Spilman Makes Giving Back a Priority
This year marks the 160th anniversary of Spilman Thomas & Battle’s founding. The Roanoke office was opened in 2007 to improve and expand services to clients in Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic region. At that time, the firm focused on wealth management, banking & finance, bankruptcy & creditors’ rights, consumer finance, tax law, and bond/public finance. Since then, the firm has expanded and deepened practices in local government law, labor and employment law, and general litigation. Firm offices across the country connect through a secure technology platform. Attorneys collaborate daily with colleagues on a variety of matters.
Spilman has been a TAP Empower Level Sponsor for the past four years. “We deeply believe in TAP’s mission to help lift our community out of poverty,” says Bryce J. Hunter, an attorney with the Roanoke office of Spilman Thomas & Battle. “It’s a cause that is very near and dear to the heart of many of us at Spilman. We are pleased and grateful that we are able to support TAP.”
The firm has a rich and diverse tradition of giving back. “Our community and professional stewardship is at the core of who we are,” says Lori D. Thompson, Member in Charge of Spilman’s Roanoke Office. Activities include pro bono legal services, volunteering in local schools, adoption services, and elder care. “We encourage each individual to contribute their time and resources to a cause they are personally passionate about,” she explains.
“We recognize the value of housing affordability and availability to organizations, like TAP, and governmental authorities as a means to maintain workforce mobility, job opportunities, and positive impact on families and communities,” Lori continues. This includes representing lenders, investors, developers, and local governmental authorities with affordable housing and community development matters. Spilman also provides counsel on real estate, tax, financing, and government affairs solutions.
The firm advises on low-income housing tax credit projects, public-private partnerships, governmental financing and economic development initiatives and tax allocation district formation and financing. Regionally, the firm has worked with the Roanoke Valley Alleghany Regional Commission (RVARC), the Covington Redevelopment and Housing Authority, and the Bedford Redevelopment and Housing Authority. It has collaborated with the City of Lexington and Botetourt County on zoning reforms to improve housing availability and affordability. Additionally, a Spilman attorney is Co-Chair of the Housing Law Practice Group for the Local Government Attorneys.
Spilman recently received the Empowering Women Award from Virginia Lawyers Weekly. The award is designed to showcase tangible and innovative efforts by law firms to advance women attorneys in the workplace and community.