GUYNN WADDELL - Key Persons
Annie is a skilled legal educator and attorney who has served a range of Virginia public entities… Read more
Annie Kim worked for nearly a decade as a local government attorney in Henrico and Albemarle counties after beginning her career in private practice. Her client work has focused on representing police and fire/rescue departments, handling employment law matters for both general government and school division clients, and litigating in state and federal courts. In her role as counsel for the Albemarle County School Board, Annie drafted numerous policies and won an appeal that set new precedent in the Fourth Circuit for insurance coverage under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Since 2011, Annie has worked at her alma mater, the University of Virginia School of Law. Until 2022, she served as Assistant Dean for Public Service and Director of the Mortimer Caplin Public Service Center. She currently serves as Assistant Professor of Law and Director of the Program in Law and Public Service. Her courses focus on introducing students to public service lawyering and teaching them advocacy skills.
A long-time resident of Charlottesville, Annie is active in her community as a violinist for the Waynesboro Symphony and a member of the Charlottesville Police Foundation Board. Her creative writing has earned many recognitions, including the 2021 Literary Award in Poetry from the Library of Virginia.
Annie is a skilled legal educator with notable experience advising Virginia public entities and representing them in state and federal courts.
Chris is a well-rounded litigator who handles civil cases and appeals in both state and federal courts, as well as claims before administrative agencies. His government work primarily involves representing municipalities and their employees in government liability litigation, focusing on civil rights cases involving constitutional violation claims. In the private sector, Chris uses his litigation experience to provide zealous advocacy to clients regarding their disability claims. He has won cases in general district court, circuit court, federal district court, federal court of appeals, and before the Social Security Administration.
Chris earned his B.A. in Economics from Washington and Lee University where he played club rugby for all four years. He then earned his J.D. at the University of Richmond T.C. Williams School of Law, where he also served as the Editor-in-Chief of the University of Richmond Law Review, and in what little spare time he had, helped coach the club rugby team.
He has written articles and presented on civil litigation issues, including civil procedure articles for the University of Richmond Law Review's Annual Survey. For the past seven years, Super Lawyers has selected him to the Virginia Rising Stars list (2016-2022), a recognition given to only 2.5% of attorneys in the Commonwealth each year. In addition, he was nominated to Virginia Business Magazine 2021 Legal Elite in the area of Administrative Government.
Chris has taken an unusual path to his current practice. His Polish parents immigrated to New York where Chris was born. His family then moved to Bulgaria. Immersing himself in the opportunities life there presented, he learned the language, loved the food (true just about everywhere he goes), played sports, and attended local soccer games. He and his family traveled throughout Europe every summer, creating lasting memories and deepening his appreciation for the diverse cultures he encountered. Chris then spent a year attending eighth grade in Poland where he made lifelong friends and became closer to his extended family and heritage.
Chris moved to Virginia where he has lived since ninth grade. Through work and leisure, he has traveled to and found beauty in all corners of the Commonwealth. He grew up in and then returned to Salem, Virginia, where he still goes to his favorite coffee shop.
Having lived or studied in Poland, Bulgaria, Belgium, New Zealand, and the United States, the importance of contributing to one's community has been a constant in his life. Between college and law school, he served in Richmond City Public Schools through AmeriCorps, witnessing firsthand both the promise and obstacles faced by students living in difficult areas.
Chris is grateful that his law practice is an extension of his desire to serve and strengthen his community. He assists local governments with the difficult issues they face in serving their citizens and dedicates time to helping individuals with disabilities.
Chris still enjoys traveling to places both near and far. From nearby towns along the Blue Ridge Mountains to countries overseas, he continues his life-long exploration of other cultures and customs. When not practicing law, Chris enjoys spending time outdoors, skiing, volunteering in the community, reading, spoiling his dog Hank, and all things sports.
Recognized as a top-rated attorney in Virginia, Chris provides his clients with a diverse range of knowledge and expertise.
Chris is a well-rounded litigator who handles civil cases and appeals in state and federal courts… Read more
Job Titles:
- Founder
- Managing Partner
- Principal
- Jim Regularly Appears in Front of the Supreme Court of Virginia and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. He Is a Frequent Speaker and Trusted Author on Local Government Issues
Jim Guynn is the managing partner and founder of the firm. Jim received his B.A. from Washington and Lee University in 1979 and J.D. from the University of Virginia Law School in 1982. He has over 30 years of experience representing and advising local governments and public officials in Virginia. He is admitted to all state and federal courts in the Commonwealth.
