On Thursday, January 22, the Virginia Law Foundation gathered nearly 200 supporters and leaders to induct 23 citizen lawyers as Fellows at their annual dinner and celebration in Williamsburg. The Class of 2026 reflects an incredibly talented group of civic leaders from across the Commonwealth. They join more than 800 distinguished VLF Fellows dedicated to advancing the practice of law and improving their communities.
Learn more about each of our new Fellows below, and revisit photos from the event at this link.
Lori J. Bentley
Johnson, Ayers & Matthews, PLC
Roanoke, Virginia
Personal
Born in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina
Spouse: Scott Bentley
Children: Virginia, Colin
Education
B.A. University of Richmond, Westhampton College (1990)
University of Richmond School of Law (1996)
Law Practice
Admitted to the Virginia State Bar (1996)
Managing Partner, Johnson, Ayers & Matthews, PLC
Practice Area: Civil Litigation
Activities, Honors, Appointments, Positions
Board of Directors, Virginia State Bar Client Protection Fund
Local Bar Leader of the Year, Virginia State Bar
Member, Virginia Bar Association Town Hall Committee
President, Roanoke Bar Association
Fellow, Roanoke Law Foundation
Matthew W. Broughton
Gentry Locke Attorneys
Roanoke, Virginia
Personal
Born in Dinwiddie, Virginia
Spouse: Elizabeth McGowan Broughton
Children: Casey Jones, Abbey Broughton
Education
B.A., University of Virginia (1982)
University of Richmond School of Law (1985)
Law Practice
Admitted to the Virginia State Bar (1985)
Partner at Gentry Locke Attorneys
Practice Area: Complex Litigation, Plaintiff, Business
Activities, Honors, Appointments, Positions
President, Southwest Virginia Business Development Association
Chair, Aviation Committee, Virginia Trial Lawyers Association
Chair, Aviation Committee, Virginia Bar Association
Chair, Virginia Bar Association/Young Lawyers Division
Past President, IFR Pilots Club
Member, Lawyer Pilots Bar Association
Member, Virginia Aviation Trade Association
Member, Gentry Locke’s Executive Board
William Hamilton Bryson
University of Richmond School of Law
Richmond, Virginia
Personal
Born in Richmond, Virginia
Education
B.A., Hampden-Sydney College (1963)
Harvard Law School (1967)
LL.M., University of Virginia School of Law (1968)
Ph.D., Cambridge University (1972)
LL.D., Cambridge University (2013)
Law Practice
Admitted to the Virginia State Bar (1967)
Professor of Civil Procedure and Legal History at the University of Richmond School of Law
Activities, Honors, Appointments, Positions
Member, Advisory Committee on Rules of Court
Member, Boyd-Graves Conference Steering Committee
Author of Bryson on Virginia Civil Procedure
Founding editor of Virginia Circuit Court Opinions
Member, John Marshall Inn of Court, Executive Committee
Member, Lewis Powell, Jr. Inn of Court
Member, The Selden Society
Fellow of the Royal Historical Society
Stephen J. Cannella
Cannella & O’Neal
Richmond, Virginia
Personal
Born in Brooklyn, New York
Spouse: Patty Villa Cannella
Children: Tori, Tripp, Polly, Drew, Rob
Education
B.A., SUNY Cortland (1977)
University of Richmond School of Law (1980)
Law Practice
Admitted to the Virginia State Bar (1981)
Managing Partner, Cannella & O’Neal
Practice Area: Civil Trial Practice
Activities, Honors, Appointments, Positions
Founder, University of Richmond Class of 1980 Scholarship Fund
Member, Board of Directors for Transforming Today’s Youth
Member, Board of Directors of Friends Helping Friends
Autism Society of Virginia
Camp Comfort Zone
Frank M. Conner III
Covington and Burling LLP (Ret.)
