Joe Latchum has 37 years of experience on the Virginia Peninsula representing businesses and individuals in a variety of legal matters, including corporate, commercial transactions, banking and real estate development.
Mr. Latchum is an experienced corporate attorney and has served as general counsel to public and private companies. He also represents national lenders and community banks as well as borrowers in commercial transactions, loan workouts, foreclosures and collections. In addition, he represents real estate developers in land use, land acquisition, construction and development for mixed use projects, multi-family dwellings, condominiums, golf courses, and single family projects.
Mr. Latchum is licensed in Virginia. He practiced with Patten, Wornom & Watkins for 20 years before joining Clark & Stant, which merged with Williams Mullen in 1999. He is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
Mr. Latchum has been named to Virginia Business magazine's list of "The Legal Elite" and recognized as a top real estate attorney by The Best Lawyers in America and Virginia Super Lawyers magazine. Martindale Hubbell has rated Mr. Latchum an AV attorney, its highest rating available.
He is a member of the Virginia State Bar and the Virginia Bar Association, where he previously served as a member of the board of governors of the Real Property Section. He also is a member of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, the Newport News Bar Association, and the Corporate, Business and Banking sections of the Virginia Bar Association.
Active in many civic organizations, Mr. Latchum is a director of the Boys and Girls Club of the Virginia Peninsula and chairman of its foundation. He is the past chairman of the New Horizons Regional Educational Foundation. He is a former member of the Hampton Roads Technology Incubator Opportunity Fund Committee and is a former commissioner of the Peninsula Ports Authority of Virginia. Mr. Latchum has served as a member and vice chairman of the Virginia Peninsula Economic Development Council and as counsel and director of the Peninsula Advanced Technology Center.
He received his undergraduate degree as well as his law degree from the University of Virginia.
Representative Experience
· Served as general counsel to a Delaware corporation engaged in manufacture of extruded, printed and converted polyolefin films with annual revenues of $175 million. This entity was headquartered in Newport News, Va. with facilities in Georgia, Oklahoma and Mexico. Negotiated execution of definitive merger agreement sale by cash tender offer of all outstanding shares of company to a packaging corporation for $280 million in 1998.
· Represented a communications company in acquisition of commercial tract in Newport News, Va. through acquisition, re-zoning, and land planning, negotiating and modifying an existing city statute critical to company's ability to have auxiliary fuel tanks in a protected watershed area.
· Represented Texas developers in acquisition of farm, Newport News, Va. through acquisition, rezoning and land planning, financing with a life insurance company through commercial development.
· Represented a national bank in a defamation/lender liability action, wherein the plaintiff sought $135 million in damages based on a multitude of theories alleging fraud, conspiracy and RICO violations.
Professional Affiliations
Newport News Bar Association
Virginia Bar Association
Virginia Trial Lawyers Association
Awards & Honors
AV-Rated by Martindale Hubbell
Listed in Best Lawyers in America - Real Estate Law
Listed in "Legal Elite," Virginia Business magazine
Listed in Virginia Super Lawyers magazine - Real Estate Law
Community Involvement
Director of Boys & Girls Club of the Virginia Peninsula, and Chairman of its Foundation
Hampton Roads Technology Incubator Opportunity Fund Committee
New Horizons Educational Foundation, Past Chairman