Diggs Lawyers

Traffic and Criminal Defense. If you have a date to appear before a judge in southeastern Virginia, get help before you go! The Commonwealth is represented by an attorney, and you should be, too. David C. Johnson honorably retired as a lieutenant colonel from the U.S. Marine Corps after 25 years of service, and takes special pride in caring for clients presently serving on active duty.

Virginia Beach Law Group: Practicing law with passion for our profession and compassion for our clients. We offer representation in the general practice of law. If you...

Caryn was born and raised outside Buffalo, New York. Caryn’s first love and passion is reading and writing, which naturally led to a career in law. She attended the State University of New York at Geneseo, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree with Honors in Philosophy and English. From Geneseo, she moved South for warmer weather and attended Washington and Lee School of Law in Lexington, Virginia, graduating cum laude in 2002. During law school, Caryn was a member of the Editorial Board of the Washington and Lee Law Review.

Having visited her aunt...

Jason was raised in the Great Bridge area of Chesapeake and attended Great Bridge High School. After graduation he went to Old Dominion University, getting a bachelor’s degree in English Literature. Following college, in 1994 Jason began working as a Deputy at the Chesapeake Sheriff’s Office. In 1997 he decided to attend law school and graduated in 2000 from The University of South Dakota Law School. Returning home, Jason’s first job in the legal field was for the Virginia Legal Aid Society in Suffolk, where his practice focused on landlord/ tenant issues and disability claims. He went on to the Chesapeake...

Ed has practiced law since 2004, when he graduated from the University of Richmond School of Law. Ed spent the early part of his career practicing criminal law, including service as a Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney in Virginia Beach, where he handled serious criminal prosecutions, including homicide. After leaving prosecution, Ed began practicing plaintiff’s personal injury and medical malpractice law. He believes that, while it is impossible to alter what happened to cause an injury, it is possible to improve a client’s life by obtaining the maximum settlement or verdict. Ed now dedicates his practice exclusively...

Brandon Zeigler is one of the top-rated Family Law and Small Business attorneys in Virginia Beach, VA. Brandon is focused on providing exceptional, quality legal representation to individuals, families and businesses. The backbone of the American economy is small business. As a principal at Parks Zeigler, PLLC, he is extremely passionate about this area of law. As the owner of three small businesses, he knows first-hand the issues that need to be addressed in forming and running a company. He enjoys working with small business owners to ensure they have the correct documents, contracts, leases,...

Lindsay M. Barton is an associate focusing her practice and providing client guidance in Real Estate, Estate Planning, Civil Litigation, and miscellaneous legal matters.

Lindsay graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. While at Berkeley, Lindsay was a member of Alpha Phi Sorority and had the fortunate experience of working and studying in Spain where she gained command of the Spanish language and exposure to its cultural, political, and legal systems.

Lindsay received her Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles. During her tenure at Loyola, Lindsay was distinguished as a top oralist and...

I represent individuals with child custody, visitation, divorce, and other family law matters. My firm handles cases from uncontested divorces to highly litigated custody battles. We fight for a fair and just outcome and offer personalized service throughout your case.

Taite has devoted his entire legal career to the practice of criminal defense. Prior to co-founding Westendorf & Khalaf, Taite worked as a supervising attorney in the largest Public Defender's office in the state (Virginia Beach). His career has been defined by taking on a variety of tough high stakes cases. In a state where a fraction of felony cases go to trial (and less than 1% go to jury trial), Taite has taken over one hundred felony cases to trial and has won not guilty verdicts following jury trials for murder, rape, robbery, abduction, use of a...

Prior to practicing law, I spent a considerable amount of time oversea in my former career as a CIA Operations Officer. After law school I practiced bankruptcy law in the Central District of California, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside Divisions. In 2003, I returned to my native state of Virginia and established the Merna Law Group. Since the founding of the firm we have won over 35 awards for customer service, good work, and other accolades. Over my more than 25 years of bankruptcy practice, myself and my attorneys have filed over 10,000 successful cases. PHONE CONSULT AVAILABLE. We...

I went to law school because I wanted the opportunity to both help people and to work for myself. After graduating from the College of William and Mary School of Law in 1992, much of my practice was focused on personal injury litigation; however, I noticed I derived the greatest satisfaction from helping my Social Security disability clients through the frustrating and confusing Social Security disability application and appeals process. At the conclusion of a case, my clients would come in person to hug me, to thank me, and to tell me about the difference I had made...