Jim currently serves as County Attorney for Alleghany and Franklin Counties, and shares the County Attorney role for Patrick County with colleague Mark Popovich. In addition, Jim is the City Attorney for the City of Salem and provides general counsel services to the Western Virginia Regional Jail Authority, the Roanoke Valley Juvenile Detention Commission, the Roanoke Valley Resource Authority, the Giles County Public Service Authority, Giles County Public Schools, the City of Salem School Board, the NRV Regional Water Authority, and the New River Valley 911 Regional Authority.
Jim is an experienced and well-respected litigator and appellate advocate. He has tried dozens of jury trials in both state and federal courts on subjects ranging from employment disputes to constitutional violations. He has also litigated cases involving land use issues and procurement disputes. In addition, Jim is an experienced appellate advocate with 18 cases decided at the Virginia Supreme Court and 12 published opinions from the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
Jim is an accomplished speaker and trainer. He has served as a speaker at numerous programs for fellow attorneys provided by the Local Government Attorney's Association, and conducted employment law training for localities and their human resources staffs. He is the author of the chapter on Sovereign Immunity in the Local Government Attorney's Handbook, a standard reference used by local government attorneys in Virginia. In addition, Jim maintains an AV Preeminent Rating from the Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review.
Jim regularly appears in front of the Supreme Court of Virginia and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. He is a frequent speaker and trusted author on local government issues.
Jim has over 30 years of experience representing local governments and public officials… Read more
John applies his years of experience practicing corporate litigation and commercial real estate law to the benefit of local government clients throughout the Commonwealth.
John is an associate with the firm. He has lived most of his life in Virginia where he earned his B.A. from James Madison University and his J.D. from Washington and Lee University School of Law. While in law school, John acted as the Lead Articles Editor of the Washington and Lee Law Review and won the W&L Law Representation in Mediation Competition twice. Prior to joining Guynn Waddell, John practiced law in Wilmington, DE where he worked on a range of matters involving corporate litigation, alternative entities advisement, and commercial real estate, the last of which he continued in Charleston, SC. John is ready to apply his past experience in his representation of local government clients in the Commonwealth and also eager to learn new ways to assist these important public servants carry out their essential duties to the people of Virginia.
John and his wife and son moved to Roanoke from Charleston, SC. In his free time, John enjoys trying new restaurants, hiking and climbing, martial arts, and reading.
John's legal background includes corporate litigation and commercial real estate law… Read more
Mark Popovich is an experienced local government attorney who joined Guynn Waddell after 14 years with Isle of Wight County, the last seven as County Attorney. His extensive knowledge of local government law enables him to regularly advise government officials and employees on a variety of matters, including procurement and contracts, real estate, land use, FOIA and operations, economic development, and human resources and personnel law. He is the primary attorney assigned to represent the Towns of Wakefield and Branchville, the City of Covington, Virginia's First Regional Industrial Facility Authority, the New River Valley Emergency Communications Regional Authority, the Botetourt Department of Social Services, and the Alleghany-Covington Department of Social Services. In addition, he provides significant legal counsel to Amherst County and Patrick County.
In his career, Mark has negotiated or reviewed well over a billion dollars in public contracts, both under the Virginia Public Procurement Act and alternative procurement methods such as the Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act of 2002 (PPEA). He has also drafted local policies for compliance with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and trained FOIA Officers for many years.
Prior to engaging in local government practice, Mark received an LLM in transnational business practice and handled complex corporate matters for AM100 law firms and as in-house counsel. His complex corporate background makes Mark a unique asset to his local government clients.
With years of experience as a local government attorney, Mark has the knowledge and expertise to move localities forward.
Mark is a highly experienced local government attorney who served as the County Attorney for… Read more
Matthew's diverse background and legal experience make him an effective advocate for local government clients.
Matthew is an associate attorney at Guynn Waddell, P.C. He earned his B.A. in History from Virginia Tech and his Juris Doctor from the University of Richmond T.C. Williams School of Law, where he served as a member of the Richmond Journal of Law and Technology and as President of the American Constitution Society.
Matthew applies his diverse legal skills and experiences to serve the unique needs of government clients… Read more
Susan practiced law for over 35 years in the Roanoke Valley. Since 2006, she was a partner at Guynn, Waddell, Carroll & Lockaby before officially retiring in 2021. Susan was a skilled litigator and disability advocate who represented individuals, corporations, insurance companies and their insureds in general liability, Social Security disability, ERISA benefit appeals, products liability, personal injury, and other matters. She earned her J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law and was admitted to the Virginia State Bar. Susan maintained an AV preeminent rating with the Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review. She was a member of multiple legal organizations, including the Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys and the National Organization of Social Security Claims Representatives (NOSSCR). Susan also served the legal community by frequently presenting at seminars and providing continuing legal education with a focus on medical law.