Timothy R. Obitts, Attorney

Attorney with Gammon & Grange since 1997.
Director/Owner

Timothy R. Obitts is co-director of Gammon & Grange, P.C.'s litigation section, which actively litigates in the areas of commercial law, business torts, intellectual property, constitutional law, employment law, trusts and estates, personal injury, worker's compensation, medical malpractice, and a wide range of matters affecting nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations.

Mr. Obitts is an experienced litigator who has conducted numerous bench trials, jury trials, and evidentiary hearings, and argued numerous motions in state and Federal courts throughout the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, throughout Virginia, and in numerous state and federal courts across the country, including California, Colorado, and Minnesota.

Mr. Obitts has litigated a host of matters on behalf of major religious denominations and high profile tax-exempt organizations. A representative sampling of the nonprofit and tax-exempt matters Mr. Obitts has handled includes:

 * the denial by the Unites States Postal Service of the the Nonprofit Standard Mail Rates;
 * the ability of religious employers to discriminate in their hiring and firing practices based upon their religious beliefs;
 * disputes regarding charitable trusts;
 * religious denomination splits and the ability of churches to leave a denomination;
 * autonomous church splits;
 * excessive compensation matters;
 * private inurement;
 * breach of fiduciary duties;
 * self-dealing;
 * violations of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution's Free Exercise and Establishment Clauses;
 * and Unrelated Business Taxable Income (UBIT).

Mr. Obitts has also represented religious denominations and nonprofit organizations in both criminal and civil investigations conducted by various state attorneys general, the United States Department of Treasury (regarding OFAC compliance), and the Internal Revenue Service.

Additionally, Mr. Obitts has litigated numerous cases on behalf of for-profit entities and individuals, including matters involving allegations of trademark and copyright infringement, breach of contract, and breach of fiduciary duty. Mr. Obitts has represented both large and small clients in these areas, ranging from major international television networks to small start up businesses.

Mr. Obitts also represents those seriously injured in accidents, including cases involving brain injuries and wrongful death. Mr. Obitts has represented both doctors and patients in matters involving medical malpractice.

Mr. Obitts has co-authored amicus briefs in various cases involving Constitutional matters at both the intermediate appellate level and before the Supreme Court of the United States.

Mr. Obitts speaks regularly at national conferences for nonprofit organizations regarding risk management and employment law matters. Mr. Obitts has authored numerous articles regarding legal issues affecting tax-exempt organizations.

Mr. Obitts is married, has four children, and enjoys golf, tennis, cycling, skiing, and sailing.

Areas of Practice:

Litigation
Communications Law
Nonprofit and Exempt Organizations
Mergers & Acquisitions/Business Law

Bar Admissions:
Virginia, 1998
California, 1997
Colorado, 1997
District of Columbia, 2002
U.S. District Court Eastern District of Virginia, 1998
U.S. District Court Western District of Virginia, 2002
U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia, 2005
U.S. District Court District of Colorado
U.S. Bankruptcy Court Eastern District of Virginia, 2000
U.S. Bankruptcy Court Western District of Virginia, 2000
U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit, 2003
U.S. Court of Federal Claims, 2004
U.S. Supreme Court, 2005

Education:
California Western School of Law, J.D., San Diego, California, 1996
Honors: Cum Laude

Gordon College, B.A., Wenham, Massachusetts, 1990

Honors and Awards:
National Finalist, ABA Negotiations Competition, 1996

Professional Associations and Memberships:
Northern Virginia Christian Legal Aid, 2010
Board Member

Dominion Christian School, 2002-2009
Board Member

St. Paul Cultural Center
Board Member

Past Employment Positions:
U.S. District Court for the S.D. of California, 1995 - 1996
Judicial Extern, The Hon. Irma E. Gonzalez