I’ve been helping others find a fresh start through bankruptcy and divorce for almost 20 years. When I was in law school I just happened to be working for a bankruptcy attorney. One of my first cases was a couple whose daughter suffered from a brain tumor, and after a multitude of surgeries and treatments, the family was left with bills in excess of $200,000 after insurance. They had no choice but to file bankruptcy and get some reprieve from the overwhelming amount of bills necessary to save their daughter. Soon after, I met...

I made a choice years ago to use my talents to help other people through the practice of family law. I practice family law because it is an area of law where we need ethical and responsible attorneys to guide people through the legal side of what is a very emotionally driven time in their lives. As a founding member of Phillips & Peters, PLLC, I helped create the firm’s goal of helping families move forward through a time that most people churn in place. I want to help you accomplish your goals.

Hugo’s passion for immigration law stems from his own family’s immigration experience. His father and mother came to the United States from Peru fleeing political persecution, and as he grew up, Hugo spent many summers in Peru. Hugo uses his experience growing up in an immigrant family and time abroad to understand the conditions where his clients or their employees may have come from and the challenges they face when they come to the United States. He uses this understanding to provide better service to his clients.

He has served the immigrant community through the practice of law since 2005. He...

At 7 Cities Law I specialize in Criminal Defense and Juvenile Law. I started my legal career eight years ago as a prosecutor in Virginia Beach where I tried hundreds of criminal cases. My experience extends from the most serious of violent felonies like Murder or Sexual Assault to misdemeanors such as Traffic Offenses, Domestic Violence and School Disciplinary Hearings. I was recently selected by the National Trial Lawyers as one of their Top 40 Under 40. I pride myself on being prepared and working with my clients as a team to get the best result in our...

John Baker joined Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers in early 2018. He was born and raised in Norfolk and graduated from Norfolk Collegiate School. After high school, John attended Hampden-Sydney College, where he was a Venable Scholar and graduated cum laude in 2006. John represented his class in the Student Senate each year at Hampden-Sydney, and he served as its chairman during his senior year. John also received the James Madison Public Service Certificate and was a member of the Society of 1791, Hampden-Sydney’s leadership organization. John attended the University of Mississippi School of Law, where he was a member of Phi Delta...

Chris is an attorney in the Virginia Beach office where he meets with individuals and couples in need of financial help. He is known by his clients as a “friendly and compassionate” attorney who brings comfort and help to those going through difficult times. Since joining Boleman Law in 2015, he has helped thousands of people struggling with overwhelming financial problems. His reputation with his clients has earned him the AVVO Client’s Choice Award in Bankruptcy, and the Martindale-Hubbell Client Champion Platinum award. Chris’s reputation amongst fellow attorneys and judges has earned him a Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Rating, to be...

Shannon Laymon-Pecoraro is a Certified Elder Law Attorney of Parks Zeigler, PLLC practicing in the areas of elder law, special needs planning, estate and trust administration, estate planning, asset protection planning, financial planning, guardianships and conservatorships. Prior to joining the firm Ms. Laymon-Pecoraro spent 10 years at Hook Law Center, P.C. Ms. Laymon Pecoraro has a passion for special needs planning, which has resulted in her becoming a go-to for personal injury attorneys who need assistance navigating public benefits or otherwise protecting a client’s funds. As a result, Ms. Laymon-Pecoraro has worked on hundreds of personal injury cases, developing settlement trusts,...

James Garret is the founding member of Garrett Law Group, PLC in Virginia Beach. The firm focuses on criminal defense, including all traffic matters, and divorce and child custody cases.

Mr. Garrett has been in private practice since graduating from the Boyd School of Law at UNLV in 2005.

James H. ("Jamie") Shoemaker, Jr. became an associate in the law firm of Patten, Wornom, Hatten & Diamonstein ("PWHD") in 1993 after spending two years with a large firm based in Norfolk, Virginia. He became a partner in PWHD in 1996. His practice includes all areas of employment law, False Claims Act (whistleblower) and Fair Labor Standards Act (overtime) litigation matters. He has tried over seventy cases to verdict in state and federal courts of record, before arbitration panels, Administrative Law Judges and other forums. He has successfully resolved several times this number through settlement and mediation. Jamie has...

While Shelly has had great success with her own law firm, the opportunity to become the Manager Partner of a Chesapeake office for Parks Zeigler was enticing. The merging of the two firms allows Shelly to offer a wide variety of services to her clients while maintaining her Chesapeake roots. She is looking forward to many more years of successful practice with Parks Zeigler.