Alexandria, Virginia
Personal
Spouse: Cynthia Harman Connor
Children: Isabelle D. Conner, Cynthia C. Conner
Education
B.A., University of Virginia (1978)
University of Virginia School of Law (1981)
Law Practice
Admitted the Virginia State Bar (1981)
Retired Partner, Covington and Burling LLP
Practice Area: Mergers and Acquisitions
Activities, Honors, Appointments, Positions
Former Rector, Board of Visitors of the University of Virginia
Chair, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority
Chair, Virginia College Savings Plan
Member, Board of Directors for the National Democratic Institute for
International Affairs
Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia
Trevor S. Cox
Hunton Andrews Kurth, LLP
Richmond, Virginia
Personal
Born in Norwich, Connecticut
Spouse: Kristin Rishoi Cox
Children: Sarah, William, Emma Katherine
Education
A.B., Harvard College (2002)
M.Phil, University of Cambridge (2003)
Harvard Law School (2009)
Law Practice
Admitted to the Virginia State Bar (2009)
Partner at Hunton Andrews Kurth, LLP
Practice Area: Appellate Litigation
Activities, Honors, Appointments, Positions
President, James Branch Cabell Library Associates
President, Historic Richmond
President, American Civil War Museum, Tredegar Society
Chair, Virginia Bar Association Appellate Summit
Executive Committee, Harvard Law School Association
Chair, Steering Committee Virginia Constitution Commemoration
Member, Boyd-Graves Conference
Member, Ampersand Board of Boaz & Ruth
Member, Board of Directors, Virginia Law Foundation
Mark D. Cummings
Sher, Cummings and Ellis
Arlington, Virginia
Personal
Born in Roanoke, Virginia
Spouse: Melanie Ann Bailey Cummings
Children: Victoria Grace Cummings
Education
B.A., University of Virginia (1973)
George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School (1978)
Law Practice
Admitted to the Virginia State Bar (1978)
Partner at Sher, Cummings and Ellis
Practice Areas: Civil and Criminal Litigation
Activities, Honors, Appointments, Positions
President, Arlington County Bar Association
President, George Mason American Inn of Court
Pro Bono Award, Virginia State Bar
William L. Winston Award, Arlington County Bar Foundation
Distinguished Alumni Award, George Mason Alumni Association
Council, Virginia State Bar
Hall of Fame, Virginia Lawyers Weekly
Melinda Douglas
City of Alexandria (Ret.)
Alexandria, Virginia
Personal
Born in Boston, Massachusetts
Spouse: Barry Culpepper
Children: Charles
Education
B.A., Emmanuel College (1972)
Post-graduate study, Boston University
Antioch School of Law (1981)
Law Practice
Admitted to the Virginia State Bar (1983), District of Columbia (1982), Massachusetts (1982)
Public Defender for the City of Alexandria (1987–2019)
Private practice (1982–1987)
Activities, Honors, Appointments, Positions
Chair, Board of Governors Criminal Law Section, Virginia State Bar
Virginia Criminal Defense Committee, Virginia Bar Association
Juvenile Competency Task Force, Virginia Bar Association
Chair, Correctional Services Advisory Board to the Alexandria Sheriff
Board Member, Alexandria ASAP
2012 Harry L. Carrico Professionalism Award, Virginia State Bar
Adjunct Professor of Law, Washington College of Law at American University
Plato George Eliades, II
The Eliades Law Firm
Chesterfield, Virginia
Personal
Born in Petersburg, Virginia
Spouse: Adrienne George-Eliades
Children: Plato George Eliades, III, Christopher Lawrence Eliades
Education
B.A., University of Virginia (1988)
University of Miami School of Law (1991)
Certificate in Common Law, University College of Wales
Law Practice
Admitted to the Virginia State Bar (1995)
Partner at The Eliades Law Firm
Practice Area: Civil Litigation and Business Law
Activities, Honors, Appointments, Positions
President, Hopewell Bar Association
Substitute Judge, 12th Judicial Circuit
Virginia State Bar Council
Executive Committee, Virginia State Bar Conference of Local & Specialty Bars
Founder, Scholarship Fund, John Tyler Community College
Secretary, Commercial Law League of America
Super Lawyer, Business Litigation
Douglas S. Granger
Hunton Andrews Kurth, LLP
Richmond, Virginia
Personal
Born in Richmond, Virginia
Spouse: Anne Hunt
Children: Scott, Jesse, Gordon, Ben
Education
BBA, College of William & Mary (1982)
University of Virginia School of Law (1985)
Law Practice
Admitted to the Virginia State Bar (1985)
Partner at Hunton Andrews Kurth, LLP
Practice Area: Mergers & Acquisitions, Corporate
Activities, Honors, Appointments, Positions
Office Managing Partner, Hunton, Andrews, Kurth LLP
Virginia State Bar Business Law Committee
Virginia Bar Association Business Law Committee
Director, Venture Richmond
Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Blueprint Virginia 2030 Steering Committee
Leadership Metro Richmond
Director, American Heart Association
Director, YMCA
Sandra L. Havrilak
Blankingship & Keith, P.C.
