- DivorceAs the spouse of an active-duty service member, Sarah is well-versed in the unique issues that arise in the context of military divorces. She has the working knowledge necessary to zealously represent both service members and civilian spouses, in particular as it relates to the division of active duty and reserve military pensions, and the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP); the interplay between Federal and Virginia law concerning the Uniformed Services Former Spouses Protection Act, and the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act; the varied treatment of disability pay; the intricacies of the survivor benefit plan; and the rules and regulations pertaining to Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS).
- Child SupportAmeet I. Habib joined Wolcott Rivers Gates in May 2013. Mr. Habib received his J. D. from Cleveland State University, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and was admitted into practice in Virginia in 2007. He is a skilled litigator with more than ten years of experience who concentrates his practice in the areas of divorce, custody, child support and visitation, as well as some general civil litigation. Prior to joining WRG, Mr. Habib was a staff attorney with the Legal Aid Society of Virginia, representing clients throughout the area with a variety of legal needs. Mr. Habib also has experience in the United States Supreme Court as he was one of two legal externs selected to work in the Office of the Clerk of the United States Supreme Court. Mr. Habib is honored to be on the boards of the Virginia Zoological Society, Nauticus Foundation, and Green Run Collegiate, where he is able to continue to give back to this community that he calls home.
- Child Custody and VisitationBretta Z. Lewis specializes in Domestic Litigation, including contested and uncontested divorce matters involving corporate interests, division of complex marital estates, and valuation of all types of businesses for equitable distribution and support purposes. Ms. Lewis has extensive experience trying custody and visitation cases in Juvenile and Circuit Court, and has handled a wide range of matters including both traditional and non-traditional family structures such as grandparent custody and visitation matters, same sex family issues, and step-parent or other third party cases.
- Adoption
- Premarital AgreementSarah G. Buitrago is experienced in handling a wide array of family law matters in Virginia, including divorce; property division; custody, visitation, and support matters; post-divorce modification and enforcement matters; premarital agreements; protective orders; and adoptions. Sarah particularly enjoys working on domestic litigation cases that consist of complex financial disputes involving high-income earners, closely-held businesses, and business and property divisions.
- Guardianship
- Spousal SupportFamily Law Assortment: Custody and Visitation Cases with Military Parents; Spousal Support Post Retirement: A review of Driscoll v. Hunter; Qualified Domestic Relations Orders: Do’s, Don’ts and What’s New, NPBA, 2017, Coordinator and Moderator
- Criminal DefenseNick devotes his current practice to representing clients in difficult and complex family law related matters, as well as serious criminal matters in state and federal courts. Nick has served as guardian ad litem for minor children in custody disputes in the past.
- DUI/DWIAfter fighting my DUI case for over a year now and having 2 different attorneys before Pfeiffer, it was taking a long term toll on me and my family mentally and financially. This very last time I had to go to court I read plenty of reviews on Stephen Pfeiffer before I decided to hire him. The way he tackles his DUI cases is compelling and his stern ways in the court room are amazing. This mans fight in the court room put in an end to the hardships I was going through and his reference use and pure knowledge of the judicial system left even the judge with nothing left to say except "dismissed". I wouldn't ever want anybody else representing me, not to mention he is extremely fare on his prices, loves his military and doesn't stop fighting till he gets the results that are deserved.
- Wrongful DeathEdward Wallace Wolcott, Jr. is a native of Norfolk, Virginia and is a fourth generation attorney with the Firm. Mr. Wolcott has more than thirty-six years of experience in the areas of personal injury, wrongful death, elder law, estate planning, estate administration, residential real estate, and domestic relations.
- Traffic ViolationsMr. Stephen Pfeiffer was highly recommended to me for a Reckless Driving citation in Virginia. Being from out of state, the penalties for reckless driving (a felony) can be a disaster personally and professionally. After speaking with Mr. Pfeiffer and his excellent legal assistant Raven, I knew I had the best criminal defense legal representation in the Virginia Beach area. Mr. Pfeiffer was honest, upfront and to the point of what was to be expected. This is the exact legal representation you desire. I gave him all the facts, he gave me direction and put my mind at ease. Court day arrived, Mr. Pfeiffer was able to reduce my citation from Reckless Driving to Improper Driving. he guaranteed me 89% and I received 100%...Thank you Mr. Pfeiffer!!! I am most appreciative.
