Flora Pettit is pleased to announce that five of its attorneys have been honored by selection for inclusion in the 2019 Virginia Super Lawyers list, a Thomson Reuters business. Two of Flora Pettit’s attorneys have been recognized for inclusion in the “Virginia Super Lawyers” list and three of its attorneys have been named to the “Virginia Rising Stars” list. Super Lawyers annually selects lawyers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement through a rigorous process that includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations. To be selected as a Rising Star, lawyers must either be 40 years old or younger, or have been in practice for 10 years or fewer.
The selected lawyers and the area of law for which they were recognized are:
PATRICK C. ASPLIN (BUSINESS/CORPORATE) – Patrick Asplin has a diverse business and commercial litigation practice with a particular emphasis on technology, e-commerce, intellectual property issues, and business disputes. Mr. Asplin both counsels clients on strategic business matters and represents them in litigation before federal and state courts, including the Virginia Supreme Court and dispute resolution proceedings.
CATHLEEN P. WELSH (EMPLOYMENT & LABOR) – Cathy Welsh has concentrated her practice in employment law throughout her legal career. She has assisted businesses of all sizes from small closely held family businesses to clients with thousands of employees. She both counsels clients on best practices to avoid employment law problems and advocates for them before state and federal administrative agencies and courts. She is a frequent public speaker to business and professional associations on labor and employment law topics.
BRIAN A. CRADDOCK (VIRGINIA RISING STARS – BUSINESS/CORPORATE) – Brian Craddock concentrates his practice on business transactions. He advises business owners at all stages, specifically focusing on entity formation and structuring; mergers and acquisitions; financing; and contract drafting and negotiation. He has significant experience in advising clients in heavily-regulated industries, including healthcare and the beverage industry.
SETH J. RAGOSTA (VIRGINIA RISING STARS – FAMILY LAW) – Seth Ragosta focuses his practice on family law and complex commercial litigation – including general business matters, employment law, real property issues and criminal concerns. Seth’s work in family law includes all issues related to separation or divorce matters, in particular those dealing with the division of assets and spousal support. Seth’s practice has involved many family law matters under Virginia law, including complex equitable distribution and spousal support cases at both the trial and appellate levels. Seth served on the Executive Board of the VBA Young Lawyers Division and currently is a member of the VBA’s Public Service Committee. Seth is an active member of the Charlottesville-Albemarle Bar Association for which he served two terms as Treasurer and was a member of the Judicial Endorsements Committee. Seth has received the Emerson G. Spies Award for service from The Virginia Bar Association.
ANDREW B. STOCKMENT (VIRGINIA RISING STARS – INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY) – Andrew Stockment focuses his practice on intellectual property and technology, cybersecurity and data privacy, and business and corporate law, capitalizing on his background as a software engineer and owner of a web development business. He advises clients regarding the preparation and negotiation of contracts and the formation, operation, purchase, finance, and sale of businesses and the development, protection, and licensing of their intellectual property and technology assets. Andrew counsels clients regarding information governance and data security and privacy issues, and he assists organizations with cybersecurity incident response and data breach notification compliance. Andrew regularly publishes and speaks on intellectual property, technology, and cybersecurity issues.
