Since our founding nearly 100 years ago, Kay Casto & Chaney has assembled a team of experienced practitioners who are known for their expertise in virtually every area of law. Indeed, this year 21 of our firm’s 37 lawyers were selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America – a number that speaks to the quality of the firm as a whole.
“We practice law the way it was practiced decades ago in terms of working with other attorneys in a very professional, ethical manner,” says Michael Chaney, who serves on the firm’s management committee and co-chairs the commercial law practice area.
“Because of this approach, our lawyers have gained the respect of judges and other attorneys, which I believe is the reason why more than half of our lawyers have been recognized in these publications,” Chaney continued.
In addition to having individual attorneys included in Best Lawyers, in 2014 and 2015 Kay Casto & Chaney was honored by U.S. News and World Report – “Best Law Firms” as a Tier 1 firm in metropolitan areas representing 17 different practice areas. And while our firm is known for bringing large-firm talent to manage our clients’ issues, we have maintained a mid-sized firm setting that ensures value and personal service in every matter.
“We’re a firm that doesn’t grow for the sake of growing,” Chaney adds. “We’ve enlarged our practice groups as needed, and that has allowed us to achieve our client’s goals efficiently and effectively.”
From offices in Charleston and Morgantown, our lawyers provide skilled representation in a range of litigation and commercial matters, including corporate, banking, bankruptcy, real property, and tax and estate issues. We also offer detailed services in the areas of criminal and regulatory defense, alternative dispute resolution, construction law, workers’ compensation law, domestic law, employment and labor law, energy and natural resources law, and health care law.
As for this multidisciplinary expertise, our lawyers at Kay Casto & Chaney represent a unique population of clients; an esteemed group of insurance carriers, small businesses, Fortune 500 companies, and national banking and financial institutions. Our firm also represents some of the largest employers in West Virginia, particularly those companies within the healthcare industry.
“Kay Casto & Chaney is a collection of lawyers who are very talented and knowledgeable in the areas of business in which they practice law, and that is a huge plus when it comes to client service,” says Debra Scudiere, a member of our Morgantown office.
“My focus is on mediation and civil defense litigation, and if I have a question about a specific issue – such as taxation or workers’ comp – I can discuss it with one of our lawyers who is an expert in that field.”
She adds: “Working in a firm that is small enough that I know everybody, but also diversified enough that I can get the technical expertise I need, is a wonderful way for me to practice law every day.”
Last year, Scudiere was one of three lawyers at our firm selected by Best Lawyers as “Lawyers of the Year.” Scudiere was named for mediation work, while Richard Boyle, Jr., and Craig M. Kay were named for litigation and controversy – tax and tax law, respectively.
All three lawyers have decades of experience in their individual practice areas and also are well known as leaders in bar associations and in the community. For example, Scudiere is a past president of the Southern Conference of Bar Presidents and was recently elected to her second term on the Board of Governors of the West Virginia State Bar (during her first term she served as president of the organization). Recently, she was named to the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals.
Boyle is a former West Virginia state tax commissioner and lottery director. He recently served as the president of Charleston Estate Planning Council. Kay, meanwhile, is a visible member of the community as he serves as a member of the board for Fund for the Arts, as well as a trustee of the Craik-Patton House, and family foundations.
“We’ve had a number of senior attorneys join us over the past few years, and I think what attracts them to this firm is the quality of the professionals, the quality of the practice, and of course, the quality of life we offer,” Chaney observes.
*Post derived from article previously published in a supplement to The Charleston Gazette and the Charleston Daily Mail (2014).