Shelly attended Regent University School of Law and graduated in 2001. In law school, she competed on the mock trial team and served as an officer for the American Bar Association. In her third year, Shelly...

MONTE KULIGOWSKI IS A VIRGINIA ATTORNEY who concentrates in DUI / DWI, reckless driving, felonies, misdemeanors and serious personal injury cases. He has handled speeding tickets to murder cases. Monte has been defending clients throughout Virginia since 1997. He has won cases at every judicial level of the Commonwealth, including the Virginia Supreme Court (See, White v. Commonwealth, 267 Va. 96 (2004)). Attorney Kuligowski is also admitted to practice in federal District Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit and the United States Supreme Court. He has won cases in both state and federal court. Over the years, he has...

High-quality representation and client satisfaction with over 31 years of experience.

Better Business Bureau member with an A+ rating.

Michelle Mordue Helms is a distinguished DUI/DWI, Criminal Defense, Personal Injury and Family Law attorney who routinely handles cases throughout Hampton Roads and the surrounding areas.

Her dedication to her clients, extensive knowledge of the law and her understanding of the applications of the law are what sets her apart from other lawyers.

Michelle Mordue Helms began as a Paralegal 31 years ago and is a graduate of Syracuse Law School. She was admitted to practice law in New York...

MARY G. COMMANDER has been engaged in the practice of law in Norfolk, Virginia and surrounding areas since 1981. She is well-known and respected in the Hampton Roads area for her proficiency in all matters of Family Law and her diligent and no-nonsense approach in court. Ms. Commander is a certified Norfolk Master Gardener Volunteer and actively involved in the rescue of former racing greyhounds (with two of her own at home).

Mary Commander’s Education & Experience:

She is a magna cum laude graduate of Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, where she served for three years as an elected member of...

Randy practiced personal injury law for nearly 30 years and represented thousands of clients who were badly hurt in various types of accidents. Randy is now a retired partner of the firm.

Husband, father, and Christian. My firm handles estate planning and elder law throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Brian Boys brings his professionalism and significant legal skills to his clients and our community. Brian’s primary practice areas include Elder Law, Estate Planning, Estate and Trust Administration, Guardianships and Conservatorships, Special Needs Planning, and Personal Injury Settlement Consulting and Litigation in support of each of these areas. Brian is also qualified to serve as a guardian ad litem for incapacitated adults.

John is passionate about entrepreneurship and business development. Like many entrepreneurs, he has launched both successful and failed businesses. A true believer in “failing forward”, John looks for new opportunities in every situation. This mentality allows him to connect with entrepreneurs and business owners in a meaningful way to help them navigate difficulties and grow their success. “I find joy in helping business owners make better decisions to build on their success and protect their business.” Outside of his practice of law, John serves as Chairman of the Board for Roc Solid Foundation, a local non-profit that builds hope for...

For 17 consecutive years during 2007-2023, Mr. Waterman has been honored by his legal colleagues in The Best Lawyers of America for 2 separate categories - "Personal Injury" and "Medical Malpractice" - for Southeast Virginia. Indeed, he has been voted its "Lawyer of the Year" for 6 of the last 10 years and for 3 of the past 4 years. For 2021, 2022, and 2023, Waterman Law Centers received the coveted "Metropolitan Tier 1" Best Law Firms ranking by U.S. News & World Report. It has 3 Peninsula law offices: Williamsburg, Newport News, and Hampton. Also, for 16 consecutive years during...

Jerrell R. Johnson is a Virginia Beach criminal defense attorney who formerly served as a police officer for more than 15 years. He brings invaluable insight into how law enforcement and prosecutors build a case against his clients, and he can proactively prepare the strongest possible defense. Included in The National Trial Lawyers: Top 100, he is well-respected in the community for his skilled service and proven results in criminal and juvenile defense. Known for compassionate guidance, he was also voted the winner of the 2015 Avvo Clients’ Choice Award in Criminal Defense. Call today to learn more!

Mr. Hoen resides in Hampton and has been practicing since 1989 throughout the state and federal courts of Virginia. His practice focuses on representing injury victims. He has recovered millions for his clients and is actively involved in his church and community. His fee is never more than his client receives as a net recovery after all of their bills and liens are paid.

