- Criminal DefenseFranklin D. McFadden, Jr., an associate with Harrell & Chambliss, received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from the College of William and Mary and his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Richmond School of Law. Frank’s primary areas of practice are civil and criminal litigation. Early in his career, Frank developed his skills as a criminal defense attorney, handling countless matters before judges and juries before state and federal courts in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Prior to joining Harrell & Chambliss, and under the tutelage of one of Virginia’s preeminent civil litigators, Frank honed his skills as a steadfast advocate for those aggrieved by violations of their civil rights and liberties. In 2014, Frank was named to Virginia Business Magazine’s “Legal Elite” list.
- MisdemeanorsNicole Thompson is a senior attorney at Harrell & Chambliss with areas of expertise in education law and criminal law. She is a graduate of LaSalle University (B.A.) and Duquesne University School of Law (J.D.). Ms. Thompson has been involved in all aspects of a special education case, including drafting an IEP, representing clients during due process hearings, and drafting pleadings for the federal court. Prior to specializing in education law, Ms. Thompson practiced criminal law as Public Defender in Chester County, Pennsylvania, where she represented clients during felony and misdemeanor jury trials, pre-trial and post trial motions, preliminary hearings, and appeals. Ms. Thompson is a member of the Pennsylvania bar Association, Virginia School Board Association, Council of School Attorneys, and National School Board Association.
- Corporate LawCORPORATE/BUSINESS and TAX: Business services include consulting with clients concerning organizational structure, drafting and revising articles of incorporation and bylaws, advising corporations on duties and liabilities of directors and officers, preparation of documents relating to Subchapter S election, stock subscriptions and shareholder agreements and other matters relating to business operations, negotiation of contracts and sale of a business. The tax practice of the Firm is made up of a diverse group of clients with interesting and challenging issues and transactions. In many instances, the work performed by the Firm's tax practice is performed concurrently with the services provided in the Business Service area, the Real Estate Service area and the Public Finance Service area of the Firm.
- Business DisputesHarrell & Chambliss LLP, formerly Wilder & Gregory, is a full service minority owned law firm founded in 1982 by the Honorable L. Douglas Wilder, former Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia and the Honorable Roger L. Gregory, Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. The Firm's offices are located in Downtown Richmond and Newport News, Virginia. Harrell & Chambliss attorneys are dedicated to providing the highest caliber of legal services in the areas of corporate and business law, public finance and structured securities finance transactions, contracts and procurement, banking, commercial litigation, insurance defense, personal injury defense, tax law, commercial real estate transactions, municipal law, commercial law, public utilities law, acquisitions, estate planning and administration, eminent domain, administrative/legislative services, administrative law, telecommunications, information technology, foreclosure, creditors' rights and bankruptcy, civil litigation, labor, housing law, education law, employment and personnel matters.
- Business TransactionsHarrell & Chambliss represents a diverse group of business clients in a full array of corporate/business transactions. Additionally, the Firm has been successful in developing a business practice, which spans from start up businesses to the representation of financial institutions. The Firm's lead attorney for business services, Adam N. Harrell, Jr., Co-Managing Partner of the Firm, has over twenty-five (25) years of experience in representing corporate and business clients. The emphasis of the Firm's business practice is in providing general business and planning assistance to its clients, including closely held and publicly owned entities, non-profit and tax-exempt organizations, churches and individuals. H&C has assisted its municipal and business clients in the formation and operation of subsidiary corporations and partnerships as well as the syndication of limited partnership interests in connection with the purchase, acquisition and ownership of multifamily residential rental housing developments.
- Workers CompensationEDUCATION SERVICES: Attorneys at H&C have extensive experience in providing education legal services in school board and administration matters, contract and procurement transactions, education related litigation, worker's compensation and in numerous other education matters.
- Wrongful TerminationLabor/Employment Disputes. H&C has represented individual, corporate and municipal clients in a wide spectrum of employment and labor related matters in both state and federal courts and before the EEOC and other administrative tribunals. H&C has successfully initiated and defended employment disputes involving, among other things, breach of contract, defamation and wrongful termination stemming from violations of Title VII, the ADA and other applicable federal and state statutes. H&C has routinely advised its municipal clients in various administrative and grievance hearings challenging the suspension or termination of employment and/or employment-related benefits. H&C's municipal clients have also relied heavily on the firm's advice in their efforts to comply with the relevant statutory provisions governing their procurement of goods and services.
- Employment LitigationBryant G. Chambliss is an associate with Harrell & Chambliss with primary practice areas in public finance and structured finance transactions. Mr. Chambliss is a graduate of Hampton University (B.A.) and Howard University School of Law (J.D.). Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Chambliss worked as a law clerk in the Civil and Employment litigation practice groups at a law firm in Greenbelt, Maryland. While in law school, Mr. Chambliss worked as a summer associate with H&C and was a member of Howard Law’s Charles Hamilton Houston Moot Court team. Mr. Chambliss also served as a judicial intern at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia as well as a legal intern at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. Mr. Chambliss is admitted to the New York State Bar and a member of the New York State Bar Association and the National Association of Bond Lawyers.
- Real Estate LitigationREAL ESTATE: H&C's real estate attorneys have extensive experience in real estate acquisition, development, financing and disposition services on behalf of municipal and business clients. In the Firm's representation of all of its clients, H&C has provided a broad range of real estate law services, including residential and commercial closings and foreclosures, performance of title searches, legal negotiations for the acquisition or sale of properties and preparation of financing instruments and agreements.
