The Allen Law Firm is pleased to announce that 25 attorneys have been named to the 2023 Super Lawyers list. Those attorneys include Edward L. Allen, R. Clayton Allen, Jennifer G. Capocelli, Ashley T. Davis, J. David Douthit, David M. Irvine, P. Christopher Guedri, Paul D. Hux, David M. Irvine, Trent S. Kerns, 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.
Among Super Lawyers’ 2023 Rising Stars are R. Lee Appleton. D. Bradley Kent, Danielle B. Kent, Kari J. La Fratta, John J. Siegner, Emily E. Smith, and Eric W. Speer.
Edward L. Allen, firm president and attorney 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.
Clayton Allen, a Richmond attorney of counsel, has been included on the Virginia Super Lawyers list since 2019. Clayton is a former Chairman of the Young Lawyers Section of the Richmond Bar Association and a founding member of the National Civil Justice Foundation.
Jennifer Capocelli works out of the Richmond office and serves as the resident workers’ compensation authority at Allen & Allen. Over the years, Jennifer has spoken to a variety of groups on workers’ compensation issues, and regularly conducts training seminars. She has handled numerous workers’ compensation cases at both the evidentiary and appellate level.
Ashley T. Davis, 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 in 2019 and 2022. 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.
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 the past year.
Paul Hux, an attorney 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 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.
Trent S. Kerns served as President of Allen & Allen from 2012-2018. He was past president of the Lewis F. Powell, Jr. Inn of Court and the Young Lawyers Section for the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association. Most recently, he worked on a case that secured the largest single-plaintiff settlement in Virginia history.
James “Jamie” 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, is a Richmond attorney and firm shareholder, and has appeared on the Virginia Super Lawyers Top 10 List since 2016, including this year. He was also named Lawyer of the Year Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs – Richmond in 2022 by Best Lawyers in America.
Bridget N. Long is a trial attorney and shareholder working out of the Mechanicsville office. She has been included on the Virginia Super Lawyers list since 2008. She is currently president of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association (VTLA). This year, she was also 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. This year he 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 was also honored as a Virginia Super Lawyers Rising Star from 2015-2019.
Elyse H. Stiner works out of the Richmond office focusing primarily on workers’ compensation, where she has excelled at securing strong results for injured clients. Her notable results have been published in Virginia Lawyers Weekly. 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 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, has been included on the Virginia Super Lawyers list since 2007. He was also recognized in the 2019 edition of Best Lawyers in America in the practice area of Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs. In 2023, he was named a Go-To Lawyer for medical malpractice by Virginia Lawyers Weekly.
Lee Appleton works out of the Richmond office and has been recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star for the fourth year in a row. He also serves 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.
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.
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.
Kari J. La Fratta works out of the Charlottesville office of Allen & Allen. This is her fourth 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.
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.
