8/22/2018 Virginia State Bar - About the Bar - Annual Reports - 75th Annual Report ABOUT THE BAR 75th Annual Report Virginia State Bar 2012-13 Annual Report for the period July 1, 2012 - June 30, 2013 Administrative / Governing Reports Report of the Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer Virginia State Bar Organizational Chart (PDF document) Report of the Treasurer Report of the Office of Bar Counsel Minutes of the 75th Annual Meeting In Memoriam Reports of the Sections Administrative Law Antitrust, Franchise & Trade Regulation Bankruptcy Law Business Law Construction Law & Public Contracts Corporate Counsel Criminal Law Education of Lawyers in Virginia Environmental Law Family Law General Practice Health Law Intellectual Property Law International Law Litigation Local Government Law Military Law Real Property Taxation Trusts and Estates Reports of the Conferences Conference of Local Bar Associations Diversity Conference http://www.vsb.org/site/about/75th-annual-report 1/2 8/22/2018 Virginia State Bar - About the Bar - Annual Reports - 75th Annual Report Senior Lawyers Conference Young Lawyers Conference Reports of the Standing Committees Budget and Finance Lawyer Discipline Legal Ethics Professionalism Unauthorized Practice of Law Reports of the Special Committees Access to Legal Services Bench-Bar Relations Communications Information Technology Judicial Candidate Evaluation Committee Lawyer Malpractice Insurance Lawyer Referral Personal Insurance for Members Resolution of Fee Disputes Seminars Technology and the Practice of Law Reports of the Special Boards The Clients' Protection Fund Board Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Reports of Joint Committees Virginia ADR Joint Committee Updated: Jun 23, 2015 http://www.vsb.org/site/about/75th-annual-report 2/2 8/22/2018 Virginia State Bar - Report of the Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer Karen A. Gould Membership in the Virginia State Bar grew slowly this year. Total “in good standing” membership increased to 47,383, an increase of 1,069, approximately a 1% increase from last year's membership number. 2012-13 2011-12 Active 31,027 29,602 Corporate Counsel Admittees 896 913 Corporate Counsel Registrants 487 455 Associate 12,569 12,263 Judicial 1,221 1,168 Retired/Disabled 2,079 1,913 Total 47,383 46,314 Bar Activities, Officers, and Council During 2012-2013 Karen A. Gould has served as executive director since January 1, 2008. W. David Harless of Richmond served as president of the bar from June 16, 2012, until June 16, 2013. President Harless advanced the mission of the Virginia State Bar throughout his term as president by advocating on behalf of the bar staff, encouraging the formation of bench-bar conferences, advocating for the passage of the payee notification legislation before the 2013 General Assembly, assisting staff in the myriad of details involved in obtaining new bar office space, and speaking eloquently and forcefully whenever called upon regarding the mission of the Virginia State Bar. He also focused his term on the VSB's relationship with the voluntary statewide bar organizations. Sharon D. Nelson of Fairfax was unopposed in the 2011 election for that office to serve as president-elect during 2012-2013. Kevin E. Martingayle of Virginia Beach and Raymond B. Benzinger of Arlington filed petitions for the office of president-elect. Ballots were mailed out November 5, 2012 to active VSB members in good standing. Mr. Martingayle prevailed over Mr. Benzinger. http://www.vsb.org/site/about/kg-ceo-report-1213 1/9 8/22/2018 Virginia State Bar - Mr. Martingayle will serve ex officio on the VSB Executive Committee during 2013-2014 as president-elect. Doris E.H. Causey, D. Sue Baker Cox, Tracy A. Giles, Ray W. King, will continue to serve on the Executive Committee during the 2013-2014 bar year. Alan A. Anderson and William L. Schmidt were elected by the council as new members of the 2013-14 executive committee, replacing Mr. Buniva and Mr. Martingayle. Eugene M. Elliott, Jr. and John M. Oakey, Jr., the new chairs of the Conference of Local Bar Associations and Senior Lawyers Conference, respectively, and Kenneth L. Alger, II, the incoming president of the Young Lawyers Conference, complete the 2013-14 roster of the executive committee. The chair-elect of the Diversity Conference, Rupen Shah, became its chair at the bar’s Annual Meeting and will represent the Diversity Conference at the executive committee and council meetings for the 2013-14 fiscal year. Uncontested Elections The following circuits did not have contested elections for a three-year term beginning July 1, 2013. CIRCUIT 2: Daniel Schieble (replaces Kevin Martingayle who will become president-elect) CIRCUIT 3: Nicholas D. Renninger (replaces George Willson) CIRCUIT 4: David Lannetti (re-election) CIRCUIT 13: Christy E. Kiely (replaces Brian Buniva) CIRCUIT 16: Alex R. Gulotta (replaces Ron Tweel) CIRCUIT 19: Sean P. Kelly (re-election), James A. Watson