West Virginia

Robert P. Fitzsimmons

Wheeling, WV

Robert P. Fitzsimmons is a highly successful trial lawyer with over 40 years of experience, having tried more than 150 cases to verdict and secured over $1 billion in settlements. He is recognized as one of the top plaintiffs' trial lawyers in the country and has received numerous awards including 'Lawyer of the Year' by Best Lawyers and an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from WVU College of Law. He is also a co-founder and co-director of the Brain Injury Research Institute (BIRI) and has co-authored several medical research papers on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). He has extensive appellate experience and has been involved in high-profile cases such as representing Mike Webster against the NFL and West Virginia University against Rich Rodriguez. He is licensed in West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, and admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court and various federal courts.

Jan Dils

Charlotte, NC

Jan Dils is the firm’s founder. She opened Jan Dils, Attorneys at Law, in Parkersburg, West Virginia, in 1994 as the solo attorney/employee. Today, she has a skilled and compassionate team of more than 150 serving clients throughout West Virginia, with offices in Parkersburg, Beckley, Charleston, Huntington and Logan, as well as one additional office in Charlotte, North Carolina. Her passion is fighting for people who are all too often left helpless at the hands of corporations, insurance companies, Big Pharma, and government red tape. Jan Dils, Attorneys at Law, has 25 years of experience in all forms of Social Security and Disability benefits, Veteran’s Benefits and Personal Injury cases. Jan is a graduate of Marietta College with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in both Marketing and Economics. She then went on to receive her Master’s in Business Administration in 1991, and her law degree from West Virginia University in 1994. She is a member of the West Virginia Bar, the National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives (NOSSCR), and the National Organization of Veterans’ Advocates. Recognitions include but are not limited to Who’s Who - Top Lawyer, National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys - Nationally Ranked: Top 10 Attorney Award, and National Trial Lawyers - Top 100 Trial Lawyers. The culture of any successful business is shaped from the top down. Jan has cultivated an environment of work pride, compassion and community service. She believes in work/life balance. For her that means spending time with her two boys and husband and hitting the gym at 5:00 a.m.

Harry Deitzler

Charleston, WV

Harry Deitzler has been a practicing trial attorney since 1976. He is currently Of Counsel for Hill, Peterson, Carper, Bee & Deitzler, PLLC, focusing on severe personal injury and death cases, including motor vehicle collisions, defective products, unsafe workplaces, and class actions. He is also known for his work as a West Virginia motorcycle lawyer and his expertise in traumatic brain injury litigation. He was recognized as 'Trial Lawyer of the Year' for his work in the Dupont C8 groundwater pollution case.

Bernard Layne III

Charleston, WV

Bernard Layne III, a founding partner of Mani Ellis & Layne, PLLC, grew up in West Virginia and was instilled with values of hard work and education. He became a successful legal advocate for injured working-class individuals in West Virginia and Ohio. He earned a baseball scholarship to the University of Charleston, where he was recognized as the top Political Science student and served as Student Body President. He holds a Master of Arts in Sociology from The Ohio University and a Juris Doctor from The University of Dayton School of Law (1999). His career has focused on protecting the rights of injured and disadvantaged citizens, successfully litigating against corporate entities in cases involving asbestos, coal mining negligence, wrongful death, medical malpractice, and product liability. In 2021, he helped expand the firm to Columbus, OH. He received the Distinguished Service Award from the West Virginia Association for Justice (WVAJ) in 2005 and served as its president from 2013-2014. He is also a member of the American Association for Justice and the Southern Trial Lawyers organization. He was appointed to the University of Charleston Board of Trustees and named Alumnus of the Year in 2014. He holds an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell (2013) and has been recognized by West Virginia Super Lawyers since 2018. He is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.

Tony O’Dell

Tony O'Dell is a founding partner with over 30 years of experience in personal injury law, including medical malpractice, wrongful death, car accidents, nursing home neglect, insurance bad faith, and truck accidents. He is recognized for his diligent and aggressive representation and has received numerous prestigious accolades.

Stuart Calwell

Charleston, WV

As a founding member of Calwell Luce diTrapano PLLC and its predecessor The Calwell Practice, LC, Stuart's main practice areas include environmental law, toxic torts, pesticide litigation, contaminated property remediation, personal injury, medical malpractice, asbestos litigation, and employment law. With more than 45 years of legal experience, Stuart has established himself as an elite and fearless legal advocate. He is admitted to practice law in state and federal courts in West Virginia and New York as well as before the Supreme Court of the United States and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. The firm practices law across the nation and has litigated, or is currently litigating, cases in AR, CA