The Allen Law Firm is pleased to announce that 25 attorneys have been named to the 2024 Virginia Super Lawyers list. Those attorneys include Edward L. Allen, Jennifer G. Capocelli, Ashley T. Davis, J. David Douthit, P. Christopher Guedri, Paul D. Hux, David M. Irvine, James M. Kessel, Jason W. Konvicka, Bridget N. Long, Malcolm “Mic” McConnell, Robert C.T. Reed, Elyse H. Stiner, Christopher J. Toepp, Courtney Allen Van Winkle and Derrick L. Walker.
Our Super Lawyers’ 2024 Rising Stars are R. Lee Appleton. Scott D. Fitzgerald, Danielle B. Kent, D. Bradley Kent, Kari J. La Fratta, John J. Siegner, Emily E. Smith, Eric W. Speer, and Wilson P. Van Winkle.
Edward L. Allen, is a trial attorney and Shareholder at the Richmond office, has been named to Super Lawyers for over 10 years. He was selected Lawyer of the Year for Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs, Richmond in 2022 by Best Lawyers in America, where he has been listed since 2010.
Jennifer G. Capocelli works out of the Richmond office and serves as the resident workers’ compensation authority at Allen & Allen. She was inducted as a Fellow for The College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers, and was named to Virginia Lawyers Weekly’s Leaders in the Law. She handles workers’ compensation cases at both the evidentiary and appellate level.
Ashley T. Davis (Top 50), a Richmond attorney and Shareholder, has been included in the Virginia Super Lawyers list since 2019. Ashley is a member of the prestigious Boyd-Graves Conference and is an adjunct professor at the University of Richmond School of Law. She was also named an Influential Woman of Law by Virginia Lawyers Weekly in 2022.
David Douthit is a Richmond attorney that was also named to Virginia Super Lawyers every year since 2019. In addition to his primary focus on car accident litigation, he organizes mock trials with student organizations, and has been honored by the Richmond Police Academy for his aid in training recruits on the signs and symptoms of alcohol intoxication and impairment.
P. Christopher Guedri, an attorney of counsel, has been included on the Virginia Super Lawyers list since 2006. He was named Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers in America in Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs in 2015. He also secured the largest single-plaintiff settlement in Virginia history in 2022.
Paul D. Hux (Top 50), a Shareholder and managing partner of the firm’s Chesterfield office, has been included on the Virginia Super Lawyers list since 2010. This year, Paul was selected to the Richmond Super Lawyers Top 50 List. His accomplishments in and out of the courtroom include multi-million-dollar results for his clients.
David M. Irvine is a trial attorney working out of the Charlottesville office, and has extensive experience in both the Virginia circuit court and general district court. He’s active with Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, where he served as President of the Young Trial Lawyers Section from 2013-2014.
James Mick Kessel, an attorney and Shareholder in the Richmond office, has been named to Virginia Super Lawyers for eight years. Previously, he was named a Rising Star by Virginia Super Lawyers from 2010 – 2012. He has been named to Virginia Business Magazine’s list of Legal Elite for multiple consecutive years.
Jason W. Konvicka (Top 10) is the president of Allen & Allen, and has appeared on the Virginia Super Lawyers Top 10 List since 2016. He is also serving as the 40th president of the Melvin M. Belli Society. He was named Lawyer of the Year Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs – Richmond in 2022 by Best Lawyers in America.
Bridget N. Long (Top 50) is a Shareholder and managing partner of the Mechanicsville office. She has been included on the Virginia Super Lawyers list since 2008. She was previously president of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association (VTLA), the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), and was named to the Richmond Top 50 list by Super Lawyers.
Malcolm P. “Mic” McConnell, a Richmond attorney and Shareholder, has been chosen to the Virginia Super Lawyers for over 15 years. Mic, was also named the Lawyer of the Year for Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs in Richmond by Best Lawyers in America in 2019. He recently earned a spot on the Richmond Top 50 Super Lawyers list.
