PERSONNEL FILE: Bowles Rice announces eight new partners

CHARLESTON – Bowles Rice has announced that eight attorneys have been elected to the regional law firm’s partnership, effective Jan. 1.

The new partners are Robert E. Akers, Jeremy D. Bragg, Britt A. Freund, Jennifer B. Hagedorn, Charles R. Hughes, Dylan C. Lewis, Carrie J. Lilly and Julie R. Shank.

“We could not be more proud of each of our new partners," said Thomas A. Heywood, the firm’s managing partner. "Each of these individuals has earned admission to partnership through years of hard work and dedication to our profession, our clients, and our firm.”

Akers, in the firm’s Charleston office, focuses his practice on energy and real estate law. Prior to beginning his legal career, Akers earned his bachelor degree in mechanical engineering and later worked as a mechanical project engineer.

Bragg, in the Morgantown office, practices primarily in the areas of natural resource development and residential real estate, and he regularly counsels and assists clients with commercial loans, business formation and development, and other general business matters.

From the firm’s Southpointe, Pa., office, Freund focuses his practice on energy law and coal, oil and gas law and serves as outside counsel to large oil and gas producers and coal producers with regard to title and environmental due diligence concerning real property acquisitions and corporate mergers. He is a trustee of the Eastern Mineral Law Foundation and admitted to practice in both West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Also in the Southpointe office, Hagedorn practices in the areas of labor and employment law, workers’ compensation, health care law and real estate law. Prior to joining Bowles Rice, Hagedorn was in private practice in Wheeling for more than 10 years. She is admitted to practice in West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Hughes, who practices in the firm’s Charleston office, has vast experience in abstracting and producing title reports for residential, commercial and mineral producing properties. He also is experienced in construction litigation and mechanic’s liens. Hughes is admitted to practice in West Virginia and Kentucky.

Lewis has successfully litigated cases for clients in the oil and gas industry, the automotive industry, original equipment manufacturers and numerous other businesses. He is admitted to practice in West Virginia and Pennsylvania and is based in the firm’s Southpointe office.

In the firm’s Morgantown office, Lilly concentrates her practice in real estate law, mineral law and intellectual property. She earned an undergraduate degree in mining engineering in 2002, a law degree in 2005 and an MBA in 2012, all from West Virginia University. She is both a licensed patent attorney and a licensed real estate broker.

Shank, who practices in the Martinsburg office, focuses her practice on labor and employment law and business litigation. In 2014, Shank was recognized by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star in Business Litigation. She is a graduate of the National Trial Advocacy College at the University of Virginia and is admitted to practice in both West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Bowles Rice is a full-service law firm with nearly 150 attorneys, serving clients from eight regional offices located in Charleston, Martinsburg, Morgantown, Moundsville and Parkersburg, West Virginia; Southpointe, Pennsylvania; Lexington, Kentucky; and Winchester, Virginia.