Practice Areas: Appellate

The time to prepare for appellate court is well before you even get there.

As soon as a case comes to trial, you not only have to work your hardest to get a decision in your favor; you must also have a complete strategy in place should the case be appealed. McGuireWoods prides itself in being fully prepared for appellate litigation at the onset – and should you need representation at the appellate level, our team has the experience and the technology to build on what has already occurred in lower courts.

Through our active nationwide practices in general litigation, products liability defense and complex litigation, our attorneys frequently appear in federal and state courts of appeals. Since 1995, we have handled more than 200 cases in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, as well as cases resulting in more than 50 published opinions from the Supreme Court of Virginia. While these courts represent the heaviest concentration of our appellate practice, our attorneys have also appeared in the U. S. Supreme Court, the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 9th, 11th, D.C. and Federal Circuits, and the appellate courts of Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, West Virginia, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, New York and Mississippi.

Our most experienced appellate practitioners sit on our formal Appellate Practice Committee. A committee member is assigned to each appealed case, working with the trial attorneys to shape legal arguments for success. From assistance with legal analysis and briefing to taking over the entire appeal, this committee member’s expert guidance has made it possible for nearly all litigation attorneys to handle appeals.

Moot courts are also an important element of our appellate practice. All partners preparing to argue cases on appeal are strongly encouraged to participate in moot courts, and all associates arguing cases are required to have moot court preparation. In addition, an appellate practice committee member must review all briefs before filing.