Mr. Getchell's experience includes appellate, constitutional, administrative, environmental, class action, lender liability, consumer credit, complex bankruptcy, and injunction cases. He is chair of the Appellate Practice Team and has argued appeals before the U.S. Supreme Court, the 4th Circuit en banc panels of federal courts of appeal and various state appellate courts. His experience also includes railroad crossing, turbine generator, automotive and tire litigation. He has also litigated election and voting rights cases, and advises on FEC compliance issues. He has taught election law.

Mr. Getchell's appellate cases include upholding the constitutionality of Virginia's redistricting (Wilkins); upholding the constitutionality of the Virginia medical malpractice cap (Pulliam); having Virginia consumer finance laws declared unconstitutional (NHEMA); having punitive damages declared unconstitutional as applied (Hugo's); obtaining dismissal of a case in the United States Supreme Court through a suggestion of lack of jurisdiction contained in an amicus brief (Sylvester); and obtaining a writ of prohibition against a trial court's exercise of jurisdiction (In re City of Richmond). He has argued numerous products liability cases including one involving the meaning of Virginia's seat belt statute (Brown).