M. Powell Peters

The Moody Law Firm, Inc. (Moody, Strople, Kloeppel & Higginbotham, Inc. and its predecessor firms) is a national law firm headquartered in Portsmouth, Virginia. It was founded in a one room office space in 1958 by National Trial Lawyers Hall of Fame 2014 Inductee and America’s Top 100 Attorneys Lifetime Achievement Recipient , Willard J. Moody, Sr., who was a renowned and highly respected attorney, trial lawyer, and civic leader in the City of Portsmouth, who served in both the Hous...

Patrick L. Maurer is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law. Patrick L., who practices law in Virginia Beach, Virginia, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Patrick L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

As a highly effective and sought-after trial advocate and proven litigator, Kelvin Newsome knows from longevity of experience that dispute resolution—whether in or out of court—demands more than just legal knowledge; it requires the instinct to anticipate opposition and the composure to execute under pressure. He brings both of these sought-after qualities to his defense practice. Over the course of his career, Kelvin has resolved serious disputes and seemingly intractable litigat...

Bill O’Mara started his legal career in 2008, moving back to his home town of Chesapeake, VA. He has practiced in the field of plaintiffs’ personal injury his entire career. He has gained extensive court room and trial experience, including contested trials before judges and juries across Hampton Roads. In 2014, Bill joined Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers before becoming a partner in 2017. He dedicates his entire practice to helping injured people. Bill is skilled in handling car , t...

Ryan is the 2024 President of the Virginia Bar Association. He handles high-stakes litigation with a focus on complex business disputes, construction law, and maritime law. He also serves as local counsel in the Eastern District of Virginia in patent and other cases. He was managing partner from 2012 to 2020. Ryan’s experience includes state and federal jury trials, mediations, panel arbitrations, and appeals. His cases involve business conspiracies, technology disputes, government cont...

Nathan R. Olansen is the Managing Shareholder in the law firm of Midgett Preti Olansen. His practice is focused on estate planning, probate and trust administration, IRS and state and local tax audit and tax collection cases, as well as individual and entity tax planning, asset protection and a variety of related transactional matters such as business succession planning, business entity start-ups and tax planning for divorce. Nathan has extensive experience in drafting and implementing all t...

Avery T. Waterman, Jr. is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Medical Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs and Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Avery T., who practices law in Williamsburg, Virginia, has been recognized since 2007. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Avery T. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Don joined the firm in 1993 and is the Managing Partner and Chair of the firm’s Commercial Bankruptcy and Creditor’s Rights Practice Group. He practices in the areas of eminent domain, commercial real estate finance, civil litigation, construction law, and business bankruptcy and creditors’ rights. He has provided advice and counsel to clients in commercial real estate financing, loan workouts, construction matters, collections and foreclosures and has successfully represent...

Allison received her Juris Doctor in 2001 from Loyola University School of Law at New Orleans. After law school, Allison returned to Virginia and clerked for an Administrative Law Judge with the Department of Labor in Washington, DC for one year. Thereafter, she worked as an associate at McKenry, Dancingers, Dawson & Lake from 2003 to 2006, as an associate and partner at Kaufman and Canoles from 2006 to 2015, and as a partner at Parks Zeigler from 2015 to 2022. Allison’s has exclusi...

“…You can’t get good settlements unless you have good trial results” Working with a Federal Court Judge in New Orleans while he was in college fueled Jeffrey Breit's interest in the law. A native of the Tidewater area, his father, brothers and even his wife have all been attorneys at one time or another. In 1988, he left the firm where his father had practiced and together with Jack Drescher started Breit, Drescher & Imprevento specializing in representing injured...