Legal Articles

In the latest episode of our firm’s video web series, which can be viewed and read in transcript form below, firm owner John P. Fishwick, Jr., associate attorney Daniel J. Martin, and firm investigator Isaac Van Patten discuss an issue that is frequently on our clients’ minds: how much money is my personal injury case worth? While…

In this article, our attorneys explain how to challenge a will on the basis of undue influence in Virginia.

In the latest episode of our firm’s video web series, which can be viewed below, firm owner John P. Fishwick, Jr., associate attorney Daniel J. Martin, and firm investigator Isaac Van Patten discuss our role in investigating cold cases. While this is not our most common practice, we are honored to be able to assist victims and…

In the latest episode of our firm’s video web series, which can be viewed below, firm owner John P. Fishwick, Jr., associate attorney Daniel J. Martin, and firm investigator Isaac Van Patten discuss what can be done when a defendant in a civil case files for bankruptcy. Although filing for bankruptcy results in an “automatic stay” against…

In the latest episode of our firm’s video web series, which can be viewed below, firm owner John P. Fishwick, Jr., associate attorney Daniel J. Martin, and firm investigator Isaac Van Patten discuss federal workplace discrimination claims, which can oftentimes feel like navigating a complex legal minefield. Unlike many other types of claims, federal discrimination claims must…

In the twenty-ninth episode of our firm’s video web series, which can be viewed below, firm owner John P. Fishwick, Jr., associate attorney Daniel J. Martin, and firm investigator Isaac Van Patten discuss the decriminalization of marijuana in Virginia against the backdrop of Governor Ralph Northam announcing his support for the legalization of recreational marijuana in Virginia.…

In the twenty-eighth episode of our firm’s video web series, which can be viewed below, firm owner John P. Fishwick, Jr., associate attorney Daniel J. Martin, and firm investigator Isaac Van Patten discuss how the kind of tort (from the Latin tortum, meaning injustice) claims veterans may bring sometimes differ from those brought by members of the…

In the twenty-seventh episode of our firm’s video web series, which can be viewed below, firm owner John P. Fishwick, Jr., associate attorney Daniel J. Martin, and firm investigator Isaac Van Patten discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted (or not) our everyday work lives, from Zac’s investigative tasks to Daniel’s legal research and writing. Despite these…

In the twenty-sixth episode of our firm’s video web series, which can be viewed below, firm owner John P. Fishwick, Jr., associate attorney Daniel J. Martin, and firm investigator Isaac Van Patten discuss a groundbreaking change in Virginia criminal law – sentences imposed by judges! Many people are often surprised by the fact that in Virginia, if…

In the twenty-fifth episode of our firm’s video web series, a special Halloween edition which can be viewed below, firm owner John P. Fishwick, Jr., associate attorney Daniel J. Martin, and firm investigator Isaac Van Patten are joined by special guest Kerin Daly to discuss a topic of interest to many of our clients: what do I…

In the twenty-fourth episode of our firm’s video web series, which can be viewed below, firm owner John P. Fishwick, Jr., associate attorney Daniel J. Martin, and firm investigator Isaac Van Patten discuss federal criminal cases, and how our firm’s experience on both the prosecution and defense side gives us an edge in defending our clients against…

In the twenty-third episode of our firm’s video web series, which can be viewed below, firm owner John P. Fishwick, Jr., associate attorney Daniel J. Martin, and firm investigator Isaac Van Patten discuss election law in Virginia, and the impacts that the COVID-19 epidemic has had on elections in 2020. Voting is a fundamental right, and whether…

In the twenty-second episode of our firm’s video web series, which can be viewed below, firm owner John P. Fishwick, Jr., associate attorney Daniel J. Martin, and firm investigator Isaac Van Patten discuss our administrative law practice. In many instances, cases are heard not before judges but before administrative tribunals – one prominent example is student conduct…

Grand juries are one of the more unique features of the United States’ criminal justice system. While regular (or “petit”) juries decide whether a particular defendant is guilty of a crime beyond a reasonable doubt, grand juries decide whether criminal charges should be brought in the first place. Grand juries are essential to not only…

In the twenty-first episode of our firm’s video web series, which can be viewed below, firm owner John P. Fishwick, Jr., associate attorney Daniel J. Martin, and firm investigator Isaac Van Patten discuss the United States Supreme Court, and the ways in which the nation’s highest court affects our practice even in Roanoke, Virginia, and surrounding areas.…

In the twentieth episode of our firm’s video web series, which can be viewed below, firm owner John P. Fishwick, Jr., associate attorney Daniel J. Martin, and firm investigator Isaac Van Patten discuss deadlines in legal cases, formally known as statutes of limitations. In criminal prosecutions, statutes of limitations require the prosecution to charge a defendant within…

In the nineteenth episode of our firm’s video web series, which can be viewed below, firm owner John P. Fishwick, Jr., associate attorney Daniel J. Martin, and firm investigator Isaac Van Patten discuss arbitration, a method of alternative dispute resolution involving a private decision maker (the arbitrator) instead of the public court system. Often, business contracts will…

In the eighteenth episode of our firm’s video web series, which can be viewed below, firm owner John P. Fishwick, Jr., associate attorney Daniel J. Martin, and firm investigator Isaac Van Patten discuss depositions, an important and powerful discovery tool that we utilize in many if not all of our cases. As we explain in the video,…

In the seventeenth episode of our firm’s video web series, which can be viewed below, firm owner John P. Fishwick, Jr., associate attorney Daniel J. Martin, and firm investigator Isaac Van Patten discuss alternative dispute resolution, namely mediation. While many of our cases go to trial, once a case has progressed significantly enough, the parties will often…

In the sixteenth episode of our firm’s video web series, which can be viewed below, firm owner John P. Fishwick, Jr., associate attorney Daniel J. Martin, and firm investigator Isaac Van Patten discuss our experience with zoning cases. As we explained in greater detail in a previous article, zoning cases are often complex and, with strict procedural…