Bob Henley was named the Best Lawyers® 2019 and 2024 Family Law “Lawyer of the Year” in Richmond, Virginia. He is listed in Virginia Super Lawyers® and was named among the “Legal Elite” by Virginia Business magazine. He is peer review rated AV, Preeminent, by Martindale-Hubbell.

He is The Chair of the Board of Governors of the Family Law Section of the Virginia State Bar and is a past member of the committee that organizes statewide family law continuing legal education programs.

Bob Henley’s practice focuses on family law including divorce, pre-marital and separation agreements, property division, custody, child and spousal support, and valuation and classification of closely-held business and real estate interests. He has a wide range of legal experience and brings a broad perspective to family law including commercial real estate litigation and business transactions such as purchases, sales, assemblage of land, development, construction, leasing and financing. He has represented corporations, partnerships and limited liability companies, has prepared wills and trusts and has handled estate, business, real estate, personal injury and medical malpractice litigation.

Mr. Henley is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. The Academy, which was founded in 1962, states in its website that its purpose is “to provide leadership that promotes the highest degree of professionalism and excellence in the practice of family law. The Academy Fellows are highly skilled negotiators and litigators who represent individuals in all facets of family law. To be represented by a Fellow of The American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers is to be represented by a leading practitioner in the field of family law. The 1,600 Academy Fellows across the United States are generally recognized by Judges and attorneys as preeminent family law practitioners with a high level of knowledge, skill and integrity.” He is one of only 51 Virginia family law practitioners selected for membership.

He is past president of the Metro Richmond Family Law Bar Association and is a former officer and director of the Real Estate Section of the Richmond Bar Association.

Bob counsels clients of all ages, including those in the Boomer generation. He was quoted in the October 2017 issue of Boomer magazine, where he made comments about family law concerns pertaining to second marriages. View here.

Relevant Experience

  • Represented parties in divorce litigation involving fault and no fault grounds of divorce, complex equitable distribution, classification of separate and marital property, spousal support, child custody, spousal and child support.
  • Represented parties in divorce litigation involving valuation of closely held businesses.
  • Represented parties in divorce litigation involving classification and complex tracing of marital and separate assets.
  • Prepared, negotiated and litigated premarital, post marital and separation agreements.
  • Represented parties in mediation and settlement of family law disputes including custody, support and equitable distribution.
  • Represented beneficiaries of complex estate in trial and subsequent appeal to the Virginia Supreme Court.
  • Represented developers in acquisition of multiple parcels of land, financing, development of residential subdivisions and multi-use office and industrial parks, construction of buildings, leasing of office space and sale of buildings and developed parcels.
  • Represented buyers and sellers in Section 1031 Tax Deferred Exchanges of real property.
  • Represented lending institutions in financing office, industrial and residential properties.
  • Represented lending institutions in workouts and restructuring of commercial real estate loans.
  • Represented landlords and tenants (including both Stiles Ewing Powers PC and his former law firm, Parker Pollard & Brown P.C.) in negotiation and drafting of commercial leases.
  • Represented entrepreneurs and developers in formation of business entities such as limited liability companies, corporations and partnerships.
  • Represented developers in formation of condominiums, property acquisition, financing and construction and sale of residential and business condominiums.
  • Represented developers in creation of restrictive covenants and owners associations for residential and commercial real estate.
  • Represented owners, contractors, mortgage lenders and insurance companies in easement, title, mechanics’ lien and title insurance litigation.
  • Represented an insurgent shareholder group in a successful proxy battle for control of the Board of Directors of a publicly held lending institution.

Bar Admissions

  • Virginia, 1977
  • U.S. District Court Eastern District of Virginia, 1977
  • U.S. District Court Western District of Virginia, 1977
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit, 1985

Past Employment Positions

  • Parker, Pollard & Brown, PC, Shareholder, Chairman, Business Real Estate Practice Section, 1999 – 2006
  • Rothenberg, Henley & Robertson, PC, Shareholder, President, 1978 – 1999
  • Robert M. Musselman & Assoc., Charlottesville, VA,, 1977 – 1978

Classes/Seminars Taught

  • Co-author of What’s Going on with Classification of Goodwill in Equitable Distribution Cases, Virginia Family Law Quarterly, 2020.
  • Speaker, Valuation During Uncertain Times, Virginia Society of CPAs, 2020
  • Moderator, Family Law Seminar, 2018
  • The Nuts and Bolts of Foreign Divorces and their Implications in Virginia, The American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, 2014
  • Will It Ever End? Handling Post-Divorce Issues, The Virginia State Bar, 2013
  • Joint/Shared Custody Issues and Considerations, 2013
  • Presentation of Opinion Testimony by Business Valuation Expert Witnesses, 2010
  • How to Do Them Right, Loan Issues, Real Estate Purchases and Sale Transaction, 2004
  • Handling Financing Issues, Commercial Real Estate Transactions, Virginia, Listing through Closing, 2004

Education

  • J.D. – The College of William and Mary, Marshall-Wythe School of Law, Williamsburg, Virginia, 1977
  • B.A. – University of Virginia, 1974

Litigation Percentage

Practice Devoted to Litigation and Resolving Disputed Matters

Representative Cases

  • Wright v. Wright, VA Court of Appeals, 2012
  • Schmidt v. Wachovia Bank, N.A., 271 Va 20 (2006)
  • Westerberg v. Westerberg, 9 Va App 248 (1989)

Honors & Awards

  • Listed in The Best Lawyers in America® in Richmond, VA since 2013
  • Named “Lawyer of the Year” in Family Law by Best Lawyers® in 2019 and 2024
  • Listed in Super Lawyers® since 2012
  • Listed in Virginia Business “Legal Elite” since 2013
  • Martindale-Hubbell AV® Preeminent™ Peer Rating since 2002
  • Recipient of Martindale-Hubbell Client Championship Silver Award for 2018
  • Elected as a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers in 2011

Professional Associations & Memberships

  • Virginia State Bar, Board of Governors, Family Law Section
  • Virginia Bar Association
  • Metro Richmond Family Law Bar Association – Past President
  • American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers – Fellow
  • Richmond Bar Association, Real Estate Section – former director