Best Lawyers® - Purely Peer Review™
by Their Peers
"Lawyer of the Year" Honorees {{Geolocation}}
Edward “Eddie” Bagnell serves on the executive committee of Spotts Fain PC and is secretary of the firm. Based in Richmond, Virginia, Eddie represents businesses, property owners, employers, insurers, and individuals in a broad range of civil litigation matters in state and federal courts throughout Virginia. Eddie’s practice includes Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Labor and Employment, and Litigation - Real Estate, as well as matters involving business torts, eminent d...
Stephanie C. Smith is a Shareholder in the law firm of Midgett Preti Olansen. Her practice areas include estate planning, estate and trust administration, and business matters. Additionally, Ms. Smith serves as a Commissioner of Accounts for Virginia Beach Circuit Court. In her role as Commissioner of Accounts, Ms. Smith supervises fiduciaries and audits accountings and other filings by administrators and executors of estates, trustees of trusts, guardians and conservators for minor children ...
Elliott M. Buckner Partner | Cantor, Grana, Buckner, Bucci, P.C. (The Virginia Trial Firm) | Richmond, Virginia Reviewed by Elliott M. Buckner, Partner. Last reviewed: June 15, 2026. Elliott M. Buckner is a partner at Cantor, Grana, Buckner, Bucci, P.C. (CGBB), The Virginia Trial Firm in Richmond, Virginia. Elliott represents clients in every kind of personal injury claim , including traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, tractor-trailer crashes, car collisions, and product liability...
Richard J. Serpe is a Virginia personal injury and maritime attorney and founder of the Law Offices of Richard J. Serpe, PC in Norfolk, Virginia. He has practiced law since 1986 and represents individuals and families injured by negligence throughout Hampton Roads and across the Commonwealth of Virginia. Mr. Serpe’s practice focuses on serious personal injury and wrongful death litigation involving car accidents , truck accidents , motorcycle crashes , dog bites , pedestrian and bicycle...
Derrick Walker is a nationally recognized trial lawyer with a reputation as a courtroom powerhouse. Over the span of his 25-year career Derrick has achieved outstanding results for his clients in a wide array of personal injury matters, including multi-million dollar awards in cases involving wrongful death, tractor-trailer collisions, traumatic brain injuries, nursing homes, and medical malpractice. Driven by an unwavering commitment to leveling the legal playing field for the injured, Derri...
Here is the revised bio with the year calculation removed, keeping it straightforward and aligned with standard Best Lawyers ® profile styling: John E. Lichtenstein is a founding member of Lichtenstein Law Group PLC in Roanoke, Virginia. Recognized by Best Lawyers ® since 2006, he has been honored across five distinct practice areas: Bet-the-Company Litigation, Criminal Defense: General Practice, Criminal Defense: White-Collar, Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs, and Personal ...
Steven L. Raynor is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law. Steve, who practices law in Charlottesville, Virginia, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Steve is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Patrick L. Maurer is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Family Law. Patrick L. practices law in Virginia Beach, Virginia Best Lawyers has recognized Patrick L. Maurer since 2020. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Patrick L. Maurer is held by other lawyers.
Alison Zizzo is a Shareholder at Midgett Preti Olansen and concentrates her practice in trust and estate litigation, including fiduciary disputes, beneficiary representation, guardian and conservatorships, and elder law. Ms. Zizzo has extensive civil litigation experience and can handle a variety of general litigation matters, including business disputes, collection and defense of debts and contract disputes. In addition, Ms. Zizzo handles complex trust and estate administration matters, assi...
Erika Harmon Arner is a nationally recognized leader in trial practice before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) and related appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. She consistently ranks as one of the top three female attorneys appearing in PTAB trials and was named a PTAB Litigator of the Year by Managing Intellectual Property. She has argued and won a number of landmark cases at the PTAB and Federal Circuit for both patent challengers and patent owners. Erika&rs...
Lawyers {{Geolocation}}
Jessica L. Leischner is partner with Wade, Grimes, Friedman, Meinken & Leischner, PLLC. As an accomplished family law attorney and litigator serving Northern Virginia, Ms. Leischner represents clients in Fairfax County, Alexandria City, Arlington County, Loudoun County, Stafford County, and Prince William County. Ms. Leischner’s practice is exclusively in the area of family law, including divorce, child custody, visitation, child support, spousal support, equitable distribution, set...
Ann H. Larkin is a Shareholder at Midgett Preti Olansen. She focuses her practice on estate planning, estate and trust administration, special needs planning and guardianship and conservatorship matters. Ms. Larkin is certified by the Virginia Supreme Court as a guardian ad litem for incapacitated adults. Ms. Larkin has extensive experience designing estate plans ranging from basic to complex. She works closely with individuals to ensure that they and their loved ones are cared for properly a...
Prior to attending law school at Washington & Lee University School of Law, graduating with honors, John earned a MRE and Ph.D. in administration. For over 28 years of practice, he has focused on insurance defense. He is AV Preeminent rated by Martindale-Hubbel. John is a member of the Virginia Association of Defense Counsel, the Defense Research Institute (Employment Law Committee) and the prestigious International Association of Defense Counsel. John is also a member of the American Boa...
Brian S. Wood is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Construction Law. Brian S. practices law in Tysons, Virginia Best Lawyers has recognized Brian S. Wood since 2024. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Brian S. Wood is held by other lawyers.
Don King’s practice primarily involves representation of debtors, creditors, and committees in Chapter 11 reorganizations, and he also represents other types of debtors and creditors, particularly businesses and institutional lenders, in all phases of the bankruptcy process including workouts. Since 1991, he has served as a Chapter 7 Trustee in Bankruptcy for the Eastern District of Virginia, and he is currently head of the firm’s Bankruptcy & Creditors’ Rights practice....
Timothy G. Moore is an attorney at Spotts Fain PC in Richmond, Virginia, whose practice focuses on commercial litigation , bankruptcy matters, and creditor-debtor rights . He advises banks, financial institutions, and other lenders on issues involving workouts, insolvency and reorganization matters, detinue actions, repossessions, recovery and collection efforts, and related litigation. Tim represents clients in matters involving Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorgani...
Brian Murray is a founding partner of Murray Osorio PLLC in Fairfax, Virginia, where he focuses on Immigration Law . He represents individuals and families in immigration proceedings, with an emphasis on complex waiver matters, inadmissibility and removability issues, and the immigration consequences of criminal convictions, often referred to as “crimmigration.” Brian regularly works with criminal defense counsel in Virginia, Washington, D.C., and across the United States to help ...
Wayne Lalle concentrates his practice on Construction Law, with an emphasis on construction infrastructure projects. Based in McLean, Virginia, he represents both contractors and public owners in matters involving complex public and private construction projects. His work includes advising on project development and contract formation for infrastructure initiatives, including public-private partnerships. Mr. Lalle’s recent infrastructure work includes drafting and negotiating contracts ...
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