Fairfax, Virginia
Personal
Born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Spouse: James E. Fey
Education
B.A., King’s College (1982)
George Mason University School of Law (1986)
Law Practice
Admitted to the Virginia State Bar (1986)
Principal at Blankingship & Keith, P.C.
Practice Area: Family Law, Appellate Law, Criminal Law, and Guardianship
Activities, Honors, Appointments, Positions
President, Virginia Women Attorneys Association
Chair, Virginia State Bar Disciplinary Board
Member, Boyd- Graves Conference
Substitute Judge, Fairfax County District Court
Chair, Fairfax Bar Association Lawyer Referral Committee
Master of Inn, George Mason Inn of Court
Fellow, American Bar Association
Rudene Mercer Haynes
Hunton Andrews Kurth, LLP
Richmond, Virginia
Personal
Born in Jacksonville, Florida
Children: Russell, Rachel
Education
B.A., University of Virginia (1996)
University of Texas School of Law (1999)
Law Practice
Admitted to the Virginia State Bar (1999)
Managing Partner at Hunton Andrews Kurth, LLP (Richmond)
Practice Area: Structured Finance and Securitization
Activities, Honors, Appointments, Positions
Trustee, Thomas Jefferson Foundation
Member, Character and Fitness Committee of the Virginia Board of Bar Examiners
Richmond YMCA Outstanding Woman Award for Volunteerism
Founding Board Member, Richmond & Henrico Public Health Foundation
Member, Advisory Board for VCU’s Massey Cancer Center
Chair, VCU Massey Cancer Center Coalition
Trustee, Richmond Memorial Health Foundation
Member, Board of Trustees for the Richmond Children’s Museum
Member, Board of Governors for the Virginia Bar Association
Member, Board of Directors of the William Byrd Community House
Member, Board of Directors of the Saint Andrews School in Richmond
Christie Marra
Virginia Poverty Law Center
Richmond, Virginia
Personal
Born in Mineola, New York
Children: Woody Rogers, Katie Rogers
Education
B.A., University of Virginia (1988)
University of Richmond School of Law (1991)
Law Practice
Admitted to the Virginia State Bar (1991)
Director of Housing Advocacy at the Virginia Poverty Law Center
Activities, Honors, Appointments, Positions
Member, Virginia Child Support Guidelines Committee
Board Member, Housing Opportunities Made Equal
Member, Metro Richmond Women’s Bar Association
Justice (Ret.) Elizabeth A. McClanahan
Virginia Tech Foundation and Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center
Blacksburg, Virginia
Personal
Born in Richlands, Virginia
Children: Katharine Geisler, William Geisler
Education
B.A., College of William & Mary (1980)
University of Dayton School of Law (1984)
Law Practice
Admitted to the Virginia State Bar (1984)
CEO and President at Virginia Tech Foundation and Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center
Former Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia (2011–2019)
Activities, Honors, Appointments, Positions
Judge, Court of Appeals of Virginia (2003–2011)
Chief Deputy Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Virginia
Penn Stuart & Eskridge, Shareholder/Director/Management Committee
Board Member, Corvesta (Delta Dental of VA)
Vice Rector, William & Mary Board of Visitors
Board of Directors, Carilion Clinic
Board of Governors and Law School Representative, Virginia Bar Association
