MEMBERS OF FIRM
D. C. Offutt, Jr. (Managing Partner) born Marlinton, West Virginia, February 21, 1949; admitted to bar, 1978, West Virginia; 1983, U.S. Supreme Court; 1986, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit; 1988, U.S. District Court, Southern District of West Virginia; 1989, Kentucky; 1997, U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit; 1999, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Kentucky. Education: West Virginia University (B.A., 1971; M.P.A., 1972; J.D., 1978). Order of the Coif. Listed in: The Best Lawyers in America, 2005; Outstanding Lawyers of America, 2003; The Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, 2001; Who's Who in American Law, 1979. Editor-in-Chief, Vol. 80, West Virginia Law Review, 1977-1978. Distinguished Faculty: West Virginia Defense Trial Counsel, 1992, 1994; West Virginia University College of Law, 2002. General Counsel, 1978-1979 and Deputy Director, 1979-1981, West Virginia Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. Member: West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals Commission on the Future of the Judiciary, 1997-1998; West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals Committee on Standardized Civil Jury Instructions, 2000-2001. Member: West Virginia State Bar (President, 1997-98; President-Elect, 1996-97; Vice President, 1995-96; Board of Governors, 1992-1998; Chairman, 1997-1998 and Member, 1989, TechNet Committee; Law and Medicine Committee, 1991); Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia (Board of Governors, 1990-93; Cabell County Bar Association (President, 1986); American Bar Association (State Bar Delegate, House of Delegates, 1998-1999). Practice Areas: Medical Malpractice; Hospital Liability; Health Care; Legal Malpractice; Products Liability; Insurance Defense; General Litigation.Email: D. C. Offutt, Jr.
Steven K. Nord (Member) born Tiffin, Ohio, January 16, 1959; admitted to bar, 1984, West Virginia; 1985, Ohio; 1990, Kentucky; U.S. District Court, Southern and Northern Districts of West Virginia; U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio; U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Kentucky. Education: Ohio Northern University (B.A., 1981); University of Toledo (J.D., 1984). Phi Alpha Delta (Vice Justice, 1982-1983). Author: "An Empirical Analysis of the Medical and Legal Professions' Experiences and Perceptions of Medical and Legal Malpractice," The University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform 20:1, 1986. Member: Cabell County, West Virginia, Ohio State, Kentucky and American Bar Associations; West Virginia State Bar (Member, Board of Governors, 1995-1998; Member, Continuing Education Commission, 1999); Defense Research Institute; Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia; Association for Transportation Law. Practice Areas: Transportation Litigation; Insurance Defense; Personal Injury; Medical Malpractice; Hospital Law; Health Care; Legal Malpractice; General Litigation; Sports Contracts; Professional Sports Law; Sports Agency Law; Sports Marketing Law.Email: Steven K. Nord
Scott W. Andrews (Member) born Huntington, West Virginia, September 20, 1962; admitted to bar, 1991, West Virginia and U.S. District Court, Southern District of West Virginia; 1997, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit; 1998, Kentucky; 1999, U.S. District Court, Northern District of West Virginia and U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Kentucky. Education: Marshall University (B.A., 1984); University of Louisville (J.D., 1991). Delta Theta Phi. Recipient: Non-resident Academic Scholarship; American Jurisprudence Award in Criminal Law. Member, Journal of Law and Education. Member: Cabell County, West Virginia and Kentucky Bar Associations; West Virginia State Bar. Practice Areas: General Litigation; Insurance Defense; Insurance Coverage; Products Liability; Asbestos Defense; Mass Tort Defense.Email: Scott W. Andrews
Stephen S. Burchett (Member) born Oxnard, California, July 30, 1966; admitted to bar, 1992, Kentucky and U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Kentucky; 1994, U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit; 2005, West Virginia. Education: Woodberry Forest School (1985); University of Virginia (B.A., 1989); University of Kentucky (J.D., 1992). President, Student Bar Association, 1991. Jefferson Scholar. Member: Boyd County, Kentucky (Chair, Young Lawyers Section, 2001-2002) and American Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Medical Malpractice Defense; Insurance Defense; Insurance Bad Faith.Email: Stephen S. Burchett
Sonja C. Vital (Member) born 1967; admitted to bar, 1994, West Virginia and U.S. District Court, Southern District of West Virginia; 1997, Kentucky; 1999, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Kentucky. Education: West Virginia School of Pharmacy (B.S., 1989); West Virginia College of Law (J.D., 1993). Kappa Psi; Alpha Phi Omega; Golden Key. Member: Cabell County, West Virginia, Kentucky and American Bar Associations; West Virginia State Bar; West Virginia Defense Trial Counsel; Defense Research Institute; West Virginia Pharmaceutical Association. Practice Areas: Medical Malpractice; Hospital Law; Health Care; Insurance Defense; Toxic Torts Defense; Premises Liability; General Negligence; Transportation; Products Liability.Email: Sonja C. Vital
