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PLDR PRACTICE AREAS
At Petty, Livingston, Dawson & Richards, we are committed to providing quality legal services for our clients. We serve businesses and individuals in the areas of litigation, real estate, tax and estate planning, and business law. By concentrating their practices in selected areas of law, our attorneys and staff are able to direct their time and knowledge toward producing the best results for our clients.
Business Formation and Transition
Business owners today are faced with a myriad of legal challenges in the everyday operation of their businesses. We can assist with choice of formation of new business entities, contracts, employment laws and regulations, succession plans, ESOPs, and tax-related matters.
Complex Litigation
Our trial attorneys have experience trying cases at all levels of the court system including the local, state, and federal courts. We assist our clients in cases involving business matters, employment and insurance litigation, construction disputes, and personal injury. Our firm has extensive experience in resolving conflicts using alternative dispute resolution methods such as mediation and arbitration.
Construction Law
Our Construction Law Group has represented owners, contractors, specialty trade contractors, suppliers, architects, engineers, and sureties in all aspects of construction projects, from zoning and financing, to contract drafting and negotiation, to claim and lien defense and prosecution, and in all aspects of dispute resolution, including mediation, arbitration, and litigation in state and federal courts. Our goal is to aggressively represent our clients to achieve the most cost effective resolution of disputes.
Creditors Rights and Bankruptcy
Our attorneys have years of experience in representing creditors pursuing their debts, both outside of bankruptcy and inside of all types of bankruptcy cases, including Chapters 7, 11, 12 and 13. We offer "outside-the-box" protective strategies for clients whose clients and customers are starting a slide toward Bankruptcy. We maximize the return our clients receive in Bankruptcy cases by filing claims and objecting to plans, getting permission from the Bankruptcy Court to pursue collateral despite the "automatic stay" of bankruptcy, filing dischargeability complaints to pursue debts even after the Bankruptcy, defending claims made by trustees or debtors to recover money from creditors or to impair creditors’ liens on their collateral, and virtually all other matters involved in a bankruptcy case. We are often able to negotiate fair resolutions which protect our clients’ collateral and income streams, but we are experienced and ready to litigate these matters if necessary.
Employment Law
We serve the diverse employment law needs of our business clients, providing both counseling and litigation services. Our representation of management includes litigation in state and federal courts, as well as handling employment claims with administrative agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Virginia Employment Commission, and the Department of Labor. The employment issues handled by our attorneys include discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful discharge, noncompetition disputes, wage and hour claims, breach of contract, employee benefits, and other matters. In addition to management representation in employment disputes, we assist employers with the preparation and revision of employee handbooks, employment contracts, severance agreements, noncompete agreements, and other forms of planning designed to avoid employment disputes. We pride ourselves on giving realistic assessments of employment problems to our clients.
Real Estate and Development
We provide legal advice and services involving commercial, investment and development real estate, as well as residential closings. We can assist in real estate matters involving leases, condominium law, and like-kind exchanges.
Taxation, Wills and Trusts
Our attorneys have extensive training and experience in wealth transfer planning with a concentration on tax-related issues regarding asset transfer and succession. We provide innovative planning services for wills, trusts, and estates as well as management and advisory services for the administration of estates and trusts.