OVERBEY - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Partner
- Experience
- Member of Rustburg Methodist Church
- Member of the Lynchburg Bar Association
David Hawkins was born on December 20, 1946 and raised on his family dairy farm in Campbell County, Virginia. David graduated from Rustburg High School 1965.
David has been married to Cheryl Ford Hawkins since 1970. They have two children and five grandchildren. David's hobbies include tennis, whitewater kayaking, and working on the family farm. David served in the Virginia Air National Guard from 1969-1975.
David is an active member of Rustburg Methodist Church where he has been a Sunday School teacher for 30 years. David has also served as Chairman Administrative Board, Chairman Finance Committee. David also volunteers his time for the Rustburg Lions Club (Past President) Trustee, Patrick Henry Boys and Girls Plantation, Legal Aid Society Board Directors, Rustburg Cemetery Association, Red Cross Board Directors (Lynchburg). David is a Legal Advisor Rustburg Rescue Squad, Rustburg Fire Department, Gladys Community Rescue Squad, and Brookneal Fire Department.
David is a member of the Lynchburg Bar Association (President, 1986-1987), Campbell County Bar Association, The Virginia Bar Association, Virginia State Bar, Virginia Trial Lawyers Association and the Central Virginia Plaintiffs Association (President, 1985-1986).
Experience
Over the past forty-five years, David has represented a wide variety of clients on a myriad of legal matters. Now, David devotes most of his time to Personal Injury cases. He has become known as one of the premiere trial lawyers in Central and Southwest Virginia. Focusing virtually all of his time on automobile accidents and other personal injury cases, David has the unique ability to relate to a jury and communicate your case in a way that persuades the jury to do the right thing.
David is rated as an AV lawyer by Martindale Hubbell, which is the highest rating offered by this peer rating service where lawyers rate other lawyers. David has been listed in Virginia Super Lawyers, the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, Who's Who in American Law, 10th ed., and he was voted Best Lawyer in Lynchburg in polls by Lynchburg News and Advance.
David has been involved in a number of appellate court decisions including:
Commonwealth v. Gavigan, 11 Vap UNP 0921103 (March 22, 2011)
Hudson v. Pillow 296, 541 S.E. 2d 556 (2001)
Crews v. Cantrell, 259Va. 47, 523 S.E.2d 502 (2000)
Keesee v. Donigan, 259Va. 157, 524 S.E.2d 645 (2000)
Bryant v. Peckinpaugh, 241Va. 172, 400 S.E.201 (1991)
School Bd. v. Beasley, 238Va. 44, 380 S.E.2d 884 (1989)
Mason v. Moon, 9Va. App. 217, 385 S.E.2d 242 (1989)
Cabell v. Petty, et al, 4th Circuit No. 86-2509 (4th Cir. 1986) (Unpublished)
Layne v. Henderson, 232Va. 332, 351 S.E.2d 18 (1986)
Kings Mkts., Inc. v. Yeatts, 226Va. 174, 307 S.E.2d 249 (1983)
Elliott V. USA, 4th Circuit No. 82-1078 (4th Cir. 1982) (Unpublished)
Nicely v. Bank of Ba. Trust Co., 221Va. 1084, 227 S.E.2d 209 (1981)
Marston v. E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., 448 F. Supp. 172 (W.D. Va. 1978)
Board of Supvrs. v. APCO, 216Va. 93, 215 S.E.2d 918 (1975);
Townes v. Commonwealth, 214Va. 683, 204 S.E.2d 269 (1974)
Education
After graduation from Virginia Polytechnical Institute and State University in 1969, David went to the University of Virginia School of Law and graduated in 1972. He was admitted to the Virginia State Bar that year and began practicing law in Rustburg with the law firm of Overbey & Overbey; now Overbey, Hawkins, Wright & Vance.
Job Titles:
- Legal Assistant to Frank a. Wright
Chandler Langhorne Lawhorn was born and raised in Campbell County, Virginia. She graduated from Rustburg High School in 2012.
Chandler married her husband, Cody Lawhorn, in 2015. They live in Rustburg with their two German Shepherds. Chandler's hobbies include spending time with family, creating DIY projects, and riding horses.
Chandler is a member of the Virginia State Bar, the American Bar Association, the Campbell County Bar Association and the Lynchburg Bar Association.