Robert M. Sellards (Member) born Point Pleasant, West Virginia, May 2, 1976; admitted to bar, 2002, West Virginia and U.S. District Court, Southern District of West Virginia; 2008, Kentucky. Education: Marshall University (B.S., 1998); Duquesne University School of Law (J.D., 2001). Member, Justice Louis L. Manderiono Honor Society. Recipient, Outstanding Trial Student Award, 1999-2000, 2000-2001. Practice Areas: Medical Malpractice; Health Care; Insurance Defense; Insurance Bad Faith; Products Liability; Motor Carrier Liability.Email: Robert M. Sellards
ASSOCIATES
Michael R. Dockery (Associate) admitted to bar, 2008, West Virginia; U.S. District Court, Southern District of West Virginia; U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit. Education: Oregon Institute of Technology (B.S., summa cum laude, with honors, 2002); West Virginia University College of Law (J.D., with honors, 2008). Order of Coif. Recipient: Robert T. Donley Memorial Scholarship, 2006-2008; Carl and Camilla Rietman Scholarship, 2005-2008; CALI awards (highest grade in the class) in Appellate Advocacy, Health Care Torts, and Conflict of Laws; Carl and Camilla Rietman Scholarship, 1997-2002. Editor, West Virginia Law Review, 2007-2008. Intern Clerk to the Honorable Robert B. King, Circuit Judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Practice Areas: Civil Litigation; Litigation; Hospital Law; Contracts.
Kameron T. Miller (Associate) admitted to bar, 2008, West Virginia; U.S. District Court, Southern District of West Virginia; U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit. Education: Marshall University (B.B.A., Business, magna cum laude, with honors, 2004); West Virginia University College of Law (J.D., with honors, 2008). Dean's List. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. (President, 2003-2004); Beta Gamma Sigma Business Honorary Fraternity. Recipient, Presidential Scholarship for Outstanding GPA. Member, Moot Court Team, 2007-2008. Secretary, Moot Court Board, 2007-2008. Vice President, Student Defense Trial Counsel, 2007-2008. Senator for Lewis College of Business. Member: West Virginia State Bar; American Bar Association. Practice Areas: Litigation; Civil Litigation; Defense Litigation.
Randall L. Saunders (Associate) admitted to bar, 2005, Kentucky. (Not admitted in West Virginia). Education: University of Kentucky (B.A., History and Government, summa cum laude, 2002; J.D., 2005). Phi Alpha Delta. Moot Court Board Member and Vice President. Member: Kentucky Bar Association (Member, Young Lawyers Section). Practice Areas: Medical Malpractice; Legal Malpractice; Insurance Defense; Insurance Bad Faith; Premises Liability; Products Liability.Email: Randall L. Saunders
Ryan Q. Ashworth (Associate) admitted to bar, 2006, Ohio; 2007, West Virginia; U.S. District Court, Southern District of West Virginia; U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit. Education: Marshall University (B.A., Criminal Justice with Emphasis in Legal Studies, 2003); Ohio Northern University College of Law (J.D., with honors, 2006). Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society. Ohio Review Editor, Ohio Northern Law Review, 2006. Recipient, Willis Society (Top 10%). Book Awards: Bad Faith Litigation Seminar, Contracts and Civil Procedure. Finalist, Street Law Mock Trial Team Coach. Member: West Virginia Bar Association; Ohio State Bar Association; American Bar Association. Practice Areas: Litigation; Civil Litigation; Defense Litigation; Trial Practice.
OF COUNSEL
Cheryl Ann Eifert (Of Counsel) born Akron, Ohio, July 19, 1958; admitted to bar, 1983, West Virginia; U.S. District Court, Southern and Northern Districts of West Virginia and Eastern and Western Districts of West Virginia; 1984, Ohio; 1987, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth and Sixth Circuits; 1989, Kentucky; 1990, U.S. Supreme Court. Education: Miami University (B.A., cum laude, 1980); The Ohio State University (J.D., 1983). Member: Cabell County, Ohio State, Kentucky and American Bar Associations; West Virginia State Bar; Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia; Defense Research Institute. Practice Areas: Health Care; Insurance Defense; Medical Malpractice Defense; Products Liability; Personal Injury; Insurance Coverage.Email: Cheryl Ann Eifert
Anne L. Taylor (Of Counsel) admitted to bar, 1984, Kentucky; 2002, West Virginia; U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Kentucky and Southern District of West Virginia and U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit. Education: Transylvania University (B.S., magna cum laude, 1978); University of Kentucky College of Law (J.D., 1984). Member: Kentucky and American Bar Associations; West Virginia State Bar; American Healthcare Lawyers Association; Defense Research Institute. Practice Areas: Medical Malpractice; Healthcare Law; Insurance Defense; Insurance Bad Faith; General Negligence.Email: Anne L. Taylor