Areas of Experience

Medical malpractice, personal injury, premises liability, business dissolution, civil rights, condemnation, construction, contracts, employment, financial, insurance coverage, professional liability, real property, sports & entertainment, trusts & estates, and family law.

Professional Experience

• Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Virginia, 2022-2025; Justice, 2007-2021.
• Judge, 1^st Judicial Circuit Court of Virginia, City of Chesapeake, 1997-2007.
• Judge, 1^st General District Court of Virginia, City of Chesapeake, 1995-1997; Substitute Judge, 1992-1995.
• Former Partner, Willcox & Savage, P.C., Norfolk, VA.
  • Practice concentrated on commercial and civil litigation matters.
• Former Attorney, McGuireWoods, LLP (formerly McGuire, Woods, Battle & Boothe), Charlottesville, VA.
  • Practice included handling commercial, corporate, and insurance litigation matters.
• Former Research Associate Professor of Law, University of Virginia School of Law.
  • Taught Federal Civil Procedure, Virginia Civil Procedure, and Civil Litigation Practice.

Affiliations

• Former Chair, Judicial Council of Virginia.
• Former President, Judicial Conference of Virginia.
• Former President, Judicial Conference of Virginia for District Courts.
• Former Member, Board of Directors, Conference of Chief Justices.
• Former Member, Virginia Bar Association Boyd-Graves Conference; I’Anson-Hoffman Inn of Court; and James Kent Inn of Court.
• Former Co-Chair, Virginia Access to Justice Commission.
• Former Member, Virginia State Bar Board of Governors, Young Lawyers Section; Client Protection Fund Board; Standing Committee on Professionalism.
• Former Member, Board of Directors, Southside Boys and Girls Club.
• Former Member, Chesapeake-Portsmouth Advisory Board, Crestar Bank (Truist Bank).
• Member, VA250 African American Advisory Council.
• Recipient, Harry L. Carrico Outstanding Career Service Award, 2025.
• Recipient, Gerald L. Baliles Distinguished Service Award, Virginia Bar Association, 2025.
• Recipient, Hill-Tucker Public Service Award, Richmond Bar Association, 2025.
• Recognized in Virginia Business Virginia Power 500, 2022-2025.
• Member, 2023 Class of the Virginia Lawyers Weekly “Lawyers Hall of Fame.”
• Frequent speaker at continuing legal education seminars; local, state, and national bar associations; and colleges and universities.

Education

• University of Virginia School of Law, J.D.
  • Editor, Virginia Tax Review
  • Member, Raven Society
• Harvard University, A.B., Magna Cum Laude.