Litigation

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Your case, no matter how large or how small, is important to you, and so it is important to us.

The Litigation Practice Area at Robinson & McElwee is the firm’s largest practice group. We handle a wide variety of matters, from modest contract disputes to class actions, mass tort and complex litigation involving hundreds of millions of dollars. We staff every case with the litigation lawyers and support personnel who have the right experience.

Unlike the large mega-firms, we do not staff our cases depending on who is available, nor do we shuffle cases among less experienced lawyers, moving cases from lawyer to lawyer as associates come and go or transfer to other cases. At Robinson & McElwee, an experienced attorney is designated as lead counsel and will see your case through to its completion. Other attorneys and personnel are assigned as needed to staff the case consistent with your wishes and the requirements of the litigation, keeping in mind always that you deserve value for the trust you have placed in us.

Our West Virginia general litigation department includes a superb support staff composed of experienced paralegals, paralegal assistants, secretaries, and information services personnel. Our conference room suite is designed for mediation, and we are equipped with the latest law firm technology to best serve our clients.

Robinson & McElwee handles a wide variety of matters, including:

  • Appellate litigation
  • Alternative dispute resolution
  • Bankruptcy and creditors’ rights
  • Business and contract disputes
  • Class actions and mass tort litigation
  • Election and campaign finance
  • Financial services litigation
  • Insurance coverage and bad faith litigation
  • Real estate litigation
  • Securities litigation
  • State and local taxation litigation
  • Transportation, trucking and motor carrier matters
  • Underground storage tank (UST) and flexpipe litigation
  • White collar criminal defense litigation
  • Wills, trusts and estates litigation

Robinson & McElwee’s attorneys are involved in a wide array of litigation, but many focus in the following areas:

 

For more information regarding our West Virginia general litigation practice, please contact Richard W. Gallagher at rwg@ramlaw.com or (304) 326-5319, John C. Palmer IV at jcp@ramlaw.com or (304) 347-8324, or Joseph S. Beeson at jsb@ramlaw.com or (304) 347-8326.


For more information regarding our Litigation Practice, please contact:

Keith J. George

kg@ramlaw.com
304-347-8332

Coal, Oil & Gas (Natural Resources)
Deliberate Intent
Domestic Relations
Personal Injury and Wrongful Death
Toxic Tort

Robinson & McElwee handles major oil and gas commercial litigation. Our representative clients include Chesapeake Energy, Cabot Oil & Gas and EQT Corp. Robinson & McElwee also represents coal industry clients such as Eastern Associated Coal. The firm handles timber matters, including flood litigation (personal injury and property damage), for clients such as Georgia Pacific and Weyerhaeuser.

“Deliberate Intent” litigation, sometimes known as Mandolidis litigation, involves cases brought by employees against employers in an effort to avoid the employer’s workers’ compensation immunity, a type of personal injury action unique to West Virginia jurisprudence. In such claims, a plaintiff asserts that an employer’s “deliberate intent” as specifically defined in the Workers’ Compensation Act, caused the plaintiff’s alleged injuries.

Your business needs experienced litigators, and sometimes you do, too. Robinson & McElwee provides domestic relations services for its clients to help them work their way through divorce, child custody and support issues, adoptions and property disposition. This discrete service is limited, but is offered as part of our commitment to fully serving our clients. Robinson & McElwee’s litigation lawyers have earned the respect of their clients and colleagues. Their outstanding litigation skills have been repeatedly demonstrated by successful resolution of disputed matters before trial, at trial, and through the appellate process.

Our attorneys handle a wide variety of personal injury and wrongful death cases, including injuries from car or truck accidents to toxic exposure cases and other complex injury and disease cases. Our asbestos defense practice is one of the largest in the state, and we are actively representing clients in hundreds of asbestos claims.

The firm handles major personal injury litigation due to alleged exposure to toxic substances. Toxic tort cases include asbestos litigation, as well as cases involving mercury, lead, formaldehyde, silica, acrylamide, perchlorethylene, and other cases involving other chemicals, toxic substances and causal agents. In the various areas of tort litigation in which the firm is involved, Robinson & McElwee attorneys represent clients who are sued on both product liability and premises liability theories.

Participating Lawyers

Craig S. Beeson

Member
Email: csb@ramlaw.com
Phone: 304-347-8355
Fax: 304-344-9566
Office: Charleston, WV

Jeffrey A. Kimble

Board Member
Email: jak@ramlaw.com
Phone: 304-326-5314
Fax: 304-622-5065
Office: Clarksburg, WV

Stephen F. Gandee

Asst. Executive Officer
Email: sfg@ramlaw.com
Phone: 304-326-5313
Fax: 304-622-5065
Office: Clarksburg, WV

Keith J. George

Member
Email: kg@ramlaw.com
Phone: 304-347-8332
Fax: 304-344-9566
Office: Charleston, WV

Christopher L. Hamb

Member
Email: clh@ramlaw.com
Phone: 304-347-8305
Fax: 304-344-9566
Office: Charleston, WV

Mark H. Hayes

Member
Email: mhh@ramlaw.com
Phone: 304-347-8354
Fax: 304-344-9566
Office: Charleston, WV

W. Bradley Sorrells

Member
Email: wbs@ramlaw.com
Phone: 304-347-8343
Fax: 304-344-9566
Office: Charleston, WV

Joseph S. Beeson

Of Counsel
Email: jsb@ramlaw.com
Phone: 304-347-8326
Fax: 304-344-9566
Office: Charleston, WV

Richard W. Gallagher

Of Counsel
Email: rwg@ramlaw.com
Phone: 304-326-5319
Fax: 304-622-5065
Office: Clarksburg, WV

John C. Palmer IV

Of Counsel
Email: jcp@ramlaw.com
Phone: 304-347-8324
Fax: 304-344-9566
Office: Charleston, WV

Mary G. Williams

Associate
Email: mary.williams@ramlaw.com
Phone: 304-347-8331
Fax: 304-344-9566
Office: Charleston, WV

News & Media

Robinson & McElwee Attorneys Recognized by Best Lawyers 2024

Fifteen lawyers from Robinson & McElwee PLLC were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2024. The Robinson & McElwee attorneys listed in The Best Lawyers in America© 2024 for Charleston, WV include: Craig S. Beeson,...

August 17, 2023

Robinson & McElwee PLLC Recognized by Chambers USA 2023

The newly released edition of Chambers USA 2023 recognized five Robinson & McElwee attorneys as leaders in their field for their practices in West Virginia: Kent George, Real Estate (Band 1) and Corporate/Commercial (Band 2) Heather Harlan, Tax (Band 2) Doug...

June 2, 2023

Robinson & McElwee Attorneys Recognized by Best Lawyers 2023

Thirteen lawyers from Robinson & McElwee PLLC were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2023. The Robinson & McElwee attorneys listed in The Best Lawyers in America© 2023 for Charleston, WV include: Joseph S....

August 18, 2022

Robinson & McElwee Attorneys Recognized by Super Lawyers

Selected from among only five percent of attorneys in the Mountain State, three of Robinson & McElwee’s attorneys were honored with inclusion in the West Virginia 2022 Super Lawyers Magazine. After the completion of a patented selection process in the region,...

June 16, 2022

Robinson & McElwee PLLC Recognized by Chambers USA 2022

The newly released edition of Chambers USA 2022 recognized five Robinson & McElwee attorneys as leaders in their field for their practices in West Virginia: Kent George, Real Estate (Band 1) and Corporate/Commercial (Band 2) Heather Harlan, Tax (Band 2) Doug...

June 1, 2022

Robinson & McElwee Attorneys Recognized by Best Lawyers 2022

Thirteen lawyers from Robinson & McElwee PLLC were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2022.  The Robinson & McElwee attorneys listed in The Best Lawyers in America© 2022 for...

August 19, 2021

Robinson & McElwee PLLC Recognized by Chambers USA 2021

The newly released edition of Chambers USA 2021 recognized three Robinson & McElwee attorneys as leaders in their field for their practices in West Virginia: Kent George, Real Estate (Band 1) and Corporate/Commercial (Band 2)Doug McElwee, Real Estate (Band...

May 20, 2021

Mark Hayes joins International Association of Defense Counsel

Robinson & McElwee announced that partner Mark H. Hayes recently joined the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC), one of the most prestigious legal organizations in the world. "Mark is an experienced and skillful defense lawyer, as evidenced by...

January 13, 2021