II (replaces Ed Weiner) CIRCUIT 23: Mark K. Cathey (re-election) CIRCUIT 26: W. Andrew Harding (re-election) CIRCUIT 27: Richard L. Chidester (re-election) CIRCUIT 31: Gifford R. Hampshire (re-election) Contested Elections by Mail Ballot (winners denoted by *) CIRCUIT 5 (one Council position to replace Bill Riddick) *C. Phillips “Phil” Ferguson – 56 Fred D. Taylor – 31 CIRCUIT 11 (one Council position to replace Ray Lupold who was elevated to the bench) Henry O. Brown – 3 *Dale W. Pittman – 24 Joseph M. Teefey, Jr. – 19 http://www.vsb.org/site/about/kg-ceo-report-1213 2/9 8/22/2018 Virginia State Bar - CIRCUIT 17 (three Council positions to replace Mark Cummings and Greg Hunter; Ray Benzinger can be reelected) Timothy B. Beason – 91 *Raymond B. Benzinger – 92 *John H. Crouch – 104 *Harry A. Dennis III – 103 CIRCUIT 20 (one Council position to replace Peter Burnett) *Christine Mougin-Boal – 129 Thomas K. Plofchan, Jr. – 45 Council Elections by Meetings A third category of Council elections are those circuits that vote at a meeting. This category further breaks down into two categories, Council members who can be reelected and those who cannot. In the 22nd and 29th circuits, Mark Holland and Gene Compton, respectively, cannot be reelected. In the 6th and 24th circuits, Peter Eliades and Ted Craddock can be reelected and serve another term. The Chief Judge of these circuits convened a circuit meeting to vote on Council representation for their circuits. CIRCUIT 6: Peter D. Eliades (Hopewell) (re-elected) CIRCUIT 22: Lee H. Turpin (Chatham) CIRCUIT 24: David B. Neumeyer (Lynchburg) CIRCUIT 29: Joseph M. Bowen (Tazewell) New and Reappointed At-Large Members Michael HuYoung (Richmond) and Beverly Powell Leatherbury (Eastville) have been reappointed by the Supreme Court of Virginia to serve again as at-large members of Council for a second three-year term. Nancy Dickenson of Abingdon was appointed to replace Margaret Nelson (Lynchburg), effective July 1, 2013, for her first three year- term. The following conference chairs and president will serve on council during the 2013- 2014 bar year: Eugene M. Elliott, Jr., Conference of Local Bar Associations John M. Oakey, Jr., Senior Lawyers Conference Kenneth L. Alger, II, Young Lawyers Conference Rupen Shah, Diversity Conference In summary, council consists of the three officers, four conference chairs, nine at-large members appointed by the Supreme Court of Virginia, and sixty-five elected members. VSB Budget The Supreme Court of Virginia and Council approved the FY2013-2014 budget. 707 E. Main Street Leasehold Dominion Resources, which owns 707 E. Main Street, informed us on February 13, 2013, that the bar’s lease will not be renewed. The bar’s lease, originally set to expire http://www.vsb.org/site/about/kg-ceo-report-1213 3/9 8/22/2018 Virginia State Bar - on August 31, 2013, has been extended to April 30, 2014. The VSB has received an exemption from working with the Commonwealth’s Department of Real Estate Services (DRES) to find new space, although the Secretary of Administration must still approve the lease after it is approved by the Director of the Department of General Services. A request for proposal for a broker/agent to represent the bar was issued on April 11, 2013, and the bar has chosen the brokerage firm of CBRE to represent it. Payee Notification Proposal Through the joint efforts of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, the Virginia Bar Association, the Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys, the Virginia State Bar, and members of the VSB’s Payee Notification Task Force, the payee notification proposal was successfully shepherded through the General Assembly by Senator Mark Obenshain. It was voted out of committee unanimously and by both the House and the Senate unanimously. As of this writing, it awaits the Governor’s signature. The proposal, as passed, provides as follows: § 38.2-236. Notice of settlement payment. A. Upon payment by any insurer of at least $5,000 in a single check to an attorney licensed in the Commonwealth, or other representative, in settlement or satisfaction by an insured or a third party of any claim arising out of an insurance policy issued or delivered in the Commonwealth, the insurer shall send to the claimant or judgment creditor on the underlying insurance or liability claim a notice of such payment as required by subsection B within five business days after the date payment is made or sent to the attorney or other representative of the claimant or judgment creditor. A copy of the notice shall be sent simultaneously to the attorney or representative of the claimant or judgment creditor. B. The notice required pursuant to subsection A shall be sent to the physical address, or email or other electronic address, furnished by the claimant or judgment creditor to the insurance company, unless the claimant or judgment creditor has notified the insurance company in writing that he waives notice of payment.