Victoria Lawyers

Cheryl Watson Smith JD, has been in the private practice of law in Roanoke, Virginia since 1988 and practices in the area of family law, including complex property matters. Through the Collaborative Divorce Process, mediation, and negotiated settlements, she assists families in resolving disputes without going to court.

Ms. Smith is passionate about the Collaborative Divorce Process as an alternative to court battles for families in conflict. She is committed to expanding the use of the Collaborative Divorce Process by developing her own Collaborative Practice skills and training other professionals in the Collaborative Process. Ms. Smith is on the faculty...

David Ratz is a dedicated litigation attorney at Huffman & Huffman Brothers-in-Law, PLLC, where he focuses on plaintiff’s personal injury cases, including auto accidents, motorcycle accidents, premises accidents, medical malpractice, dog bites, product injuries, etc. Before pursuing a legal career, David was involved in teaching and the pharmaceutical field. After graduating from law school, he began practicing in general law. He then began focusing on defending personal injury cases for several major insurance companies, including a role as associate staff counsel for one of them. For almost two decades now, David has exclusively represented clients injured by others' negligence. His extensive...

I represent clients in a variety of legal areas. I regularly represent clients all over the Richmond area and I often travel as far east as Virginia Beach, as far north as Spotsylvania, as far west as Charlottesville and as far South as Dinwiddie. I assist clients with obtaining and defending protective orders, uncontested and contested divorce, spousal support, child custody, visitation and support, pre-nuptial agreements, property settlement agreements, Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy, criminal defense, business formation and dissolution and general civil litigation.

Civil and criminal appeals in state court in Florida and Georgia, and in federal courts nationwide. Visit me at www.allappeals.com to find out more.

Andrew is a long-time Virginia local government attorney who represents governmental entities and officials throughout Virginia in specialized and general matters, and in specific litigation matters, and may also assist some who deal with Virginia governmental entities and officials in appropriate situations. He is a former President of the Local Government Attorneys of Virginia, Inc.

John C. Shea has been in practice since 1977, focusing his practice exclusively on representation of the injured. Graduating from Wake Forest University in 1974 (Cum Laude), he received his J.D. in 1977 from the University of Richmond School of Law. He has been with Marks & Harrison since that time. His interests are brain injury and tractor-trailer cases.

As a former public defender and former prosecutor, I have focused on criminal law for the majority of my career. My background also brings a unique perspective to the table. I also have a good rapport with teenagers and young people after working as a juvenile prosecutor for more than two years.

Kendall is KRV Legal’s Principal Attorney. She earned her J.D. from William & Mary Law School in Williamsburg, Virginia, and her B.A. from the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. At KRV Legal, Kendall assists clients with naturalization and citizenship, permanent residency, family-based immigration, and business-based immigration. Her clients appreciate her responsiveness and attention to detail. Kendall enjoys working with clients from all over the world. She is licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth of Virginia and permitted to represent clients in immigration matters in all 50 states. She is fluent in English and Spanish. Kendall es la Abogada Principal de KRV...

Friedman Law Firm, P.C., specializes in divorce and family law issues. We represent clients across Virginia in the following: Divorce, Custody, Visitation, Child Support, Distribution of Assets and Debts, Spousal Support, Criminal Defense, and Will and Trusts. Call (804) 717-1969 to speak with an attorney today.

W. Edward Riley, IV is a trial lawyer. He is admitted to practice law in all state and federal courts in Virginia, and has argued before the Supreme Court of Virginia and the United States Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Riley has dedicated his entire career to successfully practicing criminal and traffic defense.

Mr. Riley has tried over 250 jury trials in federal and state courts across the Commonwealth, holds the highest national legal rating with Martindale Hubbell, and has been recognized by his peers as one of the Legal Elite as published by Virginia Business Magazine, and has...

Justin Criner received his undergraduate degree in Political Science at Virginia Commonwealth University where he met his wife and fell in love with Richmond and the surrounding areas. Mr. Criner received his juris doctor from the Appalachian School of Law in 2013 where he was a senior editor of the law journal and the president of the local Lions’ Club. He remains active in the community and can regularly be found at Lions’ Club or VCU athletic events. Before joining our firm, Mr. Criner worked as a prosecutor and criminal defense attorney in Charleston, WV and opened his own practice...

Richard Talbot knows firsthand the impact of a workplace injury. When he was young, he saw his father, a police officer, severely injured while on the job.

He channeled that experience into a passion for law, helping individuals fight for their rights after being injured at work. As a worker’s compensation attorney, Richard advocates on behalf of individuals to protect their interests when fighting against an insurance company with far more resources than themselves.

“If it were not for social safety nets, like workers’ compensation, my family would have been left without income,” Richard says. “It was this life experience...

John attended Virginia Tech for his undergraduate degree and The University of Richmond Law School for his Juris Doctor. He is the author of numerous legal publications and is a member of the Hanover Bar Association as well as the Christian Legal Society, Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, American Association for Justice, and the Lewis F. Powell Jr. American Inn of Court. John recently served as General Counsel for the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association which primarily involved lobbying the General Assembly on behalf of personal injury attorneys and their clients.

Joshua Voelkel graduated from the University of Richmond in May 2019 and began working at GMA in late August. Although a recent graduate, Joshua comes from a long lineage of lawyers, and has obtained an impressive array of experience, settling multiple cases in the past using his third-year practice certification whilst still in school.

“I’ve always wanted to enter a profession that afforded me the opportunity to help others,” Joshua says. He recently started in the pre-litigation group where he’s able to interact with clients daily and assist them in getting the treatment they need to be back where they...

TBA

Joseph Dean is a Virginia lawyer who concentrates his law practice primarily in the areas of criminal law, DUI, and traffic defense.  Mr. Dean joined Riley & Wells Attorneys-At-Law in 2013 primarily focusing on drafting legal memorandums, motions & pleadings, and researching and analyzing legal issues for the law firm’s felony and misdemeanor criminal cases in both state and federal courts. Before becoming an attorney, Mr. Dean participated extensively in trial advocacy and was recognized for his proficient skill as an advocate. He also learned early on as an Eagle Scout the importance of always being prepared. Mr. Dean brings...

I am a licensed attorney practicing law in the Commonwealth of Virginia. I have extensive experience in the fields of Property Management, Distressed Rental Properties and Criminal Litigation. I am also experienced in Contract Disputes, Corporate Governance, and Government Relations. I am a goal oriented, hard-working individual.
I became an attorney to assist people during the most challenging times of their lives, whether that be criminal charges, eviction from their home, or outstanding debts. Too often, I came across individuals who were unaware of their legal rights and remedies. I believe the best feeling in the...

Joanna L. Suyes focuses her practice on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) claims. She also handles personal injury matters. When working with clients in SSDI and SSI cases, Joanna can assist with everything from filing the initial application to going through the appeals process, including representing clients in hearings before administrative law judges.

Attorney Kevin W. Mottley is a Virginia trial lawyer who has dedicated his practice to representing traumatic brain injury ("TBI") victims, as well as other clients who have suffered a catastrophic personal injury. Kevin wrote the book, "Brain Case: The Big 5 Questions to Answer Before Filing Your Brain Injury Case," to help people understand how lawyers look at TBI cases. His focus on representing TBI victims has, thus far, resulted in over $12 million in verdicts and settlements for his clients in mild TBI cases. TBI cases, particularly those involving the so-called “mild” traumatic brain injuries,...

Mr. Roberts was admitted to practice law in Virginia in 1986 and before the United States Supreme Court in 1991. Mr. Roberts has a broad background of experience in litigation and business. His practice includes the successful representation of clientele in obtaining recoveries in cases of personal injury, in commercial disputes, and in civil rights. Additionally, Mr. Roberts has served as corporate counsel and director for several electronic technology corporations. Mr. Roberts is a founder and the principal member of the firm of Thomas H. Roberts & Associates, P.C. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in business...

Raised in Hanover, Virginia, Cassie completed her Bachelor of Arts degree at Virginia Commonwealth University in two years, majoring in both international studies and political science. She went on to earn her Juris Doctor degree from University of Richmond, T.C. Williams School of Law. Prior to establishing Baudean Law, Cassie clerked for the Honorable judges of Hanover Circuit Court, working closely with the judges and attorneys on a wide variety of legal issues. Cassie has dedicated her work towards helping clients navigate the legal process for a variety of situations. The majority of Cassie's practice is family law, including...

Mr. Carwile began the practice of law as the first Executive Director of the Lynchburg Legal Aid Society. He moved to Waynesboro in 1974 and co-founded the firm of Carwile & Ricketts, P.C., which merged with Carter R. Allen, R. Toms Dalton and G. William Watkins in 1987 to form the present professional corporation, Allen & Carwile, P.C. Mr. Carwile's practice focuses primarily on criminal defense representation and he is a frequent lecturer on various legal topics, having spoken for the Virginia CLE on the defense of DUI and other serious traffic cases. He has also written extensively on many aspects...

