Middlebrook Lawyers

Michael T. Trent is an experienced attorney with an active practice including criminal defense, general civil litigation including personal injury, and estate planning including wills and estates. His love for our Southside Virginia community is deep, with not only his growing up in Charlotte County, but with the vast majority of his family having called all different parts of Southside home. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts from Lynchburg College, Mike received his Juris Doctorate from Suffolk University Law School in Boston, Massachusetts. He then decided to come home to Southside, and...

Ward Armstrong has been practicing law for nearly 40 years. Now he and his daughter, Courtney Armstrong, practice together as The Armstrong Law Firm. The Armstrong Law Firm offers representation for cases of all types including criminal defense and drunk driving, personal injury from motor vehicle accidents, divorce and child custody, elder law and estate planning, including wills, and general civil matters. Don’t be strong-armed in the courtroom – hire The Armstrong Law Firm today!

I represent clients in a variety of legal areas. I regularly represent clients all over the Richmond area and I often travel as far east as Virginia Beach, as far north as Spotsylvania, as far west as Charlottesville and as far South as Dinwiddie. I assist clients with obtaining and defending protective orders, uncontested and contested divorce, spousal support, child custody, visitation and support, pre-nuptial agreements, property settlement agreements, Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy, criminal defense, business formation and dissolution and general civil litigation.

Andrew P. Hill is a founding partner and attorney with Mata & Hill PLC, a full-service civil law firm serving the beautiful northern Shenandoah Valley. Mr. Hill concentrates his practice in the areas of real estate, estate planning and administration, litigation, and business.

Mr. Hill received his undergraduate degrees from Northwestern University and his law degree from the College of William and Mary. Prior to forming Mata & Hill PLC, he worked with small but highly-respected law firms in Northern Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley.

Mr. Hill is licensed to practice law in the state courts of Virginia,...

William D. Ashwell is a career litigator and advocate who has built a regional and statewide reputation for assisting clients in the most serious of situations and in high profile matters. A native of Warrenton, Mr. Ashwell has solidified himself as a leader in the field of civil and criminal litigation and beyond. A steadfast believer in giving back to the community, Mr. Ashwell balances his time between his family and giving back to the community that he calls home. A graduate of Hampden-Sydney College and the University of Dayton School of Law, Mr. Ashwell serves Northern Virginia, Piedmont region,...

I have over 35 years of experience representing Virginia clients in medical malpractice, long-term care litigation, serious personal injury litigation, and complex commercial litigation. In my practice I have represented individuals and businesses throughout Virginia, including in state and federal court.

Daniel L. Crandall is the founding partner of The Law Offices of Daniel L. Crandall & Associates. He has been engaged in the practice of law since 1979. The focus of his practice is exclusively plaintiff personal injury law . He has become known in Southwest Virginia as the caring personal injury professional. He was privileged to be named twice as the Best Local Lawyer by the readers of The Roanoker Magazine and the Firm has won multiple awards for Best Law Firm by the same publication. He graduated from the University of South Florida in 1973 and from the...

Jennifer devotes herself to the practice of U.S. immigration and nationality law. As an immigration lawyer, she represents clients in a variety of immigration matters - including providing guidance on applying for work authorization, permanent residency, and U.S. citizenship. She also defends individuals in deportation and removal proceedings before the federal immigration courts. As the daughter of an immigrant, her family’s diverse, multicultural heritage inspired her to pursue a profession where she could help others pursue their livelihood in the United States. Jennifer's law firm is based in Roanoke, Virginia where she lives with her husband Rob and...

Cheryl Watson Smith JD, has been in the private practice of law in Roanoke, Virginia since 1988 and practices in the area of family law, including complex property matters. Through the Collaborative Divorce Process, mediation, and negotiated settlements, she assists families in resolving disputes without going to court.

Ms. Smith is passionate about the Collaborative Divorce Process as an alternative to court battles for families in conflict. She is committed to expanding the use of the Collaborative Divorce Process by developing her own Collaborative Practice skills and training other professionals in the Collaborative Process. Ms. Smith is on the faculty...

Herbert Maxey has been represented individuals injured by others for over 40 years. Let Mr. Maxey's experience work for you if you or a family member have been injured by the negligence of a reckless driver of a car, truck or other vehicle. Mr. Maxey has also represented many families after the loss of a loved one by the careless actions of other drivers.Mr. Maxey has represented clients in: Albemarle County Altavista Amelia County Amherst County Appomattox County Buckingham County Campbell County Charlotte County Charlottesville Cumberland County Farmville Fluvanna County Halifax County Lunenburg County Lynchburg Mecklenburg County...

Vincent J. Mata attended the University of Notre Dame and the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum for undergraduate studies in the classical humanities. He obtained a Master's degree at The Catholic University of America in philosophy, and earned his Juris Doctor at George Mason University School of Law, now Antonin Scalia Law School. Vincent is a founding partner and attorney at Mata & Hill PLC. He focuses his practice primarily on estate and elder law issues. Mata & Hill PLC additionally offers real estate, business, and civil litigation services, and serves clients throughout the Northern Shenandoah Valley.

Bernard "Bert" van Gils works in the areas of estate planning and business law. His business practice includes general counsel services, local and international business transactions, copyrights, trademarks and non-profit organizations. He has facilitated, negotiated and drafted transactions for companies active throughout the United States and for companies conducting business in Europe, Latin America and Southeast Asia. As he was a business owner before becoming a lawyer, Bert especially enjoys assisting business owners with establishing and growing their businesses. He has assisted businesses in information technology, retail and wholesale sales, engineering, building and home contracting, printing,...