Brook M. Thibault is a Virginia Beach trial lawyer, former Associate Counsel for CMA CGM (America) LLC the world's third largest container ship company, and Public Defender. As Associate Counsel for CMA CGM, Brook shared in the corporate legal responsibilities associated with the company as subsidiary and agent for CMA CGM S.A. a French Domestic Society Anonym; including complex commercial real estate transactions, transportation and maritime law, and international asset search and collection. As Assistant Public Defender, Brook has represented hundreds of accused individuals in matters ranging from minor traffic infractions to serious violent crimes. Brook is a...

Tatiana Mendez is an attorney in Virginia whose practice focuses primarily on immigration, family, criminal, and traffic cases. Mendez began her legal career as an intern for the Federal Public Defender's Office in Norfolk where she assisted in the defense of a variety of clients and conducted interviews in Spanish. Since then she has practiced law all over Hampton Roads and gained experience in a wide variety of cases. In addition to her legal experience, Ms. Mendez is fluent in Spanish and earned a top score on the International Fluency Exam for Spanish Translators.

Melone Hatley, PC attorney Charles D. Hatley has made a career of practicing family law because of the opportunity it gives him to help families through such a critical juncture. “I am passionate about helping individuals through trying times and protecting their rights so they can concentrate on their personal lives,” Mr. Hatley said. The divorce process can be highly confusing for many people. Getting bogged down in all the legal jargon and procedures can be incredibly frustrating when so much is at stake. Mr. Hatley walks through each step of the process to make sure his clients...

Avery Adcock has dedicated her career to representing victims of abuse and neglect in nursing homes, hospitals and assisted living facilities across the country. Ms. Adcock also handles cases involving catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death.

Before joining Senior Justice Law Firm, Ms. Adcock was a trial attorney in the nursing home litigation department of a prominent plaintiff’s personal injury law firm, litigating cases against nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington D.C.

Avery currently serves on the board of the DC Trial Lawyers Association and Virginia Trial Lawyers Association. Avery is also involved in the Maryland Association...

With more than a quarter century of experience as a trial attorney, David Allmond has broad legal skills. He helps his Virginia clients with personal injury cases, such as auto accidents, medical malpractice, slip-and-fall injuries and dog bites. He defends clients charged with criminal offenses ranging from misdemeanors to DUI, drug, rape and murder charges. David also handles some family law, trusts and estates, medical license suspension, and guardian cases.

Skilled trial attorney. David bases his practice on hard work (often on nights and weekends), respect for his clients and their pocketbooks, and always putting the best interests of his clients...

Wake Buxton is Managing Partner at TrustBuilders Law Group and President of TrustBuilders Fiduciary Group. He specializes in elder law, asset protection, and advanced wealth transfer as well as charitable giving and business succession planning. Mr. Buxton is an Accredited Estate Planner® and member of the Virginia, West Virginia, and Minnesota Bars as well as the United States Tax Court. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech, law degree from Regent University, and Master of Laws in Estate Planning from the University of Miami. He has also completed his graduate work in Financial Planning at Georgetown University and holds an...

After completing law school at the University of Virgina and then a one year appointment as a law clerk in the United States Federal Court, I began practicing with a large law firm in Norfolk, Virginia. I was fortunate to train under several extremely talented trial lawyers. Hard work, persistence and being prepared for anything were the core values of our practice, and I have practiced with these same qualities since founding Pierce Thornton with my partner in 1997.

I represent individuals and families in cases ranging from medical negligence injuries or wrongful death to traumatic brain injury caused by a...

Attorney with nearly 20 years of experience in military, family, criminal and divorce issues.

LeeAnne was born and raised in Williamsburg, Virginia. She attended Virginia Tech, graduating summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and a minor in Psychology. LeeAnne is also a member of Phi Beta Kappa honor society. After undergrad, LeeAnne returned to her hometown to attend William & Mary Law School. During law school, she was an Articles Editor for the Business Law Review and a member of the Moot Court team. LeeAnne began her legal career as a Judicial Law Clerk for the Honorable T.J. Hauler, Chief Judge of the Chesterfield Circuit Court. Following her clerkship, she...

Chris is a seasoned business attorney and litigator with experience helping businesses in both private practice and as a Corporate Counsel to a large franchisor with over 4,000 franchisees internationally.
Chris has handled commercial disputes for clients in state and federal courts around the country in matters ranging from basic contract disputes to multi-million dollar “bet the company” lawsuits. Prior to becoming an attorney, he was the C.I.O. for an Internet Service Provider in Buffalo, NY.
Chris teaches as a adjunct professor at Regent University.
Chris was named a 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 ‘Rising Star’ by Super Lawyers magazine, a distinction received...