James City County Lawyers

I am a former prosecutor who is a seasoned trial lawyer focused on achieving outstanding results for my clients. I am a born fighter and a high-profile problem solver. My firm handles personal injury and civil litigation, state and federal criminal law cases, divorce and custody, and education and Title IX law. Our firm stands out among the rest because of our experience in courtroom litigation. We fight for our clients!

Robert Weed is one of Northern Virginia’s most experienced, and top rated bankruptcy attorneys. He has offices in Annandale, Stafford, Sterling-Herndon and Woodbridge. Nationally Known During the debate in Congress on the 2005 bankruptcy reform, Robert Weed was interviewed on local and national TV and quoted in newspapers across the country. His top rated bankruptcy layer blog on is seen by hundreds of people around the country! Bankruptcy Lawyer: Nationally Recognized In May 2019, the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys presented Robert Weed with the Hammes-Schulman Award. Previously, Robert Weed was named Bankruptcy Lawyer of the Month by the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys...

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...

Attorney Shemeka Hankins is an experienced prior prosectuor with years of criminal litigation experience. A seasoned trial attorney, she is well-versed in a number of criminal areas such as drugs/narcotics/marijuana, driving under the influence (DUI/DWI), theft crimes, and juvenile justice. She also has experience with mental health programs, license restoration, restoration of gun rights, and expungements.

Shemeka Hankins is a committed servant of the community and puts the rights of clients at the forefront of the defense. She is dedicated to helping her clients protect their freedoms and defend their rights in legal situations. Attorney Shemeka Hankins is a...

Benjamin Griffitts, a native of northern Virginia, has represented individuals accused of criminal and traffic offenses in Manassas and throughout Virginia for the past fourteen years. He appears in courts across Prince William County, Fredericksburg, Stafford, Spotsylvania, Fauquier and Fairfax — handling cases that range from serious felonies to minor traffic infractions. Over the course of his career, he has defended clients facing homicide charges, serious sexual offenses, drug offenses, theft and violent crimes, as well as a full spectrum of misdemeanors and traffic violations. Renowned for his diligence and zealous advocacy, Mr. Griffitts applies his thorough knowledge of the...

Matt C. Pinsker is an award winning criminal defense attorney in Henrico and Richmond, Virginia, as well as a former professor at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) where he taught Criminal Justice. He previously served as both a Federal Special Prosecutor and State Prosecutor as well as a Magistrate, offering him unique insight from all sides of a case. A nationally recognized expert in his field, he is regularly sought by the media for his insights and wrote a textbook in criminal justice used at universities across the nation. Matt Pinsker also served as a Captain in the US Army Reserves...

Christopher G. Hill is a LEED AP, Virginia Supreme Court certified General District Court mediator, and construction attorney in Richmond, Virginia. Chris has been nominated and elected by his peers to Virginia’s Legal Elite for the Construction Law category on multiple occasions and has twice been named to the Virginia Super Lawyers Rising Stars (2011 and 2012) and to the Virginia Super Lawyers in Construction Litigation for the years 2017 through 2024. He is in his second term as a member of the Board of Governors of the Virginia State Bar Construction Law and Public Contracts Section and is a...

A 1993 graduate of the University of Richmond School of Law, Charlottesville attorney Lynn Bradley, has dedicated herself to fighting for the rights of Virginians.

Early in her career, she enjoyed a varied general practice with a heavy emphasis on litigation. She was exposed to many areas of the law and logged many hours in the courtroom. As time progressed, Ms. Bradley was able to identify her strengths and follow her interests. She now concentrates her practice in workers’ compensation and Bankruptcy.

Ms. Bradley has been with Tucker Griffin Barnes, P.C. since January, 1996. She...

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...

Michael A. Robinson founded Robinson Law, PLLC to deliver affordable legal services across northern Virginia. Prior to opening his own practice, he served as a prosecutor for the City of Newport News and for Fauquier County, Virginia. In Newport News — where he was part of the Juvenile and Domestic Relations team — he handled nearly one thousand matters in the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, as well as cases appealed or certified to the Circuit Courts. In Fauquier County (Warrenton, Virginia), he prosecuted matters in General District Court, Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court and Circuit Court. Over the years, he...

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...

If you have been arrested for a serious offense, and the fate of your liberties and livelihood depends on the outcome of negotiations with prosecutors, or a trial in criminal courts — when experience matters in the defense attorney you select — Invictus Law, aggressively defends your rights. Attorney Eric Leckie is an experienced trial lawyer in both state and federal criminal law. As an active duty Marine Officer, he spent nearly 12 years as a Judge Advocate. During that time, Eric Leckie served as a prosecutor, operational law advisor, and staff judge advocate for numerous commands in...

As a TOP 40 UNDER 40 lawyer by National Trial Lawyers, Abraham has represented clients in a wide variety of criminal matters from DUI/DWIs, drugs, white collar, and computer crimes throughout Virginia and the federal U.S. District Court for the Eastern District.

As former Virginia magistrate, Abraham Del Rio III has protected 4th Amendment rights while conducting hundreds of hearings involving arrest warrants, search warrants, and bail determinations and uses this experience to get the best results for his clients.

Abraham is a certified criminal defense attorney by the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission for both felonies and misdemeanors.

Sharif Gray works as a personal injury trial lawyer at Broughton Injury Law. He tried cases as a United States Army JAG Officer and as a Drug and Vice Prosecutor, served as a Federal Judicial Law Clerk at a trial court, and now takes cases to trial as a personal injury lawyer. Sharif cares deeply about his work and the people he represents. His record is evidence of this: in the Army, he successfully defended hundreds of soldiers at trial, in adverse administrative proceedings, and under investigation; as a prosecutor, he pursued justice for victims and earned a reputation among judges...

David J. Pierce is a partner with the law firm of Pierce & Thornton, PLC. David has 40 years of trial experience in medical malpractice and general personal injury litigation including motor vehicle accidents. Prior to co-founding Pierce & Thornton in 1997, Mr. Pierce was a partner in the largest law firm in eastern Virginia where he defended physicians, nurses and hospitals in malpractice litigation. He also conducted a general insurance defense practice including auto accident claims. This defense experience gives David a unique and distinct advantage in his plaintiff's practice. David has obtained numerous substantial verdicts and settlements in a...

Daniel Renfro is a founding partner of Renfro & Renfro, PLLC, in Midlothian, Virginia. Mr. Renfro represents clients throughout Virginia in workers' compensation and personal injury cases. He has represented the injured in workers compensation and personal injury claims for over a decade, and has co-counseled multi-million dollar settlements for his clients.

Mr. Renfro earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Indiana State University and went on to graduate from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan. He has been admitted to practice in the Commonwealth of Virginia since 2007 and is also licensed before the U.S. District...

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...

Sidney Schupak is a tenacious and relentless litigator who has been fighting for the rights of injured victims for 29 years. Mr. Schupak cares passionately about making a difference in the lives of those he represents. He believes strongly in the rights of the individual, having spent his entire professional career representing the little guy against well funded, powerful and deep pocketed corporate defendants. As a skilled, knowledgeable and aggressive litigator, Mr. Schupak works tirelessly to level the playing field when representing his clients against big insurance companies and corporate defendants. Other attorneys often refer cases to Mr. Schupak because...

"I Care. I Fight. I help my clients put their lives back together."

Charlottesville attorney André Hakes is a partner at the law firm of Tucker Griffin Barnes P.C. handling criminal defense, sex crimes and DUI cases.

To the art and science of criminal defense, Ms. Hakes brings prosecutorial and police educator experience, and a long, successful track record defending clients on murder, sex crimes, drug charges, DUI, embezzlement, assault, and many other criminal allegations. Ms. Hakes has a reputation for “out-working” her opponent when preparing for trial.

Sample results from Andre's criminal defense cases:
[The results obtained under one set of circumstances cannot...

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...

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...

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...

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.

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...

Eric Perkins is a business attorney focusing on small business startups and acquisitions, franchising, nonprofits, and Regulation D private offerings. Filling the void between "Big Law" and the Legal Zooms of the world, Perkins Law is pleased to offer flat fee packages for many of its services. He works with leaders in a wide variety of industries from real estate syndicators to healthcare professionals to restaurant owners to pro wrestlers. Eric is active in the tennis community as chair of the USTA Tennis Rules and Regulations Committee and an advisory board member of the Richmond Tennis Association.

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...

A native of Southside Virginia, Clint Clary has been defending criminal and traffic cases in Southside Virginia for over 30 years.

Mr. Maslyn has extensive experience working with all of the laws and regulations affecting franchising in the United States. He has helped countless start-up franchisors and several Fortune 20 companies structure their franchise systems and manage their franchisee networks. In many cases, Mr. Maslyn has effectively served as his franchisor clients' outside general counsel, providing advice and counseling in areas like antitrust, intellectual property, sourcing and advertising issues in addition to drafting Franchise Agreements, Development Agreements, and Franchise Disclsoure Documents, filing state franchise registration and exemption applications, and providing counseling on compliance with complicated patchwork of state franchise...

I have successfully defended thousands of clients charged with offenses ranging from reckless driving by speed, DUI, speeding tickets, fatal accidents, all the way to malicious wounding, assault and battery and attempted murder, and robbery. I have over 8 years of experience, including jury experience.

- Member Virginia State Bar
- 100 percent positive rating from past clients
- Past President, Hopewell Bar Association for 2 years
- Member of National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- BBB accredited, A+ rating

At Leavitt & Martin we emphasize personal attention to each case, and our case results follow.

Armed with a passion for trial work, Paul joined Allen, Allen, Allen & Allen in 1999 bringing with him a broad range of experience in personal injury cases and jury trials. Since that time, Paul has obtained impressive trial results and is willing to go to trial rather than take an offer he does not believe is fair to his client. In 2014, Paul obtained a $22 million settlement on behalf of a boy who suffered paralysis and brain injuries in a crash with a dump truck. This record setting settlement appears to be the largest personal injury settlement...

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.

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...

I assist clients with legal problems in the areas of bankruptcy, divorce, wills and trusts, and probate or estate administration. I am an experienced trial lawyer and have been a member of the Virginia State Bar since 1987. While I am glad to help clients settle their legal matters expeditiously and at the lowest costs to their satisfaction, I welcome the opportunity to litigate contested matters when settlement is not an acceptable option. I particularly enjoy the interplay between different practice areas, and have helped clients with both marital or divorce problems and financial problems such as...

A former Virginia prosecutor who is on your side. In 2014, Attorney Columbus was recognized as one of the top 100 lawyers in Criminal Defense by the National Trial Lawyers Association. Attorney Columbus has gained extensive experience having concluded over 1,500 cases including traffic criminal matters such as reckless driving, hit and run, eluding, driving on suspended license, DUIs to serious criminal matters such as larceny, sex crimes, robbery and murder cases. Rocco handles clients in Dinwiddie, Mecklenburg and Brunswick Counties for criminal and traffic matters. Clients can expect accessibility and responsiveness regarding their cases. If you have...

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 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...

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.

Jonathan Halperin is a seasoned attorney with over three decades of experience in both state and federal courtrooms. Not only does he possess an extensive list of successful case outcomes by trial and settlement, but he has been named by Super Lawyers® as one of the Top 50 Attorneys in Richmond and Top 100 Attorneys in Virginia – an honor bestowed only upon the top 1% of lawyers in the state. His laudable list of accolades includes recognition in the Best Lawyers in America, 2015-2023 Editions from Best Lawyers® and an AV rating by Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review for more than...

Tara was born and raised in northern New Jersey where she worked full time to put herself through college and law school part time. She graduated from Rutgers School of Law in New Jersey with an academic award. While attending Rutgers Law School Tara served as facilitator of study groups in the minority student program, teaching assistant, and Editor of the Women’s Rights Law Reporter. Tara is committed to protecting what matters most. Tara has been practicing family law, trust and estates, for six years. Her 18 years of negotiation experience, and ability to evaluate...