PWHD HISTORY
I. Leake Wornom, Jr.
For more than half a century, the law firm of Patten, Wornom, Hatten & Diamonstein has served the legal needs of the Virginia Peninsula, the Hampton Roads Region and clients throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia and beyond. In 1954, Neal J. Patten (1917-2009) and I. Leake Wornom, Jr. (1926-2008), formed the firm of Patten & Wornom. In 1981, Thomas R. Watkins (1925-1995) and others merged with Patten & Wornom to form Patten, Wornom and Watkins. Most recently, the firms of Diamonstein & Staley and H. Duncan Garnett, Jr. merged with the Firm in 1999 to form the current Patten, Wornom, Hatten & Diamonstein, L.C.
During the past 50 years, the firm has become nationally renowned for its success in representing thousands of asbestos victims in product liability litigation. For his pioneering work on behalf of injured victims of asbestos, the previous firm manager, Robert R. Hatten, received the first Courageous Advocacy Award from the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association in 1987. PWHD’s litigators also work on many other product liability areas including talc, Roundup, 3M Combat earplugs, vaginal mesh, hip implants and other matters. In addition, PWHD handles traditional tort and personal injury cases involving traumatic head injuries and other complex physical injuries, medical malpractice, whistleblower or “qui tam” litigation, employment litigation, land use disputes and business disputes.
With the merger of Diamonstein & Staley in 1999, the firm assimilated a robust and adept transactional law practice. Our Business Law practice focuses on commercial transactions, business organizations, mergers and acquisitions, commercial and residential real estate development and transactions, and tax and estate planning. Our business attorneys have deep and varied experience in many levels of business transactions, and offer the level of sophisticated practice needed by large concerns and multi-national corporations without losing the ability to effectively and efficiently represent and assist single-owner start-up companies with legal fees that are reasonable to the scope of the work needed by our clients. We pride ourselves on providing top-level legal services with a focus on working with our clients to identify and obtain client’s goals. Specific areas of representation include public-private partnerships, institutional banking and credit union lenders, private and equity lenders, technology intensive manufacturing companies, distributors, real estate developers and managers, automobile dealerships, national communications providers, waste management, hospitals, physician, dental and veterinarian practices, restaurant operations, commercial fishing charter operations, multiple public School Boards and various boards and authorities, among others.
The firm enjoys the highest rating from Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, a national rating service of attorneys. As one of the largest local law firms in the Hampton Roads region, with more than 20 attorneys and a knowledgeable support staff, our law firm provides an extensive range of services to prosecute or defend your legal rights. PWHD is dedicated to fulfilling the legal needs of businesses and individuals alike.