SERVICE. INTEGRITY. RESULTS.
For more than a century, Pender & Coward has been dedicated to the success of its clients, representing businesses of all sizes, governmental entities and individuals. The firm’s 34 attorneys practice throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia from offices in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and Suffolk and remain committed to accomplishing client goals through proven experience, diligent research and effective communication.
Pender & Coward Practice Areas
- Admiralty: Led by James T. Lang, a retired U.S. Navy JAG with deep admiralty and maritime legal experience gained during a 25-year career with the Navy.
- Administrative Law: Protecting clients’ rights when it comes to the laws limiting the powers of state and federal agencies.
- Business and Commercial Transactions: Acquisitions, banking and credit union law, real estate development, tax planning, contract drafting and negotiation, stockholders’ and partnership agreements and financing.
- Commercial Collections: Representing commercial clients as a recipient of claims through The Commercial Law League and other bonded forwarders.
- Community Association: Representation of condominium and homeowners’ associations, developers and owners of units and lots within deed-restricted communities.
- Construction & Government Contracts: Representation of general contractors, subcontractors, suppliers and material men, as well as owners in all aspects of construction on private and federal, state and local projects.
- Criminal: Handling a wide range of misdemeanor criminal and traffic matters.
- Disability Law: Helping disabled people obtain disability benefits from programs such as Social Security Disability and the Virginia Retirement System (VRS), among others.
- Eminent Domain: Serving condemning authorities, including multiple state agencies, municipalities, utility service providers and other right of way consulting agencies involved in Public Private Partnerships and First Cities Initiative projects.
- Employment: Representing employers and employees in wrongful discharge, disciplinary actions, discrimination, sexual harassment, EEOC complaints, compensation and non-compete agreements.
- Environmental: Legal experts in environmentally sensitive areas, such as growth management and wetlands, as well as the environmental aspects of business transactions.
- Family Law: Representing clients in the areas of child custody and visitation, child and spousal support, equitable distribution of marital property and the preservation of separate property.
- Healthcare: Representing physicians, medical groups, contractors and suppliers of medical services in malpractice cases.
- Immigration: Focusing on employment and family-based immigration services, as well as ensuring documentary compliance with applicable laws.
- Insurance: Representing national insurance carriers and businesses regarding commercial, general liability, life and accident coverage.
- Litigation: Handling general and civil litigation matters involving administrative agencies at both the state and federal levels.
- Mediation and Arbitration: Counseling clients on opportunities for alternative dispute resolution (“ADR”) in lieu of traditional litigation.
- Military Law: Advising clients on post-government employment issues, security clearance issues, upgrading unfavorable discharge and administering trust funds to benefit enlisted personnel.
- Municipal Law: Representing state and local government agencies including sheriffs, school boards, police departments, local sanitation districts and clerks of court.
- Non-Profit & Tax Exempt: Assisting organizations with charitable, educational, religion and civic goals on obtaining and maintaining tax-exempt status under the IRS.
- Personal Injury: Representing clients who have suffered serious injuries as a result of automobile and other accidents.
- Public Private Partnerships: An extension of the municipal law and eminent domain practice areas combining real estate, contract knowledge and litigation skills to find innovative ways to fund infrastructure and programs for the public good.
- Real Estate Transactions: Servicing both commercial and residential clients with an expertise in rezoning, environmental assessment review and contract and lease negotiations.
- Taxation: Providing transactional tax planning, individual income and estate tax planning services, including representation of clients in tax controversies before the IRS and state authorities.
- Wills, Trusts, Estate Planning and Administration: Administering estates and trusts, including litigating the language of wills, preparing tax returns and administrative filings and assistance with family businesses and benefit plans.
- Workers Compensation: Appointed by the Commonwealth of Virginia to deal with matters heard and decided by the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission.