News

–By John Merrick — John Merrick was selected to the list of 2023 Super Lawyers as a top-rated personal injury attorney.  This peer designation is awarded only to a select number of accomplished attorneys in each state. The Super Lawyers selection process takes into account peer recognition, professional achievement in legal practice, and other cogent factors. John has been selected as a Virginia Super Lawyer for four consecutive years and, before that, he was selected as a Rising Star for six consecutive years. There are a lot of “lawyer lists” out there, and we believe Super Lawyers gets it right....

Les Brock was selected to the list of 2023 Super Lawyers as a top-rated personal injury attorney.  This is the 7th consecutive year Les has been selected as a Virginia Super Lawyer.  Les has also been recognized by Super Lawyers as a top-rated attorney in the areas of personal injury, business litigation, construction law, and civil litigation.  He was also recognized for three consecutive years as a Rising Star. Super Lawyers is a peer designation awarded only to a select number of accomplished attorneys in each state.  Each year, attorneys are ranked based on the Super Lawyers selection process, which...

Les Brock recovered $450,000 for a HVAC subcontractor in a payment dispute with a general contractor over work performed at three large commercial projects in the Richmond area.  The general contractor failed to pay the subcontractor for the work, despite the fact that the general contractor had been paid by the project owner.  The general contract argued that it was entitled to withhold payment because the HVAC subcontractor did not properly document its work or submit its payment claims in the proper format, and the general contractor also claimed the subcontractor was responsible for water damage caused to other portions...

–By John Merrick — John is proud to serve as the vice-president of the local chapter of the American Inns of Court. The mission of the Inns of Court is to inspire the legal community to advance the rule of law by achieving the highest level of professionalism through example, education and mentoring. Last week Judge Jayne Pemberton presented the Ester Windmueller Award to Judge Beverly Snukals at our Lewis F. Powell, III, Inn of Court meeting in recognition of her exemplary professionalism, inspired leadership, and dedicated mentoring of future leaders.  Both judges go out of their way to help...

–By John Merrick — John is currently the Vice-President of the Lewis F. Powell, Jr. Inn of Court. The Inn is named after an influential Supreme Court Justice from Virginia. The Inn is comprised of mostly lawyers and judges and is dedicated to promoting civility and professionalism. The Lewis F. Powell, Jr. Inn is a member of the larger (national) American Inns of Court. The Inn provided John with a golden opportunity to celebrate last weekend at the United States Supreme Court for the American Inns of Court Celebration of Excellence. It was an inspiring night in an amazing place....

–By John Merrick — Work-life balance is critical. Most of us can use a little more life and less work. To do so, it is important to stop, live in the present and appreciate the little things, aka “smell the roses.” It is easier said than done, especially in a world of multitasking, deadlines, adversaries and the (almost) ever present cell phone. Work-life balance starts by unplugging. Emails, text messages, phone calls, voicemails and reminders detract from appreciating the little things and living in the present. Cell phones are a boon for work, but they are kryptonite for life. In...

Merrick Brock attorneys John Merrick and Les Brock have both been selected to the list of 2022 Super Lawyers as top rated personal injury attorneys in Virginia.  John and Les have been recognized by Super Lawyers for the last decade in various categories, including personal injury, business litigation, construction, civil litigation, and Rising Stars. Super Lawyers is a peer designation awarded only to a select number of accomplished attorneys in each state.  Each year, attorneys are ranked based on the Super Lawyers selection process, which takes into account peer recognition, professional achievement in legal practice, and other cogent factors.  Only...

–By John Merrick — “Don’t lose sight of the forest for the trees.” I confess that years ago I wasn’t sure what this advice really meant. In a nutshell, it means don’t miss the big picture by focusing solely on the details. This applies broadly to every profession and daily life but is particularly important for a trial attorney. Despite its simplicity, this old adage is easy to forget, because we tend to get wrapped up in details. I do anyway. I recently resolved a heavy case. My client faced four life sentences and trial was fast approaching. There were...

Merrick Brock filed an action pending in the Henrico County Circuit Court, Case No. CL19-6133, asserting claims for breach of contract, piercing the corporate veil, tortious interference with contract, tortious interference with business expectancy, and business conspiracy. The lawsuit alleges that the plaintiff entered into an asset purchase agreement to acquire the assets of the defendant’s local Richmond business, including the business’ name, its existing client contracts, and its confidential client list.  As part of the agreement, the defendant agreed to a non-compete provision prohibiting the defendant from soliciting clients from the client list or competing in the Richmond area. ...

Merrick Brock recovered $398,000 for a subcontractor in a payment dispute with a bonding company.  The subcontractor was hired by a large regional general contractor to perform work on a mixed-use construction project.  After the general contractor defaulted, the bonding company took over the project and directed the subcontractor to continue working pursuant to the terms of its original subcontract, but the bonding company later disputed the scope of the subcontractor’s work and the validity of the subcontractor’s invoices.  Merrick Brock asserted a claim for breach of contract and challenged the bonding company’s reasons for denying payment.  Merrick Brock recovered...