- Premises Liability
- Construction LitigationAubrey W. Fountain, III, is a senior attorney with Harrell & Chambliss with areas of expertise in Real Estate, Affordable Housing, Construction Law, Low Income Housing Tax Credits, Business Law, and Banking Law. Mr. Fountain is a graduate of the University of Virginia (B.S.) and the University of North Carolina School of Law (Joint Degree J.D./M.R.P.). Mr. Fountain was the former Director of Real Estate Development for Southside Community Development & Housing Corporation (“SCDHC”), a nonprofit CDC in South Richmond, Virginia, and was also engaged in the private practice of Real Estate and Affordable Housing Law. As Director of Real Estate Development for SCDHC, Mr. Fountain piloted the development of over 100 single family detached homes for low income families including the coveted “Governors Award for Excellence” for the Paradise Place subdivision; a 75 unit renovation of a drug infested apartment in the Blackwell Community; the acquisition and renovation of the largest multi-family apartment complex in the country (1,286 units) by a nonprofit organization using tax exempt bond financing; the development of a 45 unit adaptive reuse senior living community combining an intricate and complex layering of over 10 sources of financing and equity syndication including Low Income Housing Tax Credits, Federal and State Historic Tax Credits, Virginia Housing Fund and Virginia Partnership permanent financing, soft financial support from the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, an Affordable Housing Partnership award, and several other grants and award subsidies; a 100 unit new construction senior living community; and several other development initiatives including a Business Incubator for start up Minority Business Enterprises, a local community center, and a potential cultural arts center. Mr. Fountain’s background lends itself greatly to the physical, social, and economic needs of development initiatives in the low wealth areas of our communities. Aubrey is a current member of the American Bar Association, the Virginia Bar Association, the Richmond Community Development Alliance, the Institute for Professional Executive Developers, the National Business Incubator Association, Coalition for Greater Richmond, East District Family Resource Center, Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce, and is licensed to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States, as well as serving as an Adjunct Professor and Guest Lecturer at Virginia Commonwealth University's Graduate School of Urban Studies and Virginia Union University's School of Theology.
- Real Estate TransactionsThe Firm is general counsel to several community development corporations and has assisted such entities with some of the most significant and sophisticated real estate development and multifamily residential real estate transactions in Metropolitan Richmond.
- Eminent DomainHarrell & Chambliss real estate attorneys have extensive experience in real estate acquisition, development, financing and disposition services on behalf of municipal and business clients. The Firm has experience in eminent domain law, principally through its representation of various political subdivisions. The Firm is co-counsel to several entities which undertake a substantial volume of development and redevelopment projects in the City of Richmond and the City of Petersburg.
- Landlord-Tenant DisputesGodfrey T. Pinn, Jr. is a partner with Harrell & Chambliss. Mr. Pinn received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hampton University in Mass Media Arts and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia School of Law. Mr. Pinn began his career as a litigation associate with McGuire Woods. Mr. Pinn is a civil litigator with experience in several substantive areas of the law, including, general tort defense, commercial litigation, professional malpractice, regulatory compliance, eminent domain and both residential and commercial landlord-tenant. In addition to the Virginia State Bar, Mr. Pinn is an active member of the Richmond and Old Dominion Bar Associations and a volunteer with the Virginia Legal Aid Justice Center's Pro Bono Housing Clinic. Mr. Pinn is an active member of the community through his involvement in a number of social and civic organizations and non-profit boards.
- Personal InjuryTort Litigation. H&C has a heightened level of experience in the area of insurance defense representing a number of insurers in various auto accident and premises liability cases. Additionally, municipal entities have also benefited from H&C's representation in this arena and in the highly specialized area of workers' compensation. H&C has previously defended automotive and other manufacturers in products liability disputes and has also successfully represented plaintiffs with valid personal injury, malpractice and civil rights claims.
- Auto Accidents
- Estate PlanningIn the formation of entities for business clients, H&C advises clients of the tax implications of the entities formed and the contemplated transaction or transactions of the business and what to expect based on the use of the chosen entity and transaction or transactions implemented. In addition, the Firm is involved in a number of tax-exempt organizations formations as well as providing advice concerning various transactions pursued by tax-exempt organizations. The services provided in the Firm's tax practice include tax matters relating to commercial and real estate transactions, formation and organizational structure of entities, tax implications of bankruptcy transactions, mergers, acquisitions and consolidations of businesses, sale of assets of businesses, administrative tax proceedings and appeals, tax litigation, estate planning, estate administration, non-profit and tax-exempt organizations, churches and public finance issues and transactions.
- Bankruptcy
- ForeclosureCREDITORS' RIGHTS, BANKRUPTCY AND FORECLOSURES: As counsel to our financial institution and public sector clients, H&C represents them in matters pertaining to Creditors' Rights and Bankruptcy and Foreclosures. The Firm has extensive experience in loan workouts under various loan programs and in conducting non-judicial foreclosures for numerous financial institutions.
- Tax LawThe tax practice of Harrell & Chambliss is made up of a diverse group of clients with interesting and challenging issues and transactions. The Firm's lead attorney for tax services, Gerald W.S. Carter, a partner in the Firm, has over twenty (20) years of experience in representing clients in diverse tax matters. Before joining H&C in 1992, Mr. Carter attended New York University School of Law's Graduate Tax Program and obtained his Masters of Law Degree in Taxation (the “LL.M. Tax Program”).