Current association: Jackson Kelly

Law School: West Virginia University Law School

Undergraduate: Virginia Tech

Spouse: Tammy Harvey

Children: Michael (son)

Hometown: Talcott

Favorite restaurant: Sleepy Hollow Golf Club

EMLF Involvement: Trustee, Past Program Chair, Frequent Speaker

Community Involvement: President of Sleepy Hollow Golf Club; coach youth sports; founded local scholarship

You are an accomplished litigator. What drew you to litigation?  I like solving problems for clients. Litigation is just one way of solving problems.

Many of the cases you have handled through the years have been in mineral and natural resources law. Hundreds. How did you get involved in this area of law?  I started out as an environmental attorney. My mentor was Bob McLusky and most of my first cases were coal cases. After practicing at Jackson Kelly for 6 years, I became in-house counsel for a publicly-traded coal company and learned a lot about all aspects of the business.

Over the years, you have been very active in various mineral or energy organizations. What has EMLF meant to you? Has your involvement had a positive effect on your career? EMLF has been hugely important to me. As a younger lawyer, it allowed me to learn from some of the established lawyers in the natural resource industries. As an older lawyer, it has allowed me to catch up with colleagues in the industry as well as teach younger lawyers myself.

Do you find time to travel for fun? Do you have a favorite place to visit? Travel is a huge hobby for us. We spent a week in London this year. Our favorite is probably Italy. We’ve taken many trips there.

Favorite books/authors, genre? Other hobbies?  I’m way behind on my reading for pleasure. That’s a function of work, I’m afraid. When I do read, it’s usually history. As far as hobbies, I am an avid golfer and gardener.

You have been practicing law for a number of years and have had substantial success. Is there any advice you would give to new lawyers and law students who are about to become lawyers? Yes – learn the industry you represent. Many lawyers do not. It will give you a substantial advantage. You cannot solve problems that you do not fully understand.