Brandon M. Hartman

For more than twenty years, Lonnie C. Simmons has fought on behalf of the little guys, ensuring they get their day in court. He started his legal career as a writ clerk at the West Virginia Supreme Court in 1982, before spending five years as a personal clerk for West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Thomas B. Miller. After completing his tenure with Justice Miller, Mr. Simmons began his career as a litigator representing injured plaintiffs. A significant portion of Mr. Simmons' caseload involv...

Steven R. Hardman is a partner in the Parkersburg office and a member of the Real Estate Group. He concentrates his practice on commercial, corporate, real estate, and oil and gas law and also has significant experience in civil litigation, particularly product liability and the defense of mass litigation. Mr. Hardman has served as counsel to numerous banks and businesses, and has been involved in significant commercial transactions and commercial litigation. For more than 10 years, he has re...

Tom Lane is a partner in the Charleston, West Virginia office of Bowles Rice and is licensed to practice law in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. He practices primarily in the areas of natural resources, coal, oil and gas, commercial real estate, zoning and land development This practice ranges from complex transactions of mineral property and companies to complex litigation of natural resource issues. He also engages in lobbying and government relations, particularly on issues affecting the mi...

A member of DiTrapano Barrett DiPiero McGinley & Simmons, PLLC, Tim DiPiero spent six years (1977–1983) as an assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia in Charleston, WV before entering private practice. Prior to his tenure with DiTrapano Barrett DiPiero McGinley & Simmons, PLLC, he was a Member of DiTrapano & Jackson which he joined in 1983, and also DiTrapano Barrett & DiPiero, PLLC. After graduating from the University of Notre Dame i...

Rita Massie Biser is an experienced trial attorney and litigator. A Managing Member of the firm, she primarily practices in the areas of medical professional liability and personal injury defense. Ms. Biser has substantial experience defending hospitals, nursing homes and other health care providers in actions brought under West Virginia's Medical Professional Liability Act (MPLA). Her litigation and trial experience also includes personal injury defense, nursing home litiation, premises liab...

Benjamin Thomas focuses his practice in the areas of mergers and acquisitions and commercial and financial services. He is experienced in advising businesses on various structural matters related to acquisitions and entity formation and general corporate governance matters. Ben's merger and acquisition practice involves structuring, documenting, and managing mergers, acquisitions, reorganizations, and other corporate transactions. He also provides general corporate services to all sizes of bu...

Area of Emphasis Ramonda Marling is a shareholder in the Energy and Natural Resources and Litigation groups of Babst Calland. Ms. Marling primarily represents clients in litigation and commercial matters. She has extensive experience in complex, high-dollar commercial litigation matters representing natural gas producers, midstream companies, coal companies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, tobacco companies and other corporations. She has represented natural gas producers in litigation involvin...

Robert L. Massie is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Insurance Law, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants and Railroad Law. Robert L. practices law in Huntington, West Virginia Best Lawyers has recognized Robert L. Massie since 2008. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recogni...

J. Mark Adkins is a partner in the Charleston office of Bowles Rice and a member of the Business Litigation Practice Group. His primary areas of practice include business litigation, commercial and contract disputes, financial services/banking litigation, energy litigation, construction litigation, election law and products liability litigation. A native of Salt Rock, West Virginia, Mr. Adkins received his J.D. in 1997 from the West Virginia University College of Law, where he was a member of...

Stuart A. McMillan is a partner in the Charleston office of Bowles Rice LLP and leader of the firm’s Mass & Toxic Torts Practice Group. His primary practice areas include civil trial and appellate litigation and he tries cases in both federal and state courts throughout West Virginia. He has tried numerous cases to verdict, including libel, defamation, trespass and bodily injury lawsuits. Mr. McMillan is experienced in and frequently lectures on issues pertaining to civil litigation...