CHARLESTON — Carte P. Goodwin, who served briefly as U.S. Senator for West Virginia in 2010, has joined the Charleston office of Frost Brown Todd.
Goodwin will serve as the member-in-charge of the local office. He will also be vice chair of the firm’s appellate practice group and principal at CivicPoint, the firm’s government affairs subsidiary.
Goodwin told The West Virginia Record he’s excited to join Frost Brown Todd, taking the next step in his legal career.
“The opportunity to join a firm of Frost Brown Todd’s reputation and size was one that I simply could not pass up,” he said. “FBT’s multistate presence and diverse practice offers a platform that will help me continue to grow my practice, both in West Virginia and beyond.”
Frost Brown Todd is a full-service law firm, representing clients in business transactions and litigation in industries including insurance, financial services, manufacturing, real estate, construction, energy and health care. It employs more than 500 attorneys in 12 offices in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.
Goodwin said he treasured the short time he served as West Virginia’s voice in the Senate when he filled the vacant seat after Sen. Robert Byrd died in 2010. He later returned to Charleston to continue his appellate, litigation and transactional law practice, representing businesses and individuals. Expanding his legal practice to include government relations is a natural next step, he said. Through CivicPoint, he will work with clients who have procurement needs, administrative and professional licensing proceedings and legislative challenges.
“Drawing on my public sector experience, I can offer insight to clients looking to navigate the administrative and legislative process here in West Virginia,” he said.
Prior to serving in Congress, Goodwin worked as counsel to West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin from 2005 to 2009. He considers public service a “high calling” and has given back in several ways, including working at the statehouse and volunteering with community groups.
In 2012, Goodwin was appointed to the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission by Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada. The commission reports to Congress on “the national security implications of the trade and economic relationship between the United States and China,” he said.
Prior to working with West Virginia’s governor, Goodwin clerked for Justice Robert B. King of the Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. In 2009, he co-chair of the West Virginia Independent Commission for Judicial Reform with former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. The commission recommended creating an intermediate appellate court and implementing public financing for judicial elections.
George Yund, the firm’s CEO, said in a news release said adding Goodwin to the firm is “an important next step … in continuing to assist our clients with their litigation and government relations needs in West Virginia.”
Goodwin succeeds Carol Smith, who had led the Charleston office since 2011.
“We are grateful to Carol for her leadership over the past five years, and are pleased Carte will be joining Carol and our other colleagues in Charleston to build out our team in West Virginia,” Yund said. “We intend to continue the development of our energy practice in the region, augmenting our energy team in Pittsburgh and Kentucky.”