Charles M. Sims 15YEARSAWARDED

Charles M. Sims

recognized lawyers icon Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2008
Awarded Practice Areas
Commercial Litigation Litigation - Intellectual Property Litigation - Trusts and Estates
Works at
O'Hagan Meyer

30 Best Lawyers awards

O'Hagan Meyer logo

Biography

Charles Sims handles high-stakes business litigation and professional liability defense in state and federal courts with tactical precision and strategic insight. His practice centers on resolving legal and accounting malpractice, architects and engineers liability, and errors and omissions claims where reputations and livelihoods hang in the balance. Clients value his ability to distill sophisticated technical issues into persuasive courtroom narratives that resonate with judges, juries, and opposing counsel alike.

Charles’s commercial litigation practice spans officers' and directors' liability, professional malpractice, breach of contract, fraud, trade secret violations, real estate disputes, and tortious interference claims. Charles brings particular skill to False Claims Act matters, Lanham Act cases, and ERISA litigation, where regulatory complexity demands both legal acumen and multi-dimensional analysis and thinking. What distinguishes his approach to dispute resolution, in and out of court, is his seemingly innate instinct for identifying the pressure points in any dispute—the facts, arguments, or procedural moves that shift momentum decisively in his clients' favor.

Charles maintains an active intellectual property litigation practice in federal and state courts, with concentrated experience in technology disputes. His background gives him fluency in the technical languages that dominate modern IP cases, from software architecture to data systems. Clients in the technology sector particularly value this dual competency—the ability to translate client innovation into legal arguments without losing the nuance that makes their work valuable.

Prior to the law and as a Naval Academy graduate, Charles served as a Lieutenant in the United States Navy, stationed aboard a Los Angeles Class Fast Attack Nuclear Submarine. He supervised nuclear reactor and propulsion plant operations, developed sonar search protocols, and built training systems that improved maintenance efficiency. That experience instilled the highest level of discipline and composure under pressure that clients recognize and appreciate immediately when litigation intensifies.

Works at
O'Hagan Meyer

30 Best Lawyers awards

O'Hagan Meyer logo

Locations

Education

  • Georgetown University, J.D., graduated 1993
  • United States Naval Academy, B.S., graduated 1985

Bar Admissions

  • Virginia, Virginia State Bar

Court Admissions

  • U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Western District of Virginia
  • U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of Virginia
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Virginia
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Virginia
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
  • Supreme Court of Virginia

Affiliations

  • Virginia Bar Association - Member
  • Civil Litigation, Richmond Bar Association - Member

Client Testimonials

Charles Sims is absolutely the best lawyer I have worked with and I have worked with a lot of lawyers! He is a smart, very experienced litigator, who takes the time to work through legal strategies from a very practical business prospective. I have found Charles to be a very excellent advisor as well as lawyer with great attention to detail and insight into practical solutions to complex business matters. He is always available to me and other personnel in our company. He is a great asset to LeClair Ryan and I am truly grateful for his commitment to us, and his commitment to practicing his profession with the utmost professionalism and ethical standards.

Alisa Rogers (Optical Air Data Systems, LLC)

Manassas, VA

Mr. Sims has been a great partner in our litigation needs. I have been very satisfied with the results and appreciative of the partnership and his practical approach and balanced aggressiveness. I trust him unconditionally.

Tonya Mallory (Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc)

Richmond, VA

Awards & Focus

Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2021 - Litigation - Trusts and Estates
Named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers® for:
  • Litigation - Trusts and Estates, Richmond (2021)
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2027 for work in:
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Litigation - Intellectual Property
  • Litigation - Trusts and Estates
Additional Areas of Practice:
  • Bet-the-Company Litigation
  • Litigation - Securities
Special Focus:
  • COVID-19

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