Goodman Allen managing partner Wythe Michael (left) and Peter Mellete.
A busy year for local lawyer moves continues, as a Richmond firm has added a foursome of attorneys and a new office in Hampton Roads.
Innsbrook-based Goodman Allen Donnelly this month absorbed Williamsburg-based Mellette PC via a merger.
The deal, which was consummated July 1, brings together two healthcare industry-focused firms. Mellette, founded 19 years ago by namesake Peter Mellette, represents a range of large health systems to individual medical providers on issues of licensing, certificates of public need (COPN), operations, payment disputes, and a variety of regulatory and compliance issues.
Goodman Allen managing partner Wythe Michael said each side brought something to the table that the other needed.
“(Mellette’s) firm didn’t have a big litigation practice and we have that. And his group does things that we don’t do, things like COPN applications.
Mellette said the same of Goodman Allen.
“The one thing we didn’t have in our practice that Goodman Allen brings is a litigation practice that represents providers on medical malpractice mal and other issues,” Mellette said. “We saw that as being a strategic value to our clients.”
Coming over in the deal with Mellette are Harrison Gibbs, Elizabeth Dahl Coleman and Trace Hall.
(from left) Harrison Gibbs, Elizabeth Dahl Coleman and Trace Hall
The two sides began conversations about a merger about 18 months ago. Specific terms of the merger weren’t disclosed.
Goodman Allen now has 26 attorneys firm-wide. Mellette’s group will continue working from their office in Williamsburg, giving Goodman a foothold in that part of Hampton Roads for the first time.
The firm, founded in 1998, also has an office in Norfolk and Charlottesville, in addition to its headquarters at 4050 Innslake Drive in Henrico.
Mallette, while currently based in Williamsburg, grew up in Richmond and practice law in the region for 20 years.
The University of Richmond Law School grad started his own firm after stints with the firm formerly known as Crews & Hancock, and later Hancock Daniel.
Mellette said his mother’s career as a physician at the Medical College of Virginia (now VCU Health) inspired him to focus his law practice on the healthcare field.
“I grew up a mother who was at the time the only medical oncologist in the entire state of Virginia,” he said. “I was introduced early on to the value of medical care and a difference it can make in people’s lives. When I decided I didn’t want to follow my mother’s footsteps into medicine, that being an advosr and advocate for folks providing us healthcare would be a value.”
Mellette said the talks with Goodman Allen began after the two sides had worked together on a client referral.
“I was able to get to know some of the folks at Goodman and realized that they have a similar philosophy and approach to how they serve clients,” he said. “I realized it might be a good fit.”
Mellette, 65, said the deal also was driven somewhat by thoughts of succession planning for his practice.
“We all want to make sure our clients are well served no matter what. I’m not a spring chicken anymore so I wanted to make sure as I age that things are well taken care of.
Although he said he has no plans to retire anytime soon.
“No one retires at 65 anymore,” he said.
The merger continues a recent wave of lawyers coming and going around Richmond in recent months.
In the spring, longtime commercial and construction litigation attorney Tom Wolf and his team left Miles & Stockbridge for O’Hagan Meyer.
Not sitting idle, Miles & Stockbridge promptly began to reconstitute its Richmond ranks with the addition of attorneys from Williams Mullen and Hunton Andrews Kurth, and a move into a new downtown office.
FordHarrison, an Atlanta-based firm with around 150 attorneys, launched its Richmond operations on June 1 with the addition of duo from Eckert Seamans.
Also on the move to a new downtown office Sands Anderson, which signed a lease for the former LeClairRyan offices in Truist Place.
Goodman Allen managing partner Wythe Michael (left) and Peter Mellete.
A busy year for local lawyer moves continues, as a Richmond firm has added a foursome of attorneys and a new office in Hampton Roads.
Innsbrook-based Goodman Allen Donnelly this month absorbed Williamsburg-based Mellette PC via a merger.
The deal, which was consummated July 1, brings together two healthcare industry-focused firms. Mellette, founded 19 years ago by namesake Peter Mellette, represents a range of large health systems to individual medical providers on issues of licensing, certificates of public need (COPN), operations, payment disputes, and a variety of regulatory and compliance issues.
Goodman Allen managing partner Wythe Michael said each side brought something to the table that the other needed.
“(Mellette’s) firm didn’t have a big litigation practice and we have that. And his group does things that we don’t do, things like COPN applications.
Mellette said the same of Goodman Allen.
“The one thing we didn’t have in our practice that Goodman Allen brings is a litigation practice that represents providers on medical malpractice mal and other issues,” Mellette said. “We saw that as being a strategic value to our clients.”
Coming over in the deal with Mellette are Harrison Gibbs, Elizabeth Dahl Coleman and Trace Hall.
(from left) Harrison Gibbs, Elizabeth Dahl Coleman and Trace Hall
The two sides began conversations about a merger about 18 months ago. Specific terms of the merger weren’t disclosed.
Goodman Allen now has 26 attorneys firm-wide. Mellette’s group will continue working from their office in Williamsburg, giving Goodman a foothold in that part of Hampton Roads for the first time.
The firm, founded in 1998, also has an office in Norfolk and Charlottesville, in addition to its headquarters at 4050 Innslake Drive in Henrico.
Mallette, while currently based in Williamsburg, grew up in Richmond and practice law in the region for 20 years.
The University of Richmond Law School grad started his own firm after stints with the firm formerly known as Crews & Hancock, and later Hancock Daniel.
Mellette said his mother’s career as a physician at the Medical College of Virginia (now VCU Health) inspired him to focus his law practice on the healthcare field.
“I grew up a mother who was at the time the only medical oncologist in the entire state of Virginia,” he said. “I was introduced early on to the value of medical care and a difference it can make in people’s lives. When I decided I didn’t want to follow my mother’s footsteps into medicine, that being an advosr and advocate for folks providing us healthcare would be a value.”
Mellette said the talks with Goodman Allen began after the two sides had worked together on a client referral.
“I was able to get to know some of the folks at Goodman and realized that they have a similar philosophy and approach to how they serve clients,” he said. “I realized it might be a good fit.”
Mellette, 65, said the deal also was driven somewhat by thoughts of succession planning for his practice.
“We all want to make sure our clients are well served no matter what. I’m not a spring chicken anymore so I wanted to make sure as I age that things are well taken care of.
Although he said he has no plans to retire anytime soon.
“No one retires at 65 anymore,” he said.
The merger continues a recent wave of lawyers coming and going around Richmond in recent months.
In the spring, longtime commercial and construction litigation attorney Tom Wolf and his team left Miles & Stockbridge for O’Hagan Meyer.
Not sitting idle, Miles & Stockbridge promptly began to reconstitute its Richmond ranks with the addition of attorneys from Williams Mullen and Hunton Andrews Kurth, and a move into a new downtown office.
FordHarrison, an Atlanta-based firm with around 150 attorneys, launched its Richmond operations on June 1 with the addition of duo from Eckert Seamans.
Also on the move to a new downtown office Sands Anderson, which signed a lease for the former LeClairRyan offices in Truist Place.