Local Lawyers Achieve 'Legal Elite' Status â?? Daily News Record (12-14-2010)

HARRISONBURG - More than two dozen local lawyers have been named to Virginia Business magazine's Legal Elite for 2010.

The magazine e-mailed electronic ballots to 11,500 lawyers in Virginia this year. More than 1,600 participated, voting for 3,826 lawyers in 15 categories.

Lawyers were allowed to vote for others in their firm, but they also had to vote for at least as many attorneys in other firms. "Outside" votes were weighted more heavily than "inside" votes.

Twenty percent of the nominees - more than 780 lawyers - made the final list.

The following local lawyers were named to the 2010 Legal Elite in the listed categories:

Alternative Dispute Resolution
J. Jay Litten, Litten & Sipe LLP
John J. McGrath Jr., Juridical Solutions PLC
P. Marshall Yoder, Wharton, Aldhizer & Weaver PLC

Bankruptcy
Dale A. Davenport, Hoover Penrod PLC

Business Law
Jeffrey R. Adams, Wharton, Aldhizer & Weaver PLC
Mark W. Botkin, BotkinRose PLC
Stephen T. Heitz, Litten & Sipe LLP
Jeffrey G. Lenhart, Lenhart Obenshain PC

Civil Litigation
Jason E.J. Ham, Litten & Sipe LLP
Charles F. Hilton, Wharton, Aldhizer & Weaver PLC
Mark D. Obenshain, Lenhart Obenshain PC
Marshall H. Ross, Wharton, Aldhizer & Weaver PLC

Construction
Brian K. Brake, Lenhart Obenshain PC
Melisa G. Michelsen, Litten & Sipe LLP
Gregory T. St. Ours, Wharton, Aldhizer & Weaver PLC

Family/Domestic Relations
Bill Shmidheiser, Lenhart Obenshain PC

Health Law
Glenn M. Hodge, Wharton, Aldhizer & Weaver PLC

Intellectual Property
Daniel L. Fitch, Wharton, Aldhizer & Weaver PLC

Labor/Employment
Thomas E. Ullrich, Wharton, Aldhizer & Weaver PLC
Cathleen P. Welsh, Lenhart Obenshain PC

Legal Services/Pro Bono
James L. Johnson, Wharton, Aldhizer & Weaver PLC
John E. Whitfield, Blue Ridge Legal Services Inc.

Legislative/Regulatory/Administrative
Lynn K. Suter, Lenhart Obenshain

Real Estate/Land Use
Lisa Anne Hawkins, Lenhart Obenshain PC

Taxes/Estates/Trusts/Elder Law
John W. Flora, Lenhart Obenshain PC
Donald E. Showalter, Wharton, Aldhizer & Weaver PLC

Young Lawyers (Under 40)
Jason A. Botkins, Litten & Sipe LLP
David I. Klass, Wharton, Aldhizer & Weaver PLC
Jennifer E. Shirkey, Lenhart Obenshain PC