Honors and Awards:

• American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Fellow
• AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell’s highest rating for legal ability and ethical standards
• Leaders in the Law Award, recognized by the Virginia Lawyers Weekly for achievements in the legal profession and contributions to the community, 2009
• Family/Domestic Relations category, Virginia's Legal Elite, Virginia Business Magazine, 2011

Special Licenses/Certifications:

• Guardian Ad Litem for Children, qualified in the Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, and Suffolk districts
• Admitted to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, U.S. Court of International Trade

Bar/Professional Activity:

• Virginia Bar Association (Domestic Relations Council Secretary/Treasurer)
• Virginia Beach Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court, Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative Collaborative Committee
• Virginia Family Law Coalition
• Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys
• Virginia Beach Bar Association
• Norfolk and Portsmouth Bar Association
• I'Anson Hoffman Inns of Court
• Virginia State Bar (Family Law Section, Board of Governors)

Pro bono/Community Service:

• Virginia Beach Board of Zoning Appeals, Full Member, Appointed by the Virginia Beach City Council, 2011-2015
• Mission of the Holy Spirit (Advisory Board), aids inner-city children and their families
• Seton Youth Shelters (Board of Directors, Advisory Board Chairman), provides shelter and counseling for at-risk youth

Scholarly Lectures and Writings:

• Presenter, Virginia District Court Judges Conference, “Spare the Child,” August 2011
• Panel moderator, 30th Annual Family Law Seminar: The Death of Marriage, presented by Virginia CLE in Norfolk, October 2011
• Panelist, Best Practices in Circuit Court: An Interactive Judges’ Forum for Tidewater-Area Litigators, presented by Virginia CLE, March 2012
• Co-Author, The “Not So Separate” Separation: The Pitfalls of Living Separate and Apart in the Same Residence, Virginia State Bar Family Law News, Fall 2010
• Author, What You Think You Already Know: Virginia Residency and Domiciliary Requirements for Divorce, Virginia Bar Association Journal, January 2012
• Regent University School of Law, Advanced Family Law course, Guest Lecturer, 2011
• Co-Chair and Moderator, Virginia CLE 29th Annual Family Law seminar, “Spare the Child,” multiple Virginia locations, October 2010
• Presenter, Navigating the Mental Health Maze Advocating Appropriate Evaluation and Treatment, June 12, 2009
• Presenter, Virginia Beach Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, Court Improvement Program, 2009
• Presenter, 27th Annual Family Seminar, Family Practitioner’s Guide to Trial Advocacy, October 2008
• Presenter, Virginia Bar Association Domestic Relations Section Seminar, July 2009
• Presenter, Virginia Bar Association Domestic Relations Seminar, July 2008
• Panelist, Domestic Relations Law, William & Mary Law School lunch series, 2009
• Guest Lecturer, Role of the Guardian Ad Litem in Resolving Custody Disputes, William & Mary Law School, third year ADR Seminar, 2009
• Pupilege group presenter, Ethical Issues of Candor Toward the Tribunal, I'Anson Hoffman Inn of Court, 2008
• Pupilege group presenter, Civility Between Younger and Seasoned Attorneys, I'Anson Hoffman Inn of Court, 2010

Verdicts and Settlements:

• Smith v. Husband,  376 F.Supp 2d, 603 Eastern District of Virginia 2005
• Smith v. Husband,  428 F.Supp 2d, 432 Eastern District of Virginia 2006
• Moon v. The United States, 89 F.3rd 829, 4th Cir. 1996
• Uninsured Employers Fund v. Edwards, 531 S.E.2d 35, 32 Va. App. 814 (2000)
• Gwaltney of Smithfield, Ltd. v. Hagins, 528 S.E.2d 162, 32 Va. App. 386 (2000)
• Artis v. Jones, 663 S.E.2d 521, 52 Va. App. 356 (2008)

Educational Background:

• University of Richmond, B.A., 1991
• Ball State University, M.A., 1993