By Matt Perez
Virginia-based law firms Woods Rogers PLC and Vandeventer Black LLP announced a merger last Thursday that will result in a firm with seven offices and 130 attorneys.
The new firm will be called Woods Rogers Vandeventer Black, according to the firms, with the hope of finalizing its merger as quickly as possible. The combined workforce will total more than 250 people and specifically 130 attorneys, with locations in Roanoke, Norfolk, Richmond, Lynchburg and Charlottesville, along with offices outside the state in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, and Hamburg, Germany.
“Mutual respect, cooperation, community leadership and an unwavering dedication to client service are deeply rooted traits our firms have in common,” Woods Rogers president, Daniel Summerlin said in a statement Thursday. “We share a vision with Vandeventer Black for the future of our business and look forward to bringing our collective talent and a wider range of specialties to clients as we grow stronger together.”
Summerlin and Vandeventer Black’s Executive Director Paul Julius will remain in their respective roles at the firm, while Woods Rogers’ board of directors Chair Victor Cardwell and Chief Financial Officer Autumn Visser will also retain their positions. In addition, Vandeventer Black executive board member Deborah Casey will become the vice chair. A full combined board will be elected shortly.
“This is a tremendous opportunity to create a more robust platform to serve clients with enhanced legal expertise for Virginia businesses, including the technology and manufacturing corridors,” said Michael Sterling, Vandeventer Black’s managing partner. “By joining forces with Woods Rogers, we are ensuring the continuity of a high-quality, multiservice law firm for our clients and, at the same time, providing access to more capabilities and resources across the commonwealth of Virginia.”
Both firms are more than a century old, with Woods Rogers beginning in Roanoke in 1893 and Vandeventer Black starting in Norfolk in 1883. The new firm will handle matters related to corporate and transactions, finance, commercial real estate, litigation, construction, transportation, energy, labor and employment, government contracts, cybersecurity and intellectual property.
Woods Rogers Vandeventer Black said its combination will both deepen its bench and increase its efforts to have more attorneys serve on Virginia-based boards of nonprofits and businesses across the state.
“We’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with one another on several legal industry initiatives over the years,” Cardwell said. “Each firm has a long history of providing pro bono counsel, so our dedication to public service is a connection that will cross over into future endeavors.”
–Editing by Stephen Berg.
