I graduated magna cum laude from the University of Richmond School of Law. I have experience in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, franchising, commercial transactions, products liability, construction law, criminal defense, personal injury, estate planning, and family law. I've worked at large and mid-sized downtown firms.

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         I attend Perry Presbyterian Church with my wife and kids, where I teach Sunday School for the youth and participate in the men's ministry. I'm active in Kiwanis International. I spend as much of my free time with family as possible. And, I travel often to Virginia to see my daughters who attend school in Virginia, and to manage my Virginia office.

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          I wasn't always a lawyer. After graduating from Texas A&M University, I attended Dallas Theological Seminary and served as a youth pastor in Dallas and Houston for 8 years. 

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          I began my legal career defending car manufacturers in catastrophic vehicle rollover cases in Virginia, Tennessee, and Florida. The cases involved severe and traumatic injuries and required extensive understanding of vehicle construction and rollover dynamics. The "tricks of the trade" that I learned there will help you obtain the best recovery possible in your personal injury case.

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          I grew my expertise to include defending design professionals, specifically, engineers and architects, in multimillion dollar litigation. For example, when a food processing plant exploded in the southeastern part of the US, I worked on the litigation defense team for the engineering firm that was at the center of the dispute. Highly complex litigation, like that, demands attention to detail and strategic maneuvering, which are the hallmarks of this firm.

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           I help my clients' companies avoid litigation by, among other things, negotiating and drafting solid tight contracts that minimize risks and encourage cooperation and buy-in from the other sides of the deals. I also advise larger companies on employment matters to help them get the most from their teams and to comply with state and federal laws.

 

          For example, I helped a client grow his business from 1 store to a 125 store international franchise in just 5 years. We initially expanded the business with license agreements that avoided improper franchise formation, and then converted the business into a franchise system. The franchise was so successful that it was recognized in trade journals and caught the attention of a large private equity firm, resulting in a very rewarding partial buyout for my client. 

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         In 2014, I started J. Williams, PLC, drawing upon my experience in business and personal injury litigation to also protect and help people on a personal level with divorce, family litigation, and criminal defense.

 

          If you are faced with a divorce, you need an attorney who understands the emotional component but isn't distracted by it. I can personally attest to the fact that you will get through the divorce. You will make it to the other side. But what you find on the other side---time with your kids, property, retirement, and spousal support, to name a few things---will depend on how successful you are in the divorce litigation. You need an attorney who understands the pain of where you are, but who focuses on making the "other side" the best that it can be for you and your family.

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