Judiciary Dean Committee, Virginia Bar Association
Richard H. Ottinger
Woods Rogers
Norfolk, Virginia
Personal
Born in Norfolk, Virginia
Spouse: Lisa Allen
Children: Lelia, Davis
Education
B.A., Boston University (1991)
William & Mary Law School (1995)
Law Practice
Admitted to the Virginia State Bar (1995)
Partner at Woods Rogers Vandeventer Black PLC
Practice Area: Litigation and Maritime
Activities, Honors, Appointments, Positions
Director, Norfolk Economic Development Authority
Member, Downtown Norfolk Council
Member, Transportation Lawyers Association
Proctor in Admiralty, Maritime Law Association
Virginia Lawyers Weekly Leader in the Law
Past President Virginia Bar Association
Past Chairman, Board of Governors, Virginia Bar Association
Past Chair, Civil Litigation Section, Virginia Bar Association
Randall S. Parks
Hunton Andrews Kurth, LLP
Richmond, Virginia
Personal
Born in Malone, New York
Spouse: Mary Lloyd Sinnott Parks
Education
B.A. from University of Virginia (1985)
University of Virginia School of Law (1988)
Law Practice
Admitted to the Virginia State Bar (1988)
Partner and Chairman of the Executive Committee at Hunton Andrews Kurth, LLP
Practice Area: Corporate and Enterprise IT
Activities, Honors, Appointments, Positions
President, Richmond Symphony Orchestra Foundation
Past Director, Metropolitan Richmond Sports Backers
Past Chairman, Greater Richmond Chamber Foundation
Past Director, Business Section Council, Virginia Bar Association
Past Chairman CenterStage Foundation
Past Director, North American Human Resources Outsourcing Association
Virginia Lawyers Weekly Leader in the Law
Kimberlee Harris Ramsey
FloranceGordonBrown, PC
Richmond, Virginia
Personal
Born in Staunton, Virginia
Spouse: Daniel W. Ramsey
Children: Allison G. Ramsey
Education
B.A., University of Virginia (1986)
University of Richmond School of Law (1989)
Law Practice
Admitted to the Virginia State Bar (1989)
Shareholder and President at FloranceGordonBrown, PC
Practice Area: Family Law
Activities, Honors, Appointments, Positions
President, Virginia Bar Association
Past Member, Virginia Child Support Review Panel, Virginia Department of Social Services
Member, Wellness Advisory Committee, Supreme Court of Virginia
Member, Virginia Family Law Coalition Virginia Bar Association
Member, Commission on the Needs of Children, Virginia Bar Association
Member, Committee on Nominations to Virginia Commissions and Appellate Courts, Virginia Bar Association
Cliona Mary Robb
Thompson McMullan, PC
Richmond, Virginia
Personal
Born in Galway City, Ireland
Spouse: Henry Robb
Children: Liam Robb
Education
B.A., Princeton University (1985)
Duke University School of Law (1992)
Law Practice
Admitted to the Virginia State Bar (1992)
Partner at Thompson McMullan, PC
Practice Area: Energy and Telecommunications
Activities, Honors, Appointments, Positions
Chair, Virginia State Bar Administrative Law Section
Chair, Virginia State Bar Environmental Law Section
Board of Governors, Virginia Bar Association
Chair, Virginia Bar Association Law Practice Management Division
Chair, Virginia Alliance for Clean Energy
Adjunct Professor, William & Mary School of Law
Brooks Meredith Smith
Troutman Pepper Locke
Richmond, Virginia
Personal
Born in Washington, D.C.
