AGENDA
Requesting 9.0 CLE Hours
Wednesday, October 21
- 6:00 PM – President's Welcome Reception
- 7:30 PM – Dine Arounds
- 9:30–11:00 PM – Late Night
Thursday, October 22
- 6:30 AM - Wellness Committee Walk/Run
8:00 AM – Registration and Buffet Breakfast
- 8:00 AM – Past Presidents' Breakfast
- 8:55 AM – Welcome and General Session
- 9:00–10:00 AM – General Assembly Briefing
- 10:00–11:00 AM – Virginia Supreme Court Rule 3:8 Governing Responsive Pleadings
- 11:00–11:15 AM – Break
- 11:15 AM–12:15 PM – Expert Witnesses
- 12:15–2:15 PM – Awards Luncheon
- 2:30–4:30 PM – Litigation Section Breakouts
- 4:30–6:00 PM – Break
- 5:00–6:00 PM – Young Lawyers Informal Gathering
- 6:00–7:30 PM – Bench-Bar Reception
- 7:30–9:30 PM – Dinner on Your Own
- 7:30–9:30 PM – Women's Section Dinner
- 9:30–11:00 PM – Late Night
Friday, October 23
- 8:00–8:55 AM – Breakfast Buffet Available
- 8:55 AM – Morning Announcements & General Session
- 9:15–10:15 AM – Preparing for the Worst and Unexpected at Deposition and Trial
- 10:15–10:30 AM – Break
- 10:30–11:30 AM – What's it Worth? Tips for Evaluating and Discussing Case Value
- 11:30 AM–12:30 PM – Pitfalls in the Appellate Courts
- 12:30–12:45 PM – Box Lunches Available
- 12:45–1:45 PM – Sanctions (Ethics)
- 1:45 PM – Adjourn
HOTEL
THE HOTEL ROANOKE
Surrounded by the scenic beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the hotel combines classic elegance with modern amenities. There are charming downtown restaurants, shops, and attractions just steps away. Whether this is your first visit or a return to a VADA favorite, the Hotel Roanoke offers the perfect setting for a memorable Annual Meeting.
Use the button below to book your room at the VADA discounted rate of $217. Book soon, as the room block will close the earlier of September 20, or when it is full.
REGISTRATION
The registration fee includes all CLEs, meals and receptions. New members joining VADA will have their first-year membership fee waived for 2027. First membership bill will be sent January 2028. For further details, contact Sherma Mather at smather@vada.org.
Guest registration fee includes Wednesday and Thursday receptions. For guest ticket information for Thursday's Awards lunch, please contact Amy Gilbody at agilbody@vada.org.
Cancellations accepted until October 8, 2025. No refunds after October 8, but substitutions welcome anytime. Email Amy Gilbody at agilbody@vada.org for further information.
WEDNESDAY DINE AROUND DINNERS
Enjoy dinner, while networking with new or long-time VADA friends. It is Dutch treat, with each participant paying for their own meal.
The sign up will open in September, so check back then.
WOMEN'S SECTION DINNER
Join the Women’s Section for an evening of creativity in a flower arranging workshop. Enjoy dinner, wine, and other beverages while learning the art of floral design in a relaxed setting. Each participant will create a fall-themed floral arrangement with guidance from experienced Roanoke florist Mary Jo Thompson (Flowers by Gloriosa). At the end of the evening, you’ll have the choice to take your arrangement home or donate it to a local organization that supports survivors of domestic violence.
AWARDS
Award for Excellence in Civil Litigation
C. J. Steuart Thomas, III
TimberlakeSmith
The Board of Directors of the VADA is honored to announce C. J. Steuart Thomas, III, of TimberlakeSmith as this year’s recipient of VADA’s Award for Excellence in Civil Litigation! A graduate of the University of Virginia and the Washington and Lee University School of Law, Steuart has made an indelible impact over his 40-year career on the practice of law and the legal profession. Among his many professional honors, Steuart is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and a Fellow of the Virginia Law Foundation. He is a Fellow, too, of the Litigation Counsel of America and has been recognized as one of America’s Top 100 Civil Defense Litigators. Steuart has been a Virginia Super Lawyer since 2006, has been named among the Best Lawyers in America since 2009, and is rated AV-Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell. Widely regarded as a leader in his profession and his community, he served as President of the Virginia Bar Association in 2018. He is a member of Virginia’s Boyd-Graves Conference, a past Treasurer of the Augusta Bar Association, and is a past Chair of the Board of Governors of the Young Lawyers Conference of the Virginia State Bar.
He has served, too, as a member of VADA’s Board of Directors and is an adjunct professor at Washington and Lee University School of Law, where he teaches Trial Practice. In addition, Steuart serves his community as Chair of the Board of the Shenandoah Valley Conservancy and has served for many years on the Board of the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation. A proud husband and father, Steuart rightly has earned the trust and respect of the courts, his clients, and his peers. He exemplifies in no small measure the ideals upon which this Award is based.
We will present the Award for Excellence in Civil Litigation to Steuart at the Thursday Awards Luncheon at the Meeting.
VADA-VTLA Civility and
Professionalism Award
Bryan Slaughter
MichieHamlett
The VADA Board of Directors is pleased to announce Bryan Slaughter of MichieHamlett as the recipient of the 2026 VADA-VTLA Civility and Professionalism Award! Now in its 11th year, this Award, which is given each year by the VADA to a member of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association and by the VTLA to a member of the VADA, honors an attorney who exhibits the highest degree of civility and professionalism in the practice of law and, through his or her interaction with others, promotes the highest levels of competence, integrity, and ethical conduct in the legal profession.
We will present Bryan with this Award during the Thursday Awards Luncheon at the Meeting.
SPONSORS
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For sponsorship information,
contact Amy Gilbody at agilbody@vada.org.