Fletcher W. Harkrader III has been practicing law since 1983 and focuses his practice exclusively on personal injury. Since joining Marks & Harrison, he has achieved a number of significant results for clients in personal injury cases, including $1.2 million in a wrongful death case and $1 million in an auto accident injury case, and a jury verdict of $850,000. Graduating from Washington and Lee University in 1980 (cum laude), he received his J.D. in 1983 from the University of Richmond School of Law. He was Louisa County Attorney from 1990 until 1998. He represented the Virginia...

After over twelve years of criminal prosecution, I have decided to dedicate my career to defending the rights of individual citizens. For years I sat back and wondered why so many defense attorneys failed their clients. Why didn’t they challenge a stop? Why didn’t they challenge a search? Why didn’t they ask for a plea deal? I now know that it’s because they do not know what prosecutors know or how they think. I do.

I have the courage to fight for you and the experience to negotiate for you. Most important, I have the wisdom to know the difference.

I...

David received his undergraduate degree from Illinois State University and earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Dayton School of Law. He joined Marks & Harrison in 2021. He was a solo practitioner prior to joining our Charlottesville, Staunton, and Harrisonburg offices, and prior to that he was a long-term partner at a Virginia statewide personal injury firm.

Rob joined Marks & Harrison in 2019. He received his bachelor’s degree from Elon University before graduating from The Appalachian School of Law. While in law school, he served as the Student Bar Association President, and was awarded the American Bar Association SBA President of the Year award. Rob is admitted to practice in Virginia State and Federal Courts, including the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, as well as the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of the United States. He is on brief for two cases argued before the Supreme Court of the United States and several...

I HAVE OVER 30 YEARS of EXPERIENCE and
I am proud to be carrying on a family traditions of legal service. (There has been an unbroken string of lawyers in my family in Central Virginia since the early 1800s, including my great-grandfather and his brother, who started and ran The Michie Company, a publisher of law books in Charlottesville, Virginia.)

EXPERIENCE MATTERS - let me put mine to work for you.

PERSONAL ATTENTION - no one but me will work on your file.


EMPLOYMENT HISTORY:

I opened my own law firm, Jan....

Dan Mazzio has been practicing law in Hampton Roads for more than a decade. He has represented clients in courts all over Virginia and has earned a reputation as a skilled trial attorney. Dan has tried countless jury trials to successful outcomes and is passionate about fighting for his clients to get them the best possible outcome. Dan grew up in Chesapeake and attended Longwood University. He received his law degree from the University of Richmond’s T.C. Williams School of Law in 2007. Dan is married to Lisa, a psychologist and the owner of Watermark Psychological Services in Ghent. They have...

Zack is a life-long resident of Hampton Roads. While his current practice focuses on seeking compensation for injured parties in personal injury matters, Zack has experience advocating on behalf of individuals, large insurance companies, and municipalities. DIVERSE WORK EXPERIENCE He began his career working for a large automobile insurance carrier, then gained valuable trial experience working for the City of Portsmouth. In his time in practice, he has litigated matters in virtually every jurisdiction in eastern Virginia. Zack’s diverse background gives his clients the advantage of having a comprehensive perspective on their cases. EDUCATION Zack is a graduate of Christopher Newport University, where he...

I have been practicing criminal and traffic law in Virginia for over 16 years, including 6 years as a prosecutor and 10 years in private practice. I am fluent in Spanish and can interpret or translate to assist clients.

Vicki L. Francois (née Wiese), Esq.

Vicki obtained a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh. She then obtained a Juris Doctor degree from Oklahoma City School of Law, where she was awarded Order of the Barristers in recognition of excellence of courtroom advocacy. She also served as a law clerk for the Honorable James F. Lane of the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals during law school.  Vicki has continued to further her education by attending the University of Pennsylvania and completing Leadership Strategy for Violence and Abuse Prevention, Executive Program.

She is licensed to practice law...

Bryan is a graduate of Christopher Newport University where he majored in Governmental Administration. Subsequently, he received his law degree from the Dickinson School of Law at Pennsylvania State University. Before joining Marks & Harrison, Bryan was the Managing Attorney of GEICO’s Staff Counsel in Roanoke, Virginia. He is the new Managing Attorney of Marks & Harrison’s Fredericksburg office.

Paul is a former senior claims adjuster for a major insurance company. Since 1995 Paul exclusively represents injured persons and the families of injured persons in cases involving automobile, truck and motorcycle crashes; defective products; premises liability; medical malpractice and wrongful death. Paul accepts cases throughout Virginia and West Virginia, including Roanoke; Salem; Botetourt; Franklin County; Blacksburg; Lexington; Richmond; Abingdon; Wytheville; Wise; Bristol; Christiansburg; Martinsville; Lynchburg and Charleston, West Virginia; and Mingo and McDowell Counties in West Virginia.