Stephanie Himel-Nelson has been practicing law for more than 25 years and serves as the firm’s principal estate planning attorney. She believes firmly that everyone needs an estate plan and is dedicated to helping Virginia families safeguard their assets and protect their financial future at every stage of life. Stephanie is licensed in Virginia and Washington, D.C., and is also a seasoned litigator with extensive experience in complex commercial contract litigation, government contracts, construction law, and negotiating and drafting commercial agreements. After more than a decade practicing as a litigator, she co-founded Blue Star Families, an influential nonprofit organization supporting military families nationwide. Originally from Louisiana, Stephanie grew up around the world in a military family. After attending the University of Miami and the University of Nebraska at Omaha, she met her husband, a proud Navy servicemember, before relocating to Virginia. She earned her law degree from The George Washington University Law School, where she served as Executive Notes Editor of the International Law Review. Now based in the Hampton Roads area, Stephanie is expanding the firm’s estate planning practice across the Commonwealth of Virginia. She is deeply committed to community service and has served in numerous leadership roles, including president of the board of directors for her children’s swim clubs, PTA board member, band booster board member, and contracts chair for the Junior League of Norfolk-Virginia Beach. She currently serves as Secretary of the Hampton Roads chapter of the Virginia Women Attorneys Association and as a member of the Programming Committee for the Hampton Roads Estate Planning Council. Outside the office, Stephanie serves as a stroke and turn official for USA Swimming, the Virginia High School League, the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association, and the Virginia Beach Swim League. On weekends, you will often find her on the pool deck at swim meets or cheering on Virginia Tech football, though she still roots for the Miami Hurricanes when the two teams face off.

Wayne R. Cohen is the founder and managing partner of Cohen & Cohen, P.C. Mr. Cohen is an AV-rated lawyer, whose practice is concentrated in the areas of medical malpractice, wrongful death, automobile accidents, product liability, class actions, and other personal injury areas. In short, he has devoted his professional career to representing the rights of the injured. Mr. Cohen has appeared on numerous occasions in local and national television shows and print media. Mr. Cohen has been called one of “Washington’s best lawyers”, one of Washington’s “top 40 lawyers under 40,” one of “Washington’s top trial lawyers,” one of “the 50 best lawyers in Washington,” and “one of the city’s most feared personal injury lawyers.” (Washingtonian Magazine, November 2015, December 2013, November 2011, December 2009, December 2007, July 2006, August 2004, April 2002, and June 2001). The Washington Examiner identified Mr. Cohen as a “prominent, personal injury lawyer” on January 31, 2006. He was named in The National Trial Lawyers Association’s 2008Top 100 Trial Lawyers in the District of Columbia, has been named as one of Washington DC’s Super Lawyers for 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 & 2016 and has been featured by Washingtonian Magazine.

Damien Smith has been working in personal injury law in Virginia since 2018. Damien is motivated by his clients’ personal stories and works hard to fight for the justice and fairness they deserve. Damien started at a small firm, where he learned to always put client service first. He has handled hundreds of settlement and litigation cases from car accident and premises liability claims to dog bite lawsuits and other personal injury cases. Damien also has robust experience in handling criminal, traffic, and bankruptcy matters. Prior to his time in personal injury law, he worked in corporate compliance relating to consumer financial regulation. Damien is a member of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association and is pending admission to the D.C. bar. He regularly devotes pro bono time to low-income clients facing collection and housing actions at the Legal Services of Northern Virginia in Fairfax, Virginia. Originally from Fauquier County, Virginia, Damien earned his undergraduate degrees in philosophy and political science from James Madison University. Damien then went on to earn a graduate degree from James Madison in European Union Policy Studies in Florence, Italy. While enrolled in this program, Damien was recognized for the best paper in the Master’s symposium. During the two years he spent in Florence, Damien also taught English as a second language. Damien completed his law degree at George Mason University School of Law in Arlington, in 2014. He served as the Executive Editor of the Journal of International Commercial Law, and worked on a voter restoration project that assisted Virginia residents with regaining their voting rights after felony convictions. Damien lives in the Woodley Park neighborhood of Washington, D.C., with his wife. They enjoy walking through the Zoo, exploring the city, rooting for all of the local sports teams, and caring for their community garden plot and abundance of house plants. Damien enjoys reading, jazz music, playing soccer and softball, and practicing the guitar and cornet.

Robert ("Bob") Adams has spent the entirety of his legal career exclusively representing injured people in medical malpractice, workers' compensation, and other personal injury claims. These people include civilian employees under the Defense Base Act, longshore workers, and those injured by exposure to asbestos and Agent Orange. He has represented people injured by serious motor vehicle accidents and families grieving a wrongful death. Mr. Adams has widely represented injured persons in claims pending in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, in the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, in the U. S. District Courts for the District of Columbia and the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia, in the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the District of Columbia and Fourth Circuit, in the Virginia Court of Appeals, in the Virginia Supreme Court, in numerous Virginia Circuit Courts, in the Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission, in the District of Columbia Office of Workers' Compensation, in the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, and in the U. S. Department of Labor Benefits Review Board. Contact Mr. Adams for a consultation at no cost to you. Personal Note: I have lived in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area since 1969. My wife and I have three adult children and two grandchildren.

Mr. O’Donnell has dedicated more than 25 years to representing individuals who have been injured in Virginia. He never represents an Insurance Company or Employer, and always speaks for the injured. Mr. O’Donnell gives individualized attention to each client, and together with his staff, carefully prepares each case, explaining the process along the way. First and foremost, Mr. O’Donnell wants his firm to be able to assist clients in getting the medical treatment they need, so that they can regain their activities/work and hopefully make a complete medical recovery as possible. Mr. O’Donnell has a statewide Virginia practice and welcomes calls from new clients and referrals from past clients and attorneys.