Spouse: Jennifer Esway Smith
Children: Emma Smith, Ethan Smith, Christian Smith
Education
B.A., University of Richmond (1992)
Vermont Law School (1996)
Law Practice
Admitted to the Virginia State Bar (1996)
Managing Partner at Troutman Pepper Locke
Practice Area: Environmental and Natural Resources
Activities, Honors, Appointments, Positions
Past Chair, Virginia Bar Association Environmental Law Section
Past Chair, Virginia Bar Association Administrative Law Section
Past Chair, Virginia State Bar Environmental Law Section
Fellow, American College of Environmental Lawyers
Board Member Emeritus, Richmond Public Library Foundation
Board of Directors, ChamberRVA
Board Member, Library of Virginia Foundation
W. Edgar Spivey
Kaufman & Canoles, P.C.
Norfolk, Virginia
Personal
Born in Norfolk, Virginia
Spouse: Jane Randolph Spivey (Wood)
Children: Jack, Charlie, Will
Education
B.A., University of Virginia (1983)
University of Virginia School of Law (1986)
Law Practice
Admitted to the Virginia State Bar (1988)
Partner at Kaufman & Canoles, P.C.
Practice Area: Commercial Litigation
Activities, Honors, Appointments, Positions
Norfolk Litigation, Real Estate “Lawyer of the Year”
Virginia Super Lawyers, Law & Politics
Member, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Committee of The Up Center
Chairman, Tidewater Independent Schools Young Life Parents Board
Board Member, Volunteer Hampton Roads
Board Member, American Red Cross of Hampton Roads
Participant, CIVIC Leadership Institute Class
Member, Kaufman & Canoles Executive Committee
Matthew C. Sunderlin
Clark & Bradshaw, P.C.
Harrisonburg, Virginia
Personal
Born in Winchester, Virginia
Spouse: Lisa Stafford Sunderlin
Education
B.A., Hampden-Sydney College (1989)
Regent University School of Law (1995)
Law Practice
Admitted to the Virginia State Bar (1995)
Attorney at Clark & Bradshaw, P.C.
Practice Area: Elder Law
Activities, Honors, Appointments, Positions
President, Harrisonburg/Rockingham Bar Association
Chair, Central and Western Virginia Alzheimer’s Association
Chair, Blue Ridge Community College Foundation
Member, Board of Directors, Rockingham Memorial Hospital Foundation
Member, Virginia State Bar, Council of Local Bar Associations
Certified Elder Law Attorney, National Elder Law Foundation
Carlyle R. Wimbish, III
Wimbish Gentile McCray & Roeber, PLLC
Richmond, Virginia
Personal
Born in South Boston, Virginia
Spouse: Gill Harvey Wimbish
Children: Carlyle IV, Grayson, Hampton
Education
B.A., Virginia Tech (1987)
University of Virginia School of Law (1990)
Law Practice
Admitted to the Virginia State Bar (1990)
Partner at Wimbish Gentile McCray & Roeber, PLLC
Practice Areas: Medical Malpractice Defense and Healthcare Regulatory Law
Activities, Honors, Appointments, Positions
Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers
President, Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys
Member, Boyd-Graves Conference
Chapter Author, Medical Malpractice in Virginia
Board of Directors, Virginia Tech Athletic Fund
The Honorable
Joseph Ross Zepkin
9th Judicial District Court (Ret.)
Williamsburg, Virginia
Personal
Born in Newport News, Virginia
Spouse: Anne (deceased)
Education
B.A., College of William & Mary (1963)
William & Mary School of Law (1965)
Law Practice
Admitted to the Virginia State Bar (1965)
General District Court Judge for the 9th Judicial District (Retired)
Activities, Honors, Appointments, Positions
Adjunct Professor, College of William & Mary School of Law
Highly regarded professor of Civil and Criminal Procedure
Inaugural recipient, St. George Tucker Adjunct Professor Award
for Teaching Excellence at the William & Mary Law School
Prolific legal scholar of law review articles
Author of updated case law compendia for distribution to the Commonwealth’s judges
