Practice Areas

Real Estate

Our firm regularly assists individuals and businesses with the sale, purchase, or development of commercial and residential real estate. All of our attorneys are CRESPA (Consumer Real Estate Protection Act) certified, enabling them to conduct closings on behalf of buyers of real estate.

If you are planning to engage in a real estate transaction in Virginia, we can help you with all aspects of the impending transaction. Our expertise includes assisting both commercial and residential clients in sale of property, financing and development, construction contracts, title examinations, and real estate property investments.

We are available to help clients in structuring their real estate development financing, sales and purchases and are experienced in representing landowners and public entities in eminent domain proceedings. In addition, we are knowledgeable in advising clients on issues pertaining to construction and construction lending.

Land Use, Zoning & Permitting

Our firm regularly represents clients in challenging projects across the state of Virginia. We understand the development process, and we know that increased government regulations at the local, state, and federal levels are making development more difficult. We actively participate as an advocate for the development community when new ordinances or policies are initiated. Our land use representation has been focused in the Greater Richmond Area where we have represented clients in Chesterfield, Goochland, Powhatan, Colonial Heights, Dinwiddie, Richmond, Henrico, Hanover, Petersburg, Hopewell, and in many other areas of the state including Farmville, Virginia Beach, Suffolk, Hampton Roads and beyond. We are passionate about property rights and have represented clients in the following:

Obtaining easements from adjacent property owners;
Rezoning of property with negotiated proffers and conditions;
permits obtained from local, state, and federal agencies;
Participating in ordinance and regulation amendments in various localities;
Obtaining grandfathering and vesting letters from localities

Conservation Law

We represent landowners, non-profit land trusts, and private for-profit businesses in matters involving land conservation, renewable energy, and ecological restoration, preservation, and mitigation services. We’ve represented clients with:

Creation of conservation and open-space easements (involving both cash sales and donations for tax benefits)
Review/approval/enforcement issues involving conservation or open-space easements
Renewable energy (solar/wind) facilities options and leases
Stream/wetland restoration, preservation, and mitigation
Nutrient banks
Carbon sequestration

Corporate Law

Our firm provides general counseling to clients on a variety of business issues including the formation of closely held small to mid-size companies, the purchase or sale of all or part of a business, the drafting of agreements, and employee matters. We provide a full array of services to business clients, including:

Advising on tax planning, personal liability, profit sharing, management, and business succession;
Drafting buy/sell agreements;
Drafting and negotiating corporate contracts;
Drafting employment agreements;
Setting up corporations and other business entities;
Drafting articles of incorporation, liability waivers, and other necessary corporate documents;
Ensuring corporate compliance;
Handling employment issues including drafting employment manuals, non-compete agreements and confidentiality agreements;
Drafting contracts and leases;
Handling corporate and commercial real estate matters; and
Serving as corporate counsel and registered agent.

Estate Planning & Administration

Our firm understands that estate planning are difficult to navigate, and we take time with each client to fully understand the client’s personal needs.

Examples of the types of estate planning client representations we handle include:

Wills and Codicils;
Durable Medical Powers of Attorney;
Advanced Medical Directives;
Contingent Powers of Attorney;
Family Limited Partnerships and Limited Liability Companies;

Construction Law

Our firm regularly represents builders, developers and contractors in construction law matters ranging from contract negotiations, licensing issues, and litigation when it arises. Our firm’s representative work in the area of construction law includes:

Participating in mediations involving claims of breach of contract and defective design;
Filing and enforcement of mechanics’ liens from the initial filing and litigation to the enforcement of the lien by sale;
Drafting and reviewing contracts;
Delay and disruption claims, changes, and other equitable adjustment claims;
Professional negligence (architects and engineers);
Representation of clients in regulatory proceedings through DPOR and other agencies;
Assisting clients with permitting problems at the local, state, and federal level on construction-related issues from building permits to wetlands permitting.

Collections

Our firm assists businesses in collecting monies owed from contracts or judgments. In addition to the many businesses that we represent, we have worked with numerous landlords in commercial collection actions.

General Legal Services

In addition to the above, our attorneys also have experience in other general legal matters.