Richard F. Hawkins, III

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Richard F. Hawkins, III: Attorney with The Hawkins Law Firm PC
Attorney Awards
About Attorney Awards

Biography

"Best Lawyers in America" in Employment Law - Individual. (2020-2021, 2023-2026 Editions)

"Legal Elite" (Virginia Business Magazine) in Labor and Employment (2008, 2011-2012, 2014-2025); "Legal Elite" (Virginia Business Magazine) as Young Lawyer (2006); and

Virginia Rising Star in 2011 by Virginia SuperLawyers Magazine in Employee Benefits/ERISA.

Areas of Practice (13)

  • ERISA
  • ERISA Litigation
  • Labor and Employment
  • Noncompete Litigation
  • Employment Litigation
  • Insurance Defense
  • Appellate Practice
  • Employee Benefits
  • Pension Plans
  • Disability Benefits
  • Life and Health Insurance
  • Insurance
  • Defamation

Education & Credentials

University Attended:
College of William & Mary, B.A., magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, 1993
Law School Attended:
University of Virginia, J.D., Dillard Fellow Legal Research & Writing Instructor, 1996
Year of First Admission:
1996
Admission:
1996, Virginia; U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia; U.S. District Court, Western District of Virginia; U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court
Memberships:
Richmond Bar Association (Chair, Young Lawyers Section, 2009-2010; Chair-Elect, 2008-2009; Executive Committee, 2004-2010); Virginia Bar Association (Member: Labor Relations And Employment Law Section; Appellate Section); American Bar Association; Defense Research Institute (Member, Life, Health & Disability Law Committee).
Birth Information:
Richmond, Virginia, May 17, 1971
Reported Cases:

ERISA/INSURANCE LITIGATION:

Odle v. UMWA 1974 Pension Plan, 777 Fed. Appx. 646, 2019 WL 2539620 (4th Cir. June 20, 2019);

Harrison v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., 773 F.3d 15 (4th Cir. 2014);

Doe by Next Friend Boyd, et al. v. Anthem Health Plans of Virginia, Inc., 508 F.Supp.3d 18 (E.D. Va. 2020);

Childers v. United of Omaha Life Ins. Co., 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 24897 (S.D.W.Va. Feb. 22, 2013);

Bess v. Mut. of Omaha Ins. Co., 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 134999 (S.D.W.Va. Nov. 22, 2011);

Hill v. Commonwealth Health Corp., 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 62339 (S.D.W.Va. June 9, 2011);

Phillips v. Brink's Co., 632 F. Supp.2d 563 (W.D. Va. 2009).

DEFAMATION/INSULTING WORDS LITIGATION:

Harrison v. RVA Dirt, LLC, 2025 WL 699674 (E.D. Va. Feb. 26, 2025);

Sroufe v. Scripps Media, Inc., 2024 WL 1494753 (E.D. Va. April 5, 2024);

Meredith v. Nestle Purina Petcare Company, 516 F.Supp.3d 542 (E.D. Va. 2021);

Alexis v. Kamras, 2020 WL 7090120 (E.D. Va. Dec. 3, 2020);

Horne v. WTVR, LLC, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 53136 (E.D. Va. April 6, 2017);

Gilbertson v. Jones, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 110179 (E.D. Va. Aug. 9, 2016);

Reynolds v. Pionear, LLC, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 39720 (E.D. Va. Mar. 25, 2016);

Goulmamine v. CVS Pharm., Inc., 138 F. Supp.3d 652 (E.D. Va. 2015);

Trail v. General Dynamics Armament & Tech. Prods., 697 F. Supp.2d 654 (W.D.Va. 2010);

Andrews v. Va. Union Univ., 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 40001 (E.D. Va. May 16, 2008);

Hatten v. Campbell, 71 Va. Cir. 95 (Chesterfield Cty. Cir. Ct. 2006).

CIVIL RIGHTS LITIGATION:

Brooks v. Arthur, 626 F.3d 194 (4th Cir. 2010);

Bunch v. Powell, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 168717 (W.D. Va. Dec. 17, 2015),

Jackson v. Brickey, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 54239 (W.D.Va. May 20, 2011);

Jackson v. Brickey, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 47087 (W.D.Va. May 2, 2011);

Jackson v. Brickey, 771 F. Supp.2d 593 (W.D.Va. 2011).

EMPLOYMENT LITIGATION:

Zimmerman v. O'Connell, 2026 WL 802851 (E.D. Va. March, 23 2026);

Moschetti v. Office of the Inspector General, 2024 WL 266520 (E.D. Va. Jan. 24, 2024)

Moschetti v. Office of the Inspector General, 2022 WL 3329926 (E.D. Va. Aug. 11, 2022)

Ashanti v. City of Richmond School Board, 2021 WL 5755336 (E.D. Va. Dec. 3, 2021);

Palmer v. Liberty University, Inc., 2021 WL 6201273 (W.D. Va. Dec. 1, 2021);

Webster v. Chesterfield County School Board, 2020 WL 6064352 (E.D. Va. Oct. 14, 2020);

McMillian v. King & Queen County School Board, 2020 WL 5552118 (E.D. Va. Sept. 16, 2020);

Dragulescu v. Virginia Union Univ., 252 F. Supp.3d 551 (E.D. Va. 2017);

Brooks v. Babcock & Wilcox Power Generation Group, Inc., 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 104363 (W.D. Va. Aug. 8, 2016);

Brown v. City of Richmond School Board, 2016 WL 10567164 (E.D. Va. July 21, 2016);

Hoofnagle v. Smyth-Wythe Airport Comm'n, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 67723 (W.D. Va. May 24, 2016);

Hinton v. Virginia Union Univ., 185 F. Supp.3d 807 (E.D. Va. 2016);

Horne v. Browder, 91 Va. Cir. 77 (Prince George Cir. Ct. 2015);

Haven Shelter & Servs. v. Hay, 2008 Va. App. LEXIS 477 (Va. Ct. App. 2008);

Brown v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. 52 Va. Cir. 480 (2000).

NONCOMPETITION LITIGATION:

Sanair Techs. Lab. v. Burrington, 91 Va. Cir. 206 (Chesterfield Cir. Ct. 2015).

FOIA LITIGATION:

Town of South Hill v. Hawkins, 82 Va. App. 801, 908 S.E.2d 920 (Va. Ct. App. 2024)

Hawkins v. Town of South Hill, 301 Va. 416, 878 S.E.2d 408 (2022)

Hawkins v. Town of South Hill, 107 Va. Cir. 212 (Mecklenburg Cir. Ct. 2021).

ISLN:
912153030
Transactions:

Presenter:

"The Employee Handbook Naughty and Nice List," National Business Institute, December 2024

"Virginia Human Resources Law Bootcamp," National Business Institute, October 2023;

"Mini Law School for HR Professionals," National Business Institute, October 2019;

"Human Resources Law Boot Camp," National Business Institute, Richmond, VA, October 2018;

"Human Resources Law: What You Need To Know," National Business Institute, Richmond, Virginia, October 2017;

"Hot Topics in Employment Law," Sterling Education Services, Inc., Richmond, VA, January 2016,

"Corporate Witness Depositions," DRI Life, Health, Disability, and ERISA Seminar, Washington, DC, April 2015;

"Navigating the ACA [Affordable Care Act] for Employers," Sterling Education Services, Inc., Richmond, VA, April 2015;

"Keeping Up with the Courts -- Case Law Developments in Life, Health, Disability, and ERISA Law," DRI Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, October 2013;

"Labor and Employment Law 2013," Sterling Education Services, Inc., Richmond, VA, February 2013;

"Critical Employment Issues Facing State and Local Government Attorneys," Virginia Bar Association, VBA Conference on Labor Relations and Employment Law, September 2011;

"The Do's, Don'ts, and 'Maybes' of Federal Court Practice in the Eastern District of Virginia," Richmond Bar Association, September 2005.

Guest Lecturer:

Life, Health, Disability, and AD&D Insurance, University of Richmond Law School, Insurance Law, E640, Spring Semesters, 2018 & 2019

Guest Speaker:

Labor and Employment Practicum, Washington & Lee University Law School, LAW345P, Spring Semester 2024

Publications:

"I'M BAAAACK" -- The Return of Contra Proferentem in ERISA Benefits Cases, DRI The Voice, Vol. 20, Issue 10 (August 2021);

Remand-Based Fee Requests Under ERISA - What We Think We Know 11 Years After Hardt, DRI ERISA Report, Vol. 16, Issue 1 (July 23, 2021);

Are Courts Exhausted of Exhaustion?, DRI ERISA Report, Vol. 15, Issue 3 (Dec. 10, 2020).

Other:

Notes Editor, Journal of Law and Politics.

Board of Directors, Petersburg Urban Ministries, 2006-2008.

Peer Reviews

4.7/5.0 (13 reviews)
Martindale-Hubbell® AV Preeminent Rating Badge
  • Legal Knowledge

    4.8/5.0
  • Analytical Capability

    4.8/5.0
  • Judgment

    4.8/5.0
  • Communication

    4.7/5.0
  • Legal Experience

    4.5/5.0
Peer reviews submitted prior to 2008 are not displayed.

Other Legal Directories

Lawyers Client Review
5.0/5.0 (15 reviews)
Platinum Client Champion

Working with Mr Hawkins was the best decision! He explained the legal issues of the case & lawsuits of similar cases along with the outcomes. Collectively, we weighed the pros and cons of moving for...

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Contact Information:

804-362-3676  Phone

804-308-3132  Fax

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