Our Practice

AG&T is a twenty-lawyer litigation boutique that defends, and prosecutes, cases in courtrooms throughout West Virginia, and in neighboring states as well.  We draw on trial and appellate experience that is both broad and deep: our roster includes a former United States Attorney, six former Assistant United States Attorneys, former Assistant Attorneys General, and several federal and state law clerks.

Although AG&T is regularly called on to defend some of the country’s largest companies in high-profile trials, we likewise represent individuals and white-collar criminal defendants.   Our decades of experience before judges and juries, both state and federal, equip us with the insight and instinct necessary to bring an aggressive, creative, yet pragmatic, approach to each client and each case. 

The consistent quality of our personnel and our reputation for world-class advocacy have gotten us noticed:  Each year since 2004, AG&T has been honored by Chambers & Partners as one of West Virginia’s top tier litigation firms. We are by far the smallest firm in this elite group.  AG&T also has been selected as one of  DuPont’s Primary Law Firms.

AG&T has the experience to handle a wide range of litigation matters, but our practice is especially strong in the following areas: 

• Complex Litigation: Year after year, AG&T has been a go-to West Virginia firm for defense of high-profile, unique, and complex litigation.  We have been honored to defend a sitting Governor, Wall Street banks, and the American Red Cross, as well as Fortune 100 companies targeted by the West Virginia Attorney General.  AG&T has handled such cases individually and in conjunction with some of America’s most prestigious firms.
• Product Liability & Toxic Tort: We defend some of the world’s largest manufacturers of chemicals, pharmaceuticals, safety equipment, industrial machinery, automobiles, motorcycles and ATVs, firearms, and numerous other products.
• Commercial Litigation: Banks and other financial institutions turn to AG&T for defense of  predatory lending actions, as well as Attorney General suits.  We likewise represent companies of all sizes in business-on-business litigation.
• Mine Safety: AG&T boasts one of West Virginia’s most robust mine safety practices, in which we represent many of the State’s largest mine operators in administrative and civil proceedings.
• White-Collar Criminal Defense: Our depth of experience inside the United States Attorney’s Office and the Justice Department makes AG&T a first choice for individuals and corporations accused of tax evasion, financial fraud, and other complex federal and state offenses.
• Mediation: Lawyers from around West Virginia seek our assistance in mediating all manner of cases, from the simplest to the most complex.
  

Our History

The firm was founded in 1981 by former United States Attorney Robert B. King, who was joined by former Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca A. Betts, Robert B. Allen, and James S. Arnold. Together, the founders quickly built a reputation for providing high-quality, individualized service to clients, which allowed them to grow into a practice trusted by some of the most prestigious companies in America.

Through presidential appointments, many of the original founders have since advanced from the firm.  Ms. Betts was appointed United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia in 1994; she rejoined the firm in 2001.  In 1998, Mr. King was appointed to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.  From 1998 to 2008, retired Justice Thomas E. McHugh of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals was of counsel to the firm.  Justice McHugh has since been appointed to the Court, where he still serves.