Michelle E. Gaston

Howard Seufer, Jr. has spent his professional life working with public school leaders to solve public school problems and improve public education in compliance with state and federal school laws. A partner in the regional commercial, energy and defense law firm of Bowles Rice LLP headquartered in Charleston, West Virginia, Howard has advised and represented all 55 of West Virginia’s county boards of education, all of its regional education service agencies, the West Virginia School Boa...

Area of Emphasis Jennifer Hicks is a shareholder in the Litigation, Energy and Natural Resources, Employment and Labor, and Environmental groups of Babst Calland. Ms. Hicks has represented clients in a wide variety of litigation matters in state and federal courts throughout West Virginia. These include complex class actions, breach of contract, coal and natural gas royalty disputes, lease termination disputes, condemnation, employment, nuisance, trespass, property damage, premises liability,...

Marvin W. Masters has a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from West Virginia University and a Law degree from West Virginia University. He is licensed and has presented cases to the West Virginia Supreme Court, most West Virginia circuit courts in the surrounding counties, and the United States Supreme Court, as well as the United States Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and United States District Court for the Southern and Northern Districts of West Virginia. He is experienced in litiga...

Jody Offutt Simmons is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants. Jody Offutt, who practices law in Huntington, West Virginia, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Jody Offutt is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

After practicing law for nearly 20 years in New Jersey and New York, Melissa “Missy” Luce returned to West Virginia to join Stuart Calwell’s firm, The Calwell Practice, LC. After serving as Managing Attorney for several years, in January 2019, Calwell ultimately joined together with Luce and another colleague, Dante’ diTrapano, as partners in rebranding the firm to Calwell Luce diTrapano PLLC to solidify its long-term growth. And Missy continues in her role as Managing...

Diana L. Jacobs is a partner in the Charleston office of Bowles Rice and focuses her practice on litigation, with an emphasis on toxic tort litigation, products liability, premises liability, class actions and asbestos litigation. She also has experience defending medical monitoring claims. Prior to joining the firm, she was Assistant Prosecutor with the Kanawha County Prosecutor’s Office, and also served three years in private practice. Ms. Jacobs received her bachelor of arts degree i...

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...

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...

Ellen L. Maxwell-Hoffman is a partner in the Charleston office of Bowles Rice. She concentrates her practice in the areas of general corporate and commercial law, including acquisitions and finance, corporate governance, compliance programs and training, business ethics and economic development. She frequently provides legal counsel regarding the West Virginia Governmental Ethics Act, federal and state election law, in particular as to the administration and operation of political action comm...

Tom Heywood has significant experience in health care, banking and corporate/commercial law, and is frequently called upon by clients and community leaders for advice on business matters related to acquisitions, divestitures and other transactional matters. An experienced facilitator, he regularly assists businesses and organizations in the strategic planning process. As a former Chief of Staff to the Honorable Gaston Caperton, Governor of the State of West Virginia, Tom has extensive experie...