Experience
Chandler worked at the law offices of Jester & Jester and Betsy H. Phillips, PLLC, in Lynchburg, Virginia before joining the law firm of Overbey, Hawkins, Wright & Vance, PLLC in Rustburg, Virginia in 2023.
Education
Chandler graduated from Liberty University in 2019 with a degree in Business Administration and in 2023 she graduated from Liberty University School of Law. She was admitted to the Virginia Bar that same year.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Partner
- Experience
Frank was born and raised in Campbell County, Virginia. He graduated from Rustburg High School in 1989.
Frank is married to Kristin B. Wright, who is also an attorney. They live in Brookneal with their two sons, Austin and Matthew. Frank's hobbies include spending time with his family, running, mountaineering, mountain biking and camping. Frank is a member of New Bethel Church in Gladys, Virginia.
Frank is a member of the Lynchburg Bar Association, Campbell County Bar Association, Virginia Bar Association, Virginia State Bar, Local Government Attorneys of Virginia, Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, and the Virginia School Board Association - Council of School Board Attorneys.
Experience
As a partner at Overbey, Hawkins, Wright & Vance, PLLC, Frank has a broad base of trial and transactional experience. While he spends the majority of his time litigating personal injury cases, Frank has litigated and resolved disputes in the areas of construction, business, general civil, criminal and real estate law. As counsel to numerous local government clients, he has assisted clients with matters arising under state and federal statutes including the Freedom of Information Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Public Procurement Act and others.
Frank has represented hundreds of criminal defendants in all stages of the process, including bond hearings, preliminary hearings, bench and jury trials, and post-conviction appeals, for both felony and misdemeanor cases; he has assisted clients with an array of charges, including robbery, attempted murder, drug charges, welfare fraud, statutory burglary, malicious wounding, assault and battery, rape and other felony sexual offenses.
In addition, Frank has closed hundreds of real estate transactions, both residential and commercial, ranging from the refinancing of a residence to complex contract matters in excess of $30 million. He also assists clients in developing estate plans, including creations of bypass trusts and other tax saving strategies for large estates.
Frank has been named a Rising Star by Law and Politics Magazine multiple times. Fewer than 3% of the lawyers in Virginia are selected for inclusion on this list. Additionally, Frank has been named a top 100 Plaintiff's Lawyers in Virginia by The National Trial Lawyers. Frank also holds an AV designation from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest possible designation from the premier attorney rating agency.
Education
Frank graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1993 where he was on Varsity Crew and in 1997 he graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law. Frank was admitted to the Virginia State Bar that same year and he began practicing law in Rustburg with the law firm of Overbey, Hawkins & Selz; now Overbey, Hawkins, Wright & Vance.
Job Titles:
- Office Assistant
- Receptionist
Job Titles:
- Legal Assistant to Frank a. Wright
Job Titles:
- Legal Assistant to David Hawkins
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Partner
- Experience
- Member of the Campbell County Bar Association
Sam has been happily married to Tracy Hawkins Vance since 1994. They live in Rustburg, Virginia with their three children, Jack, Clarice and Meredith. Sam's hobbies include spending time with his family, fishing, running and traveling. Sam is a member of Saint Andrew Presbyterian Church in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Sam is a member of the Campbell County Bar Association, Virginia State Bar, Roanoke Bar Association, Lynchburg Bar Association, Local Government Attorneys of Virginia, and Virginia Trial Lawyers Association. Sam also holds an AV designation from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest possible designation from the premier attorney rating agency.
In addition to his law practice, Sam has served as a lecturer and moderator with Virginia Continuing Legal Education and has served as an Assistant Professor of Law at Virginia Western Community College in Roanoke, teaching corporate law and corporate organizations.
Experience
Prior to joining Overbey, Hawkins, Wright & Vance, PLLC as a partner in 2011, Sam practiced with the Roanoke law firms of Gentry Locke Rakes & Moore from 1999 to 2001 and Glenn Feldmann Darby & Goodlatte from 2002 to 2009. In addition, Sam served as one of the in-house counsel attorneys for Advance Auto Parts, a Fortune 500 company, from 2009 to 2011. Sam's continuing focus has been in the areas of personal injury, estate planning, real estate, business and local government law. He also assists individuals in a wide variety of areas, with his client's problem resolution as his chief goal.
Education
Job Titles:
- Legal Assistant to Samuel F. Vance, IV
Job Titles:
- Real Estate Assistant and General Firm Accounting