Gentry Locke’s Monica Monday ends successful managing partner tenure, becomes chair

By Aila Boyd

One of Roanoke’s largest law firms, Gentry Locke Attorneys, is undergoing its first major managerial shakeup in nearly a decade.

Monica Monday transitioned out of her role as managing partner, which she assumed in 2013, at the first of the year and into a newly created chair of the executive board position. She was replaced as managing partner by K. Brett Marston, who has been at the firm since 1994.

When Monday took over the reins of the firm she has been at since 1993, she was one of the first women to lead a large law firm in Virginia.

Leading up to that moment, her path to leadership was a bit unconventional. She assumed an ownership stake in the firm in 2004, the same year her son was born. Instead of going the traditional route, she asked to be a part-time owner. The move allowed her to work—commuting from her home in Martinsville—and devote time to her son.

“It had never been done before, but the firm was really open to that,” she remembered. The experience, she said, provided her with a unique insight into the challenges lawyers face when “being the best attorneys they can be while also being there for their families.”

When she returned to full-time work in 2013, she took over as managing partner from Mike Pace, who had held the role for 14 years. Pace’s vacating of the role to accept a general counsel position with Roanoke College provided an unexpected opportunity for Monday.

At the time, the goal wasn’t necessarily to grow the firm but to make sure it was operating as efficiently internally as possible, which prompted the initiation of a wellness study. A rebranding effort, including the creation of a new logo, followed.

During Monday’s tenure, roughly 20 additional attorneys and two satellite offices—Lynchburg and Richmond—were added. Lynchburg-based attorney Herschel Keller partnered with Gentry Locke a few years after Monday took over to establish the firm’s first branch office. Another branch location was established in 2018 when Greg Habeeb, a partner and former delegate, decided to relocate to Richmond and Chip Dicks, another former delegate, joined the firm.

“Richmond has been an incredible success. We’ve also had success in our Lynchburg office,” Monday said, adding that the firm now has 21 attorneys based in the capitol.

“It has been an incredible experience and an honor to lead this firm,” she said. “It’s also been a challenge for me. It has pushed me. It’s required me to develop some skills I didn’t have.”

Throughout her tenure, she continued to actively practice law, which is a firm tradition. Finding a balance between leading and practicing was the biggest challenge she faced.

“It was exciting and rewarding and very challenging,” she said.

Monday’s move to a new role is part of a larger restructuring of the firm’s top leadership.

“We’ve been so successful in what we’ve done over the last 10 to 15 years that we’re in a position where we realize the managing partner role can’t really be done by one person anymore,” she explained. “We realized we needed to diversify what we were going to be doing, so we created the chair role.”

Another new role—general counsel—was added last year, which is occupied by Guy Harbert.

The decision that Monday would transition to a new role was made roughly six months ago.

In her new role, Monday will still play an active role at the firm, including leading its appellate practice. Additionally, she will dedicate a considerable amount of time to recruitment, retention, professional development, diversity and pro bono.

As managing partner, Marston will be focused on strategic planning and the day-to-day operations.

He admits that he has “large shoes to fill, even if they are high heels.” Leading up to the transition, he worked closely with Monday to gain an understanding of the decisions the managing partner is faced with each day.

Since joining the firm, the Appomattox native has been involved in its management, notably in the establishment of the firm’s construction contracting litigation practice.

“I feel like I’ve been preparing for this since the day I arrived here,” he joked.

The firm’s direction going forward will be guided by a strategic plan.

Diversity is a significant goal for the firm. “We want to continue to enhance the diversity of the firm in all respects,” Monday said.

Marston also noted the plan continues to place an emphasis on achieving good results for the firm’s clients.

Despite the growth the firm underwent during Monday’s tenure, Marston said he doesn’t just want to grow the firm for the sake of growth. “While we have grown, we have done it in a way we feel is relatively organic and smart, so we’re when the firm is marking a major milestone— its 100th anniversary. going to continue to look at options on that front,” he said. “We’re looking to add talent that helps us grow in areas where we have not been as deep, for example railroad work, as we have in the past.”

As the firm continues to expand, both Monday and Marston are aware that it will likely be difficult to maintain a sense of cohesion. “We want to maintain our ‘one firm’ approach,” he said. “We do not view ourselves as multiple operations. We view ourselves as one firm.”

The management change comes at a time when the firm is marking a major milestone—its 100th anniversary.

Kevin Holt, a partner at the firm, said, “We want to celebrate our past while we look forward this next year and years to come. We’re saying around here: ‘100 years, 100% committed.’ That’s what we are for the future—100% committed.”