Our Lawyers
Randy Appleton
RANDALL E. APPLETON was born in Baltimore, Maryland. Randy has over twenty years of injury law experience and has handled injury litigation in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, Georgia, Florida, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Tennessee during his career. Randy graduated from Hampden-Sydney College in 1979 and from Wake Forest University. He was first licensed in 1982 in Virginia, and is now also licensed in North Carolina, West Virginia, South Carolina, and Kentucky. He is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States. He practices trucking, railroad and vehicle injury law, and handles other general serious injury cases. He is a member of the American Association for Justice, North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers, the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, and is a past president of the Portsmouth Bar Association. Member of the Primerus International Society of Law Firms
Emily Mapp Brannon
Emily Mapp Brannon was born in Norfolk, Virginia and is a graduate of Maury High School and
graduated from George Mason University in 2001 and from Florida Coastal School of Law in 2006. Emily is licensed to practice law in all Virginia Courts, and practices trucking and motor vehicle injury law, as well as a general injury law practice. Emily is admitted to the Eastern District of Virginia Federal Court.
Emily’s profiles on these injury law and social media sites:
http://www.seriouspersonalinjurylawyers.com/attorneys.html
http://www.youtube.com/user/hsinjurylaw
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1409950916&ref=name
http://virginiabeach.injuryboard.com/
http://norfolk.injuryboard.com/
http://www.lawinfo.com/expert/vapersonalinjuryattorney/
John Cooper
John Cooper is a native of Norfolk, Virginia, where he returned in 1988 after law school at the University of Virginia. Since his law clerkship with Federal Judge Rebecca B. Smith, now chief Federal District Judge in Norfolk, John’s law practice has emphasized personal injury litigation, including trucking, motor vehicle, and railroad transportation injury cases.
John received his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley (B.A. Anthropology 1985), and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society; J.D. University of Virginia 1988. Member of the Primerus International Society of Law Firms Chair-Elect of the Railroad Law Section of the AAJ (2007-2008) John has the highest rating (AV) granted to attorneys from Martindale-Hubbell Lawyer Rating Service
Designated Legal Counsel for the Transportation Communications International Union (TCIU) (railroad workers’ union representing carmen, car inspectors, clerks, and coach cleaners)
He has represented injured persons in federal and state courts, including the Virginia Supreme Court. John has been admitted to practice in U.S. District Courts in the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia and the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appleals. Co-Editor of the Web blogs Norfolk Injuryboard, Virginia Beach Injuryboard, and Northeast NC Injuryboard. John is admitted to practice law in Virginia, North Carolina and West Virginia. Charities and Community Activities: President of Ohef Sholom Temple Men’s Club, Norfolk, VA, 2005-2007; Prior Board member of the National Conference for Community and Justice and the Tidewater, Virginia, Southside Jewish Community Center.
Jim Lewis
JAMES C. LEWIS attended the University of Virginia and received his bachelor’s degree, with distinction, and then obtained his law degree from the College of William and Mary. He concentrates his practice on representing seriously injured clients and their families in the areas of trucking injury, motor vehicle injury, medical negligence, aviation/airplane crashes, railroad and faulty product injury cases. He is licensed to practice law in Virginia and North Carolina and regularly tries cases in state and federal courts. Jim has been made a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, has lectured to doctors and lawyers regarding injury law, and is an active member of the AAJ & VTLA. Jim has the highest rating (AV) granted to attorneys from Martindale-Hubbell Lawyer Rating Service. Member of the Primerus International Society of Law Firms . A V Rated by Martindale Hubbell lawyer rating service (highest level)
Selected for inclusion to the “The Best Lawyers in America® 2010” for personal injury
Named by Law & Politics as a Virginia Super Lawyer in Personal Injury Law:
2009, 2008, 2007, 2006
Jim is a car racing fan and has driven myriad racing cars, including racing at 170 mph at Charlotte Motor Speedway in a Richard Petty driving school.
Rick Shapiro
Richard N. Shapiro received his college degree from the University of Maryland, served as staff assistant to U.S. Congressman Whitehurst, and graduated from George Mason Law School With Distinction, and then served as a law clerk to U.S. District Court Judge Doumar in Norfolk, and now exclusively handles injury law, including trucking, railroad and motor vehicle injury law. He co-authored “Railroad Health & Safety; a Litigator’s Guide” and is Board Certified in Civil Trial Advocacy by the N.B.T.A. Rick has lectured on evidence law to the AAJ, VTLA, Georgia TLA, as well as to Virginia lawyers. A member of Primerus Society of Law Firms, along with his partners-an organization of experienced and ethical attorneys.
Rick regularly writes/blogs on injury law topics, along with his partners, as one of the editors of Virginia Beach Injuryboard , Norfolk Injuryboard, and the Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard blogs.
See Richard N. Shapiro’s lawyer rating on Avvo lawyer rating service.
Rick was selected for inclusion in the “Best Lawyers in America” 2010 publication (Railroad Injury Law) which only includes a tiny number of the active attorneys in any given state.
online at
Less than 5% of attorneys practicing in personal injury law are selected as “Super Lawyers,” and visit the official site for more details. Selected to the “Top 100 Trial Lawyers” of Virginia, by the American Trial Lawyers Association , Invited Member: Million Dollar Advocates Forum, one of the most prestigious groups of trial lawyers in the USA.
Rick is an inventor, holding 14 U.S. patents relating to compact, folding wheel axle technology applied to wagons, carts, jogging strollers and other products. He also has been granted several international patents and several of his designs are used on products sold in the US and internationally.
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