Ryan T. Walker joined Marks & Harrison in 2014 after having most recently worked for GEICO on the defense side of personal injury cases. Since he was admitted to the Virginia State Bar in 2007, Ryan has practiced exclusively in the area of civil litigation, with an emphasis on personal injury law. He has vast experience in automobile accident litigation.

Jason is licensed to practice in West Virginia and Virginia. He resides in Pearisburg, Virginia with his wife, Catherine, and they have four children, Sydney, William, James, and John Thomas. Jason is a member of the Pearisburg First United Methodist Church and serves on the Pearisburg Town Council.

Paul is a former senior claims adjuster for a major insurance company. Since 1995 Paul exclusively represents injured persons and the families of injured persons in cases involving automobile, truck and motorcycle crashes; defective products; premises liability; medical malpractice and wrongful death. Paul accepts cases throughout Virginia and West Virginia, including Roanoke; Salem; Botetourt; Franklin County; Blacksburg; Lexington; Richmond; Abingdon; Wytheville; Wise; Bristol; Christiansburg; Martinsville; Lynchburg and Charleston, West Virginia; and Mingo and McDowell Counties in West Virginia.

Matt recently returned to the Roanoke Valley after spending 9 years in New Mexico, where he served as an officer in the Air Force and obtained his two graduate degrees.

Vicki L. Francois (née Wiese), Esq.

Vicki obtained a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh. She then obtained a Juris Doctor degree from Oklahoma City School of Law, where she was awarded Order of the Barristers in recognition of excellence of courtroom advocacy. She also served as a law clerk for the Honorable James F. Lane of the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals during law school.  Vicki has continued to further her education by attending the University of Pennsylvania and completing Leadership Strategy for Violence and Abuse Prevention, Executive Program.

She is licensed to practice law...

I have been practicing criminal and traffic law in Virginia for over 16 years, including 6 years as a prosecutor and 10 years in private practice. I am fluent in Spanish and can interpret or translate to assist clients.

Cherie Parson works exclusively as an employment attorney and has a unique professional background as a former Human Resources Professional that has enabled her to work effectively in representing individual employees.

She represents public and private employees in matters pertaining to their employment: discrimination (race/color and national origin, gender, religion, and disability), harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, severance negotiation, restrictive covenants or non-compete agreements, medical leave issues (FMLA), state and local grievances, and unemployment claims.

As an employment attorney, Ms. Parson provides clients an understanding of their employment rights, empowers them to protect their interests, and advocates on their behalf. She provides counseling,...

Private practice with experience in Real Estate and Estate Planning. Have conducted or supervised roughly 35,000 real estate closings.

As a criminal defense attorney, John has fought aggressively for his clients’ rights in cases involving serious felonies, including murder, malicious wounding, drug possession/distribution, white-collar crimes, and sex crimes (e.g. rape, child pornography) as well as all types of misdemeanors, including DUI, assault and battery, and simple driving infractions, such as reckless driving. As a civil litigation lawyer, John has experience in both jury trials and bench trials, and has represented clients in cases worth millions of dollars. Early on in his career, he litigated patent infringement cases all over the country. Over the years, he has continued to excel in...

Mr. Heelen attended the Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law while working full-time. He brings considerable professional experience as both a successful corporate manager and former state judicial officer to his practice, which he established in 2012. Mr. Heelen's practice includes the following areas: business formation; business law; corporate law; corporate governance; contracts; trademark registration; regulatory compliance; landlord tenant; wills; and general practice. "Responsiveness and open lines of communication with my clients are hallmarks of my practice, and, in my opinion, critical to the success of any attorney client relationship. My clients don't have to contact me for...

Ms. Jenkins has been practicing law in Virginia since 2008 when she was admitted to the Virginia State Bar. She is also admitted in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Virginia and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. She is experienced in various practice areas such as family law, construction law, landlord/tenant actions, estate administration, debt collection, and bankruptcy. She has appeared in Virginia juvenile and domestic relations district court, general district court, circuit court, and the Virginia Supreme Court.

I provide business counsel and commercial litigation services with an emphasis on trademark applications throughout the industrialized world, trademark licensing, franchising, trademark litigation, copyright applications and litigation, trade secrets, unfair competition, business and corporate law, and private equity transactions.

Thomas "Bo" Frith is an Associate at Frith Ellerman & Davis. Bo's practice is focused on medical malpractice, non-compete litigation, and nursing home abuse and neglect. Bo began his career serving as the law clerk to the Honorable Louise M. DiMatteo in Arlington County Circuit Court. Prior to joining Frith Ellerman & Davis Law Firm, P.C., Bo worked at a top international law firm where he maintained an extensive and highly active caseload defending medical malpractice, personal injury, and professional liability claims.

Prior to law school, Bo worked in the Washington office of Senator Mark R. Warner. ...

Neal Johnson has over 30 years of trial experience in both state and federal courts. In recent years, he has devoted his professional career to the representation of victims of devastating personal injury as a result of negligence, as well as individuals needing representation in complex commercial litigation, family law proceedings or serious criminal cases.

A Roanoke, Virginia native, John Fishwick has spent his professional career helping individuals who have faced serious civil and criminal legal challenges. John is not afraid of a tough case and has won significant civil verdicts and obtained acquittals for clients facing criminal charges. No stone is left unturned as John looks for ways to win your case. John is fortunate to work with a talented group of attorneys and staff at his firm, many of whom he has worked with for years. Many of his cases are referred to him from other Virginia attorneys. In fact, many other lawyers refer...