Richard H. Matthews - Chesapeake, VA

Rick serves as lead counsel in many of the firm's complex civil matters, both commercial and tort. He routinely advises financial institutions, businesses and governmental institutions on legal matters having potential litigation ramifications. He also supervises transactional work for such clients.

He served as Assistant City Attorney for Virginia Beach from 1978 to 1983 and served as Pender & Coward's CEO from 1999-2019.

Rick frequently lectures and judges competitions at Regent University School of Law.

REPRESENTATIVE CASES & TRANSACTIONS
Represented regional banks in a number of multi-million dollar cases involving participation agreements, lender liability defense and creditor's rights.

Represented multiple school boards and municipalities in million dollar tort and civil rights cases.

Represented ownership of golf course in multiple cases involving utilization of fly ash in construction of facility, involving hundreds of plaintiffs and millions of dollars in claims, contract disputes between participants and indemnity claims.

MEMBERSHIPS
Virginia Beach Bar Association
Norfolk-Portsmouth Bar Association
Chesapeake Bar Association
Virginia Bar Association

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
James Kent Inn of Court, Past President
Hampton Roads University of Richmond Alumni Association, Past President
University of Richmond Law School Association, Past Director
Sigma Chi Lifetime Member
Pack 53 Chesapeake Boy Scout Association, Former Cub Master
Greenbrier Athletic Association, Former Vice President and Director
Greenbrier Panthers AAU/USSSA Baseball Program, Co-founder

HONORS & AWARDS
Coastal Virginia's Top Lawyers, Labor and Employment/Legacy, 2016-2021
Virginia's Legal Elite, Labor/Employment, 2016-2020

ARTICLES
Recent Developments in Virginia Sovereign Immunity Law - June 2012

PRACTICE AREAS
Banking & Financial Institutions
Corporate and Transactional
Labor and Employment
Litigation
Local Government

EDUCATION
Juris Doctor, University of Richmond, T.C. Williams School of Law, 1976
University of Richmond, 1974, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa

ADMISSIONS
Virginia Supreme Court, 1976
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, 1977
United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia, 1995
United States Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, 1977
United States Supreme Court, 1980