FACULTY
Richard Armstrong, Allen, Allen, Allen & Allen, PC / Charlottesville
Derrick L. Walker, Allen, Allen, Allen & Allen, PC / Richmond
Mara E. Shingleton, Allen, Allen, Allen & Allen, PC / Richmond
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Richard Armstrong, Allen, Allen, Allen & Allen, PC / Charlottesville
Richard Armstrong is an experienced and skilled attorney working in the Charlottesville, Virginia, office of Allen & Allen. He focuses on a variety of personal injury matters, including wrongful death, automobile and tractor trailer accidents, and accidents involving drunk drivers. After receiving his law degree from the University of Virginia, Mr. Armstrong worked as a public defender in New York City for 13 years. He returned to Virginia in 2000 and continues to litigate cases in the Commonwealth. He is “AV Preeminent” rated by Martindale Hubbell, the highest rating available, and is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, an honor reserved for attorneys who have achieved trial verdicts of $1 million or more. He has been honored by the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association for work on friend of the court briefs to the Supreme Court of Virginia. He has presented at various seminars and has published several articles in the Journal of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association. Mr. Armstrong is very involved in the Charlottesville community. He serves on the board of the Albemarle County Service Authority, and is also an acting board member for the Jefferson Swim League and Madison House and has served as president for both organizations.
Derrick L. Walker, Allen, Allen, Allen & Allen, PC / Richmond
Derrick Walker has nearly 20 years in practice in a wide array of personal injury matters, including multi-million-dollar awards in cases involving wrongful death, tractor trailer accidents, traumatic brain injury, and medical malpractice. He dedicates his skills and services to helping to provide a level legal playing field for those injured and to protect them throughout the legal process. Mr. Walker is incredibly passionate about representing the injured, and he makes it his mission to tip the scales in favor of his clients when faced with the “David vs. Goliath” struggle between an injured person and an insurance company. Since 2000, he has been securing favorable outcomes for his clients at the negotiation table and in the courtroom. Highlights of his achievements include a $6.5-million award in a case involving in a tractor trailer collision, a $4.5-million award for a bicyclist struck by a commercial vehicle, and over a dozen 7-figure awards in cases involving medical negligence. Mr. Walker has an “AV” rating (the highest available) from the Martindale-Hubbell attorney listing service and was selected as one of Virginia’s Super Lawyers (Top 5% of Virginia Attorneys). He is also among six Allen & Allen attorneys named to Best Lawyers in America, a publication considered by many to be the preeminent guide to legal excellence in the United States. Mr. Walker is actively involved in the Board of Governors for the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association and the American Association for Justice. He is a frequent speaker on ethics and trial techniques. He attended the College of William & Mary, graduating with a B.A. in Government, and received his J.D. from the T. C. Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond, where he was the recipient of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers Student Advocate Award.
Mara E. Shingleton, Allen, Allen, Allen & Allen, PC / Richmond
Mara Shingleton, a fluent Spanish speaker, is a personal injury attorney working out of the Allen & Allen Richmond office, specializing in general personal injury cases. Before joining Allen & Allen, she interned with a Federal Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of Virginia in Norfolk and the Chief Staff Attorney for the Supreme Court of Virginia. Ms. Shingleton received her Juris Doctor from William & Mary Law School with a legal concentration in International Law. While attending law school, she worked in the Domestic Violence Clinic, was a staff member for the William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal, and competed on the National Trial Team. She was awarded both the 2019 Trial Advocacy Award and the Outstanding Advocate Award for her excellence in trial advocacy skills. She is also the recipient of the National Association of Women Lawyers Award for her contributions to the advancement of women in society. Before attending law school, Ms. Shingleton earned two Bachelor of Arts degrees from Eckerd College in International Relations & Global Affairs and Spanish. Her belief that all problems can be solved with communication has led her to learn multiple languages, from Swahili to German, and more recently American Sign Language.