Howard W. Dobbins

Throughout his long legal career, Howard Dobbins has been closely associated with all areas of law which relate to banks and other financial institutions. He is a former member of the Lawyers Committee of the Association of Bank Holding Companies and has acted in an advisory capacity to numerous banks and bank holding companies. For many years, he served as general counsel to one of Virginia's largest financial institutions and as a member of its board of directors. His service to banks, financial institutions and the business community has included organization and licensing, representation before regulatory and administrative bodies, mergers and acquisitions, and commercial litigation. He has lectured frequently on various financial and commercial subjects.

Throughout his long legal career, Howard Dobbins has been closely associated with all areas of law which relate to banks and other financial institutions. He is a former member of the Lawyers Committee of the Association of Bank Holding Companies and has acted in an advisory capacity to numerous banks and bank holding companies. For many years, he served as general counsel to one of Virginia's largest financial institutions and as a member of its board of directors. His service to banks, financial institutions and the business community has included organization and licensing, representation before regulatory and administrative bodies, mergers and acquisitions, and commercial litigation. He has lectured frequently on various financial and commercial subjects.

Mr. Dobbins’ reputation as a trial lawyer and his extensive experience in all state and federal courts, at both trial and appellate levels, have been recognized by his election as a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Mr. Dobbins is also well known for his experience in governmental matters and has rendered varied services to numerous local governments. He frequently testifies before committees of the Virginia General Assembly in his capacity as general counsel to the Virginia Municipal League.

Mr. Dobbins is an active participant in the organized bar and has served on numerous committees of the Richmond, Virginia and American bar associations and the Virginia State Bar. A past president of the Virginia State Bar, he was formerly a member of the bar's executive committee and chairman of its Business Law Section.

In addition, Mr. Dobbins is a former member of the House of Delegates of the American Bar Association. He has been elected as a fellow of both the American Bar Foundation and the Virginia Bar Foundation. He is a permanent member of the Judicial Conference of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Mr. Dobbins is listed in The Best Lawyers in America and has been named a “Super Lawyer” by Virginia Super Lawyers magazine. Martindale Hubbell has rated Mr. Dobbins an AV attorney, its highest rating available. 

Mr. Dobbins joined the Richmond firm which eventually became Wallerstein, Goode & Dobbins after serving in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Pacific theaters with the U.S. Navy in World War II. In 1986, that firm merged with Williams, Mullen & Christian and took on the name of Williams, Mullen, Christian & Dobbins. In 1999, the firm merged with Clark & Stant changing its name to Williams Mullen.

Mr. Dobbins received a combined bachelor of arts and juris doctor degree from Washington & Lee University, with high honors, in 1942. He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and Omicron Delta Kappa in the undergraduate school, and to Phi Delta Phi and Order of the Coif in law school. He served as co-editor-in-chief of the Washington & Lee Law Review and was elected president of the student body. In 2004, Mr. Dobbins was inducted into the Washington & Lee Athletic Hall of Fame. The citation recognized Mr. Dobbins as a four-year member of the basketball and football teams, the leading scorer on the basketball team, an all state basketball selection his junior and senior years, and team captain and student body president his senior year.