Robert C.T. Reed is a Richmond attorney and Shareholder. He was named a Top 10 Personal Injury Attorney under 40 by the National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys. He recently wrote the premier guide to insurance coverage in Virginia: Sources of Coverage: Insurance Coverage for Personal Injury Actions in Virginia.
Elyse H. Stiner works out of the Richmond office, in the workers’ compensation division. She was named a Top 100 Workers’ Compensation Attorney by the Workers’ Injury Law & Advocacy Group in 2023. She was named a Rising Star for Super Lawyers consecutively since 2016, and became a Virginia Super Lawyer in 2022.
Christopher J. Toepp, a Fredericksburg attorney and Shareholder, has been included in the Virginia Super Lawyers list since 2017. He was previously listed as a Rising Star in 2016. Chris was named to Legal Elite by Virginia Business Magazine from 2014 to 2018 and has been on the Best Lawyers – Ones to Watch list since 2021.
Courtney Allen Van Winkle, a Richmond attorney and Shareholder, has been included on the Virginia Super Lawyers list since 2015. In 2019, she was named to Best Lawyers in America and to the 2019 list of Influential Women in Law by Virginia Lawyers Weekly. This year, she was entered into the Virginia Lawyers Weekly Hall of Fame.
Derrick L. Walker, a Richmond attorney and Shareholder. He is also president-elect for the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association (VTLA). In 2023, he was named a Go-To Lawyer for medical malpractice by Virginia Lawyers Weekly. Walker recently received the Minority Caucus Stalwart Award from the American Association for Justice (AAJ).
R. Lee Appleton works out of the Richmond office and has been recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star for the fifth year in a row. He also served as a CLE committee member for the Richmond Bar Association, and is a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Alliance with the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association.
Scott D. Fitzgerald is a Shareholder based out of the Richmond office, and has appeared previously as a Super Lawyers Rising Star since 2019. National Trial Lawyers had named him to their “Top 40 Under 40” list, as did the National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys. He’s a member of the 4th generation of the Allen family, carrying on the legal tradition.
Danielle B. Kent works out of both the Fredericksburg and Richmond offices of Allen & Allen. When she isn’t defending the rights of her clients, Danielle serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Richmond School of Law. She is also very active in professional affiliations surrounding the law, such as the American Association for Justice.
D. Bradley Kent works in the Richmond office of Allen & Allen, specializing in cases involving car crashes, premises liability, and dog bites. He volunteers at the University of Richmond, coaching mock trials. Currently, he is an active member of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, as well as the American Association for Justice.
Kari J. La Fratta works out of the Charlottesville office of Allen & Allen. This is her fifth consecutive year being named a Rising Star for Virginia Super Lawyers, as well as being named a Legal Elite in 2021. She’s involved in multiple legal organizations and has served as a chair in the Medical Malpractice Section of the Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys.
John J. Siegner, is a Chesterfield attorney and has been with the firm since 2018. He’s a member of the Richmond chapter of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association. He also serves on the Young Professional Board of Special Olympics and the Young Professional Board of Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN).
Emily E. Smith practices out of Allen & Allen’s Fredericksburg office and focuses on cases involving car, truck, or motorcycle crashes. Unafraid to work tirelessly on behalf of her clients, Emily has a reputation for distilling issues down to the most vital information. Being in the courtroom is why she wanted to become a lawyer, and she strives to fight for a fair outcome for her clients.
Eric W. Speer works out of the Richmond office. He’s had notable cases published in Virginia Lawyers Weekly, and worked as co-counsel on the largest trial verdict of 2021, at $10 million dollars. He has been named a Rising Star with Virginia Super Lawyers every year since 2021.
P. Wilson Van Winkle is based in our Fredericksburg office, and is a fourth generation member of the Allen family carrying on the legal tradition. He is a member of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association (VTLA), the Fredericksburg Bar Association, and has spoken at VTLA seminars.
Virginia Super Lawyers is a listing of attorneys from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process includes peer nominations, peer evaluations, and independent research performed by Law & Politics Magazine. Super Lawyers can be found by searching the directory online at superlawyers.com.
