Monika L. Jaensson

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...

Gabriele Wohl is an experienced litigator in the firm’s Charleston, West Virginia office, regularly handling complex civil litigation for national corporations. In addition to her practicing in the Litigation Group, she leads the White Collar Defense and Investigations team and chairs the Bowles Rice Diversity Committee. Gabe keeps in close contact with her clients and enjoys helping them navigate stressful and intricate legal issues. In her litigation practice, Gabe has years of experi...

Ben Salango is a founding member of Salango Law, PLLC. He has over twenty three years of experience in personal injury litigation and has tried more than 50 civil jury trials in West Virginia. Mr. Salango has argued numerous cases in the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. He has proudly recovered tens of millions of dollars for victims of medical malpractice, personal injury, and wrongful death. His cases have been featured na...

Dante' diTrapano began his career in the legal industry in 1990 as an investigator for his late father's law firm, DiTrapano & Jackson. His father, Rudolph L. DiTrapano (1928-2017), was a highly respected and successful lawyer in West Virginia who inspired Dante' to go to law school through a number of high-profile trials, including a case the elder DiTrapano successfully argued before the United States Supreme Court. Dante' attended John Marshall Law School, where he graduated summa cum ...

Melissa Foster Bird is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Railroad Law. Melissa Foster practices law in Huntington, West Virginia Best Lawyers has recognized Melissa Foster Bird since 2012. 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 Melissa Foster Bird is held by other lawyers.

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 Matt Casto is a shareholder in the Energy and Natural Resources and Litigation groups of Babst Calland. His practice is focused on energy and real property matters, including the oil and gas industry with an emphasis on commercial, administrative and general litigation. Mr. Casto represents clients in connection with contract and lease disputes, pipeline litigation, toxic torts and energy and mineral law matters including, but not limited to, surface disputes, royalty, leasin...

Areas of Emphasis Charles Saffer is senior counsel in the Energy and Natural Resources and Corporate and Commercial groups of Babst Calland. His practice is focused on real estate and mineral title matters for corporate clients within the commercial and oil and gas industries. He has experience in examining and certifying mineral titles in counties throughout West Virginia. Mr. Saffer has also represented property owners in commercial real estate transactions including leasing, acquisitions a...

S. Brooks West II is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. S. Brooks practices law in Charleston, West Virginia Best Lawyers has recognized S. Brooks West II 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 S. Brooks West II is held by other lawyers.

Gordon C. Lane, Sr. concentrates his practice on representation of businesses and business owners in the areas of general business law and taxation, including the purchase or sale of a business, structure of a business to maximize tax savings and asset protection, key employee incentive plans, and more. Gordon practices from the firm’s Charleston, West Virginia office. He also provides estate planning for high net-worth individuals and for business owners, where he provides one integrat...