- Sex CrimesJames is a former Assistant Commonwealth Attorney with Fairfax County and the City of Virginia Beach and has been lead counsel on countless bench and jury trials having litigated Murder, Manslaughter, Robbery, Rape, Malicious Wounding, Embezzlement and a number of other white collar and computer offenses.
- RobberyBrian is also a former Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney with the City of Virginia Beach. While there he tried hundreds of traffic, misdemeanor and felony cases. In both judge and jury trials Brian has litigated Involuntary and Voluntary Manslaughter, Larceny, Burglary, Robbery, Malicious and Aggravated Malicious Wounding, Rape, Robbery, DUI-Manslaughter, DUI-Maiming and Murder.
- Burglary
- MisdemeanorsMs. Lewis holds an undergraduate degree in History from The University of Virginia, a Master’s Degree in English from George Mason University, and received her J.D. from the Marshall Wythe School of Law at the College of William and Mary. She was admitted to the Virginia Bar in 2000 and began her litigation practice as an associate at a prestigious Norfolk law firm, where she gained years of experience in general civil litigation, including corporate matters, administrative hearings, bench and jury trials, and complex equitable distribution cases. In 2003, with the birth of her first child, Ms. Lewis narrowed her focus to child-centered family law matters and opened a boutique law firm with her mother, a former Juvenile Public Defender. Ms. Lewis gained her certification from the Supreme Court as a Guardian Ad Litem for children in 2005 and was certified by the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission for misdemeanor and felony criminal cases shortly thereafter.
- Embezzlement
- Murder
- Manslaughter
- Corporate LawCoastal Virginia Business "Best of Business: Best Corporate Law Firm", Gold Winner for the greater Hampton Roads Region, 2017 - 2018
- Mergers and AcquisitionsOur firm is pleased to welcome Colin A. Dale to our team of attorneys. Colin's practice focuses on new business formations, franchising, mergers and acquisitions, business succession and estate planning.
- Business FormationChristopher A. Pocta is experienced in handling a wide array of real estate and transactional matters in Virginia including residential and commercial real estate, business formation and litigation, landlord/tenant matters, civil litigation, drafting contracts and litigating contract disputes. Chris joined the team at Wolcott Rivers Gates to focus specifically on matters pertaining to real estate, zoning, land use, and related legal considerations. He has personally handled over 250 of these matters to include the representation of purchasers, sellers, and lenders. Since beginning his law practice in 2016, Chris has been invited to speak to local business associations on areas pertaining to real estate, business organization, and related estate planning considerations.
- Business DisputesBefore attending law school, Gordon assisted on mass tort litigation as a paralegal for a top 100 Firm in Washington, D.C. In law school, Gordon was a member of the Federalist Society and the Business Law Society. He was admitted to practice law in Virginia in 2019.
- Business TransactionsPlease visit https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Wolcott-Rivers-Gates/jobs to view and apply for Legal Assistant and Paralegal openings with our firm.
- Limited Liability CompaniesKyle D. Korte’s practice involves representing a wide variety of commercial landowners in land acquisition, development, sales and leasing. In his representation, Kyle provides guidance in the financing of secured and unsecured loan transactions and is experienced in the formation of corporations, limited liability companies and business trusts. Recently he has provided representation and guidance to commercial landlords relative to the increased risk of tenant default, including actions to take in hopes of avoiding default, as well as the appropriate actions to take in the event of default.
- Construction ContractsBarry Dorans has over 30 years of experience in the representation of individuals and businesses, from small and regional companies to large corporations. He has been designated by Super Lawyers as one of Virginia’s Super Lawyers for Business/Corporate matters, AV rated by Martindale Hubbell, a Legal Elite by Virginia Business Magazine for Labor and Employment Law, Civil Litigation and Construction Law and as a Top Lawyer by Costal Virginia Magazine multiple times in his career. Over his career, he has been involved in a wide variety of matters both in state and federal court and out of court. He has recently been involved in assisting clients in buying and selling local businesses, disputes concerning former employees competing against their previous employers, negotiation of employment agreements, and review and negotiation of leases. He has also been involved in federal court litigation involving claims in excess of $1,000,000 concerning unfair competition and in disputes arising out of multi-million dollar construction contracts.
- Trade Secrets
- Intellectual Property
- Unfair Competition
- Wrongful Termination
- Employment ContractDrafting employment contracts that reward the company’s top performers and protect the company from unfounded claims by disgruntled employees.
- Non-compete AgreementAt Wolcott Rivers Gates, our business law attorneys work with employers to develop programs that reward and retain employees; for example, ownership interests with certain protections for the employer and non-solicitation or non-compete agreements so the employee cannot leave and steal the employer’s customers upon termination.
- Real Estate LitigationCoastal Virginia Business "Best of Business: Best Real Estate Law Firm", Gold Winner for the greater Hampton Roads Region, 2017 - 2018
- Premises LiabilityMarshall A. Winslow, Jr. concentrates his practice in civil litigation, with special emphasis in the areas of eminent domain, zoning, land use, construction, premises liability and products liability law. Mr. Winslow’s eminent domain experience includes representation of the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Transportation for right of way acquisitions, as well as representation of private individuals in land disputes with governmental and public utility takers. His product liability experience includes asbestos defense litigation in state and federal courts, as well as representation of homeowners with defective building materials and construction claims. His construction related experience includes litigation of both commercial and residential building issues throughout the Hampton Roads Area.
- Construction LitigationHis areas of concentration include civil litigation, employment law, representation of businesses, construction law, real estate, and appellate work. He is well known throughout the area for his lectures at seminars and conferences on issues involving employee benefits, labor issues, and construction and condominium law.
- Eminent DomainLecturer - Valuing and Accounting for Common Elements and Other Special Considerations: Focus on Homeowner Associations and Condominium Associations (CLE International, Eminent Domain Institute 2022)
- Land Use and Zoning
- Landlord-Tenant Disputes
- Condominium Law
- Personal InjuryJohn Basilone is a litigation and trial attorney whose practice is focused on the handling of personal injury matters, representing persons who have been injured by the negligence of others. He has been in practice for over 30 years, and has litigated and tried cases throughout the cities of Hampton Roads, including in both the state and federal courts, as well as in many other cities and counties throughout Virginia. He holds the AV Preeminent Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, and is recognized as a member of The Million Dollar Advocates Forum, reserved for attorneys who have obtained jury verdicts and settlements for amounts in excess of one million dollars.
- Medical MalpracticeBefore joining Wolcott Rivers Gates, Colin focused on medical malpractice litigation at a firm in Norfolk, Virginia. In law school, Colin was a member of the Sports Law Society. He was admitted to practice law in Virginia in 2021.
- Medicaid PlanningLecturer, Asset Protection, Charitable Gift Planning, Elder Law, Estate Planning, Estate Settlement, Medicaid Planning, Tax Planning and Trust Administration
- Slip and Fall Injury$500,000 jury verdict for slip and fall injury to tenant due to failure of landlord to remove or treat snow and ice, Harden v. Gene B. Glick Company, Inc., et al., United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Norfolk Division (2017)
- Estate Planning
- Wills
- TrustsWith a background in elder law and special needs planning, Jessica proactively aids clients in identifying and minimizing potential future threats to their estate plan, including long-term care costs and estate taxes. She also guides executors and trustees through the process of estate and trust administration.
- Power of AttorneyExplaining the “Inexplicable”: A Response to Powers of Attorney Under the Uniform Power of Attorney Act Including Reference to Virginia Law
- Probate
- BankruptcyOur lawyers also represent official committees of unsecured creditors in Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases. We advise former shareholders, officers and directors in claims brought by bankruptcy estates for alleged breaches of their fiduciary duties. Our bankruptcy and creditors’ rights team has prosecuted numerous involuntary bankruptcy petitions on behalf of petitioning creditors.
- Foreclosure
- Tax LawCoastal Virginia Business "Best of Business: Best Tax Law Firm", Gold Winner for the greater Hampton Roads Region, 2017 - 2018