Philip Morris

McCandlish Holton PC, Attorneys at Law

Philip Morris

McCandlish Holton PC, Attorneys at Law

Rating:

Firm Summary

Phil Morris has tried a wide range of civil lawsuits throughout Virginia.  They include contract and business disputes, employment, civil rights, products liability and personal injury litigation.  He successfully defended an international chemical company in a lengthy product liability jury trial involving quadriplegia allegedly resulting from toxic chemical exposure.  He was lead counsel for Augusta County in annexation litigation with the Cities of Staunton and Waynesboro.  He was retained as personal counsel by the Attorney General of Virginia and successfully defended the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General in federal employment litigation.  He successfully defended the Director and former Director of the Virginia Department of Corrections in a highly-publicized First Amendment suit by a prison warden.  He was named Special Counsel by the Governor of Virginia to represent the judges of an urban juvenile and domestic relations district court in litigation with their sheriff over courtroom security issues.  He successfully defended a national restaurant chain in a civil rights action filed by six customers who alleged racial discrimination.

Mr. Morris is a past president of the Virginia State Bar, and has represented Virginia in the American Bar Association House of Delegates.  He received the 1994 Virginia Bar Association Pro Bono Publico Award and the 2012 Richmond Bar Association Professionalism Award. Chambers USA, 2015, has rated Mr. Morris one of the top products liability and commercial trial lawyers in Virginia.  He is listed in Best Lawyers in America for personal injury, business litigation, and Bet the Company litigation and was selected by Best Lawyers as the 2014 “Richmond Lawyer of the Year” for personal injury litigation – defendants.  He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.

Mr. Morris served two terms in the Virginia House of Delegates, representing the City of Richmond.  He has served as a member of the Virginia State Crime Commission Task Force on Corrections, the Commission to Study the Legislative Process, and the Industry Advisory Group to the Commissioner of Insurance for the Revision of the Virginia Insurance Code.

Mr. Morris has taught and lectured on a variety of topics for the Defense Research Institute; the Virginia State Bar; the National Conference of Bar Presidents; the Bar Leadership Institute; the Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys; the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association; the Vancouver, B.C., defense lawyers association; and the American Law Firm Association.  His lectures and publications address subjects such as closing arguments, jury selection, expert witnesses, business torts, insurer bad faith liability, and advocacy for women and minorities in the legal profession.

In his spare time, he enjoys family activities, golf, and University of Richmond basketball.

Recognitions

Best Lawyers®
Bet-the-Company Litigation since 2010
Commercial Litigation since 1993
Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants since 2011

Professional and Community Involvement

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation-Richmond Chapter (Board Chair)
Richmond Cerebral Palsy Center (Board Chair)
Board of Visitors Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia State Bar (Past President)
Richmond Bar Association
Product Liability Advisory Council
American Bar Foundation (Fellow)
Virginia Law Foundation (Fellow)
American College of Trial Lawyers (Fellow)