Ophelia Criminal Lawyers

Michael graduated from the University of South Carolina Pettigrew School of Law in 1969 with a Juris Doctor. He was a finalist in the Prince Competition, where he demonstrated exceptional ability in appellate advocacy. He was a recipient of the American Jurisprudence Award in Conflicts. While in law school, he was selected by the NAACP to travel to Memphis, Tennessee. There, he helped investigate police brutality in connection with the Memphis riots that followed the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King. He was a member of Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity. Among lawyer associations, Michael was admitted to both...

Bassel received his B.A. from the University of Hawaii in 2005 and his Law Degree from Washington & Lee University in 2008. After graduating from law school, he served as a magistrate conducting bond hearings as well as probable cause hearings for the issuance of search warrants and arrest warrants. For over the past decade, he has devoted his entire practice to defending clients in serious criminal cases. He has received recognitions by various lawyer awards such as Super Lawyers and CoVA Biz Magazine, but he's most proud of the cases he has won for his clients. Bassel has successfully...

Mr. Woolley has been a dedicated criminal defense attorney for over seven years. He believes in fighting for the rights of his clients and focusing on the individual concerns of each person. He understands that each client has different concerns and a different background.

Mr. Woolley has been named one of the Top 40 Under 40 and Top 100 Trial Lawyers by the National Association of Trial Lawyers. He is a member of the Virginia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and has been a member of the Virginia State Bar since 2010. He is a graduate of the University of Colorado...

Matt Ballard of Ballard Law Firm was born and raised in Hampton, Virginia. He graduated from Kecoughtan High School and received his Bachelor of Arts from Virginia Tech before earning his Juris Doctor from the College of William and Mary School of Law. After an internship at the National Labor Relations Board, Division of Judges, in Washington, DC, employment at the Law Firm of Jenkins & Rhea in Charlottesville, and six years of service as a prosecutor at the Hampton Commonwealth’s Attorney office, he joined the Smith Law Firm, where he practiced from 2010 to 2023. Licensed...