Leaders in the Law

Four law alumni have been named to Virginia Lawyers Weekly’s annual recognition of leaders among Virginia’s legal professionals who are setting the standard for other lawyers across the commonwealth. The honorees are chosen for their outstanding contributions to the practice of law, significant achievements through the practice of law, leadership in improving the justice system and important contributions to Virginia’s legal community and/or the community at large.

D. CAMERON BECK JR. ’95L

Beck serves as a director of McCandlish Holton. He practices civil litigation, with a focus on trucking defense, retail and products liability and commercial disputes. He also has experience in numerous construction matters. His extensive jury trial experience includes over 60 jury trials throughout the commonwealth, in both state and federal court. He is a member of the Virginia Bar, the Defense Research Institute and Richmond Bar Association.

80s

1980L

Dwight Arneson joined Castle Lanterra Properties as senior managing director/head of acquisitions. He will be making real estate investments throughout North America.

The Hon. John Eklund was appointed to the 11th District Court of Appeals in Warren, Ohio, by Gov. Mike DeWine.

1981L

Jeffrey H. Gray joined Pender & Coward in Virginia Beach as a litigator.

1983L

Linda Klein joined Alterity Resolution Services L.L.C., a new Atlanta-based dispute resolution firm focused on diversity, human-centered design and data. Unique among alternative dispute resolution firms, Alterity’s panel of neutrals operates under the conviction that

MITCHELL K. MORRIS ’05L

Morris is a member of Butler Snow’s litigation department and practices within the products, catastrophic and industrial litigation and commercial litigation groups. He represents clients in high-exposure traumatic injury, wrongful death, intentional tort, environmental, pharmaceutical and complex commercial matters and has served as national punitive damages counsel to a Fortune 250 transportation company. Morris also devotes a significant part of his practice to combatting fraud and abuse in mass and class actions.

more diverse teams contribute to an inclusive environment and produce superior results.

90s

1991L

John C. Johnson started The Johnson Law Group in Roanoke. The firm’s areas of practice include family law, traffic and criminal and workers’ compensation.

1992L

Jefferson E. Howeth joined AmTrust Title Insurance Company in Dallas as senior vice president and senior corporate counsel.

The Hon. Chong J. Kim joined Alterity Resolution Services L.L.C., a new Atlanta-based dispute resolution firm focused on diversity, human-centered design and data. Unique among alternative dispute resolution firms, Alterity’s panel of neutrals operates under the

BRYAN SLAUGHTER ’97L

Slaughter is a partner at MichieHamlett in Charlottesville, where he represents clients who have suffered a life-altering catastrophic personal injury or the wrongful death of a loved one. He is a former president of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association and the current president of the Charlottesville Albemarle Bar Association. He has been recognized by many prestigious organizations, including the American College of Trial Lawyers.

conviction that more diverse teams contribute to an inclusive environment and produce superior results.

1995L

M. Lavan Green Jr. joined the Sumter County Public Defender office in Sumter, South Carolina, as assistant public defender.

1997L

Tina Clark Beamon was named chief compliance officer for MEI Pharma in San Diego.

Tracy Taylor Hague, an attorney with Vandeventer Black in Richmond, was selected as a member of the Influential Women of Law Class of 2021 by Virginia Lawyers Weekly for her dedication to the profession and her community.

Christopher J. Yianilos, who has served Virginia Tech as its lead government relations officer since 2013, has been promoted to vice president for government and community relations.

HUGH

B. WELLONS ’87L

Wellons is a partner at Spilman Thomas & Battle in Roanoke. His practice areas are corporate law, banking and finance law, securities and biotechnology law. He also chairs the community banking practice group. He is a frequent lecturer on corporate matters, including corporate governance, securities law, strategic transactions, business formation, exit strategies, venture capital and other funding concerns, and biotechnology.

1998L

Robert H. Buchanan joined Comerica Bank in Dallas as a senior vice president and national practice leader, business transition planning. He lives in Greenville, South Carolina.

1999L

Stephanie Smith Maxwell joined Wesley Financial Group L.L.C. in Nashville as president and general counsel.

2002L

Sarah M. R. Cravens joined University of Tulsa College of Law as a visiting professor, where she teaches torts and professional responsibility and pursues scholarly projects on the role of the judiciary.

2004L

Joshua D. Jones was appointed to serve for a third year as co-chair of the American Bar Association Litigation Section’s Audio Content Committee.

2006L

Taryn Kobal Williams joined Intel in Portland, Oregon, as senior counsel, sales and marketing legal.

2007L

Amanda L. Thrash joined Williams in Tulsa as senior counsel and assistant corporate secretary.

2008L

Chace W. Daley joined Sage Natural Resources in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as general counsel.

Michael P. Gaetani joined the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General in Pittsburgh as the deputy attorney general in the civil litigation division.