug counsels and represents people who seek legal assistance with, for example, separation agreements, divorces, and issues of child custody and visitation, equitable distribution, and support (spousal and child, as may apply), as well as, on a happier note, pre-nuptial agreements. Doug’s practice includes litigation as well as other methods of problem-solving, and he strives to assist clients in finding resolutions that avoid or minimize litigation, and to further that...

Lisa is a seasoned litigator with nearly a decade of experience advocating for clients in courts across Virginia.

Prior to joining BenGlassLaw, she spent nine years as a defense attorney at a major insurance company, where she litigated thousands of cases to completion. At BenGlassLaw, Lisa leverages her “insider” knowledge of how the insurance industry operates to benefit her clients. Lisa has a knack for connecting with her clients and their families on a personal level. Her client-first mentality plays a big factor in her ability to help her clients achieve the best possible results.

Lisa, a Pittsburgh native, attended Penn State...

Mr. Nye is Senior Associate at Raheen Family Law, P.C., practicing exclusively family law. Jordan is an experienced and trusted litigator and family law practitioner. Jordan assists clients in all areas of family law, ranging from litigating contentious divorces and custody disputes, drafting prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, negotiating settlement agreements, mediating separations, drafting uncontested divorces documents, handling child and spousal support issues, adoptions, and advising clients on property division. Jordan's years of experience, extensive legal knowledge, and intimate understanding of the local courts make him uniquely situated to advocate zealously for his clients. From the first meeting until a matter...

Joe DiPietro is the Founder of DiPietro Law Group, PLLC. He is experienced handling complex cases in state and federal courts involving international custody disputes under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction at the trial and appellate levels, international and domestic divorce, and complex cases involving spousal support, custody and visitation, child support, and enforcement of awards on behalf of clients. Joe’s philosophy and mission is to make family transitions and conflict a time for personal growth and powerful positive change, in addition to advocating for the best possible result for his client in...

I have spent my entire legal career representing criminal defendant, adults and juveniles, who have been charged with crimes ranging from speeding to assault and battery to rape, robbery and murder. I truly care about my clients and try to insure that they get the best outcome possible given their unique situation. I travel throughout the Northern Virginia area and have practiced in every court in this area.

I received my undergraduate degree in Economics from St. Lawrence University in New York and proceeded to get my Masters in Business Administration from James Madison University immediately...

Elizabeth has been litigating since law school, where she won her first trial as a student with the Georgetown University Juvenile Justice Clinic, defending juveniles in delinquency matters before the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Elizabeth has been a defender from the first day of law school, having worked at the Fairfax County and Alexandria City Public Defender offices, as well as interning with the Office of the Pardon Attorney for the United States Department of Justice. After graduation and passing the bar, she became an Assistant Public Defender for the City of Fredericksburg and the Counties of...

Dipo Akin-Deko is the Managing Director of Akin-Deko Professional Services Firm. Mr. Akin-Deko focus is on Business and Employment law, Public and Private Sector Contracts and Business Consulting. Specialties: Mr. Akin-Deko represents businesses as well as individuals in business formation, business and commercial litigation, negotiations, contract dispute and formation, liability assessments, not for profit representation, licensing and labor/employment defense. Mr. Akin-Deko has consulting experience includes corporate strategy, strategic planning, private and government contracting/sub contracting advising.

Daniel B. Krisky of The Law Office of Daniel B. Krisky, P.C. has over 40 years of experience in the field of law primarily focusing on the practice areas of Criminal and Family Law.

For more than 40 years, ShounBach has continued to establish itself as one of the best family law firms in Northern Virginia. The firm’s extensive team of Northern Virginia family law attorneys has more than 200 years of combined experience and handles all kinds of family law and divorce matters, from child custody to domestic violence. More information can be found on the firm’s extensive website.

Melanie Hubbard is a founding partner at Malinowski Hubbard and practices exclusively in family law. She has successfully litigated multiple cases involving child custody, property and asset division, grandparents’ rights, property settlement agreements, and more. An active member of the legal community, Attorney Hubbard helped author Chapter 3 – Support and Property Provisions in Separation and Support Agreements – of “Negotiating and Drafting Marital Agreements” handbook. She also contributed to the Virginia Family Law Coalition’s report to the Virginia Senate Rules Committee (October 2013) revolving matters of parental control and third party infringement. Her peers selected her for the 2016...

Estate Planning is a combination of your hopes, dreams, goals, fears, expectations, concerns, and thoughts for your loved ones and most importantly – for YOU. We provide a personalized plan that encompasses all that into comprehensive legal documents that spell out your wishes in a written legacy. Our world is quickly changing and we know you work hard caring for the people in your life. You may have experienced Dementia, Sickness, Special Needs or just plain Silliness in your loved ones and our documents provide solutions to prevent those experiences from pulling apart the Legacy you have built and want to...

Deborah N. Arthur has built a long-standing reputation in the Fairfax County, Virginia community for being an attorney with a drive for success. Earning her B.S. in Business Administration from George Mason University in 1977, she continued her education, earning her J.D. from George Mason University in 1982, after spending two years at the Department of Justice. Since then, she has assisted those in need of legal representation in matters concerning divorce, bankruptcy, personal injury, family law, and estate matters. So, what separates Mrs. Arthur from the crowd? She understands that bad things sometimes happen to good people. That's why she...

Shannon Johnson is the founding attorney of the Law Offices of SK Johnson. Shannon has focused her practice area related to all criminal matters and claims for disability.
After graduating summa cum laude from Utah State University she attended Pepperdine University after having been granted the Dean’s Scholarship. During the final year of her education, she relocated to Washington DC to work at Department of Justice in the Office of the Pardon Attorney. As the first full-time law clerk at the Agency, she processed a majority of the requests from federal inmates requesting an early commutation (colloquially a pardon) of their...

Joseph Yoon is your Strategic Defense Lawyer for any Traffic, DUI & Criminal case.

We also practice Personal Injury Law (Car Accidents) as well as Bankruptcy Law (Chapter 7 Debt Relief).

If you are involved in a car accident, we aggressively pursue the maximum recovery by trial if necessary to ensure you are compensated for your pain and suffering.

If you have accumulated debt and are unable to manage, we can help you get a fresh start by filing a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. You shouldn't have to continue suffering, let's wipe the slate clean and begin building.

If you were charged or arrested...

Kirk Rankin was born in Washington DC and graduated with Honors from The George Washington University Law School in 1993. He studied finance and economics at The American University where he graduated in 1987. Mr. Rankin founded the Law Offices of Kirk Rankin and Associates nearly 20 years ago after practicing law for 5 years with another attorney.

Mr. Rankin was admitted to the Bars of Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. He is also admitted to practice before the United States District Courts for Maryland, Virginia, as well as the USCIS and all Immigration Courts.

Together with...

In 2014 Mr. Merchant formed Merchant Law, PLLC and also began working on EB-1 Extraordinary Ability green card cases which he continues to successfully prepare today. Mr. Merchant also serves as an attorney consultant to various firms in Metropolitan Washington, D.C. and accross the country. Mr. Merchant is licensed to practice law in New York and is a member of the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) and the American Bar Association (ABA). Practice focused on Immigration Law (Employment & Investment Based, Detained, & Asylum/Refugee) Frequent court appearances before the Department of Justice - Executive Office for Immigration...