Jamestown Lawyers

After celebrating 50 years of legal practice, I am now taking only selected cases.

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...

Don't let the insurance company bully you into settling for less. Put Yvonne Griffin and her team on your side. They'll take over the fight while you recover.

Our personal injury partner, Yvonne Griffin, offers unique insights into estimating the value range of your auto accident case, including your “pain and suffering.” Her judgement and intuition are based on representing well over a thousand car accident clients. In addition to Yvonne’s own experience, she has a powerhouse of cross-practice legal expertise available to assist in your consultation, such as workers’ compensation, social security disability or property law attorneys.

Yvonne will look...

"If it's going to be a fight, you need Laura Blair Butler on you side."

Laura Butler is a Charlottesville Trial Lawyer concentrating in Divorce and Family Law. Call today to schedule an initial consultation. She wants to help.

The following comments are from satisfied clients:

"Laura Butler is always prepared. I never saw her surprised in or out of court. She treats all adversaries with respect, and then proceeds to dismantle them. When I saw how well she knew and could quickly recall the details of my case in court, I was amazed."

"Five words: 'I like to be perfect.' These are the...

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!

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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

"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...

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...