Woods Rogers Vandeventer Black is the combination of Woods Rogers, founded in Roanoke in 1893, and Vandeventer Black, established in Norfolk in 1883. The merger of the two highly respected Virginia firms was official in July 2022. Following the merger, members of the new firm came together to chart a course for their combined future. The merger offered the firm leaders a unique opportunity to reflect on the legacy of the two firms and adopt the best of their collective traditions and practices. From east to west, the firms that would combine to form today’s Woods Rogers have been instrumental in shaping the legal system across the state.
Nine members of the current firm have served as president of the Virginia Bar Association, including current Woods Rogers Chairman, Victor Cardwell, the VBA’s first Black president. Several more serve the VBA on the Board of Governors and as section leaders. The firm’s contributions to the Virginia State Bar (VSB) are also impressive, with Woods Rogers attorneys serving in distinguished roles such as president of the State Examiner’s Board, members of the VSB Board of Governors, and Vice Chair of the Special Committee on Technology and the Future Practice of Law.
Firm attorneys also hold active leadership positions in the Virginia Associate of Defense Attorneys (VADA), the Virginia Women Attorneys Association (VWAA) and local bars across the Commonwealth. Three Woods Rogers attorneys currently serve on boards or committees of the Commonwealth:
- Data privacy attorney Elizabeth Waller, who is appointed to the Governor’s Cybersecurity Planning Committee
- Real estate attorney Deborah Casey, who is a member of Virginia’s Common Interest Community Board
- Firm Chairman Victor Cardwell, who serves on the Board of the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority
Woods Rogers attorneys participate on several nonprofit boards across Virginia, in many cases, serving these groups as outside general counsel. We provide exceptional legal services across regions, disciplines, and markets. From promising startups to the Fortune 200, our attorneys have the experience and knowledge to support our clients in the most complex, high-profile matters anywhere. We bring a holistic perspective and a deep command of the practices in which we focus, and our bench helps us effectively deliver quality across markets.
Our culture is what distinguishes us—it is the anchoring element beneath all we do. Though larger, we are determined to remain nimble and personal. Our clients will continue to have access to partners. To transparency. To candor and responsiveness.