PERSONNEL FILE: Spilman, Thomas & Battle announces new members

CHARLESTON -- The law firm of Spilman Thomas & Battle is pleased to announce the election of the following new members:

* Andrew P. Arbogast's primary area of practice is in general litigation, with a focus on toxic tort and product liability law. He represents a number of major manufacturing clients, health care clients, employers and insurance carriers throughout the region. He received his B.A. in 1997 and his J.D. in 2000 from West Virginia University.

* Brian C. Helmick's practice areas are corporate law, economic development, government relations and project and public finance. Helmick is a former Deputy Secretary and General Counsel for the West Virginia Department of Commerce, where he served as Governor Manchin's lead economic development official. In addition, he has served as the Chair of the West Virginia Economic Development Authority and as Counsel to the Committee on Government Organization for the West Virginia House of Delegates. Helmick received his B.S. in 1994 and his J.D. in 2001 from West Virginia University.

* Stephanie L. Ojeda has served some of the firm's larger clients in the areas of litigation, including complex and toxic tort litigation, and labor and employment law. She serves in a variety of organizations, is licensed to practice in both West Virginia and Kentucky, and is a former law clerk to the Honorable John T. Copenhaver, Jr., with the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia. She received her B.A. in 1995 from West Virginia Wesleyan College, summa cum laude, and her J.D. in 1998 from West Virginia University.

* Grant P.H. Shuman's primary areas of practice are general litigation, ERISA and managed care litigation, labor and employment and public utility matters. Shuman is an author of a number of publications focusing primarily on ERISA and labor and employment law. He received his B.A. in English from James Madison University in 1998 and his J.D. from West Virginia University College of Law in 2001.

* Nathan B. Atkinson is a trial attorney whose focus is on defending complex environmental torts, complex business and commercial litigation, and representing employers in employment litigation. Atkinson received his B.A. in 1998 from Wake Forest University and his J.D. in 2001 from Mercer University. He currently serves on the Executive Board of the Forsyth County Bar Association, the Forsyth County Environmental Affairs Board, as well as the board for a local nonprofit dedicated to educating and supporting local families.

* David R. Croft's practice focuses on tax aspects of transactions and planning, including mergers and acquisitions, commercial transactions, business succession, estate planning and estate administration. Croft works closely with charitable organizations in helping them achieve and maintain tax exempt status, as well as providing guidance to individuals on charitable aspects of estate planning. He received a B.S. in Accounting in 1989 from West Liberty State College and his J.D. in 1999 from West Virginia University.

* John E. Grosselin III''s practice focuses exclusively on the growing area of intellectual property law. He has extensive experience in a wide range of matters in patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret and unfair competition law. As a former structural design engineer with McDonnell Douglas Corporation, Grosselin is well versed in helping companies deal with the various types of intellectual property issues that are so important in today's economy. He received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 1987 and his J.D. in 1994 from West Virginia University. In addition, he received his LL.M. in Intellectual Property Law in 1998 from the University of Houston.

* Arch W. Riley Jr. has established a premiere practice in bankruptcy and commercial law and was recently recognized as a West Virginia "Super Lawyer." Riley has extensive experience representing chapter 11 debtors, creditors' committees, secured creditors, trade creditors, sureties and asset purchasers. He has represented clients in many of the notable bankruptcy cases in the region and continues to broaden that reach with the growing bankruptcy and creditors' rights practice group at Spilman. Riley received his B.A. in 1979 from Tufts University and his J.D. in 1982 fro, West Virginia University.

As one of the region's largest law firms, Spilman Thomas & Battle offers a full-service legal practice with locations in Charleston, Morgantown and Wheeling in West Virginia; Pittsburgh, Pa., Winston-Salem, N.C. and Roanoke, Va.