Robert V. Berthold, Jr.

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...

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...

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,...

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...

Melissa Foster Bird is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Railroad Law. Melissa Foster, who practices law in Huntington, West Virginia, has been recognized since 2012. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Melissa Foster 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...

Area of Emphasis Steven Green is a Shareholder in the Energy and Natural Resources Group of Babst Calland. His practice is focused on energy matters, primarily upon advising and representing corporate clients within the oil and gas industry. Mr. Green’s oil and natural gas practice includes a wide range of matters including oil and gas title opinions, title examinations, title defect and curative work, civil and administrative litigation, transactional advice, and regulatory compliance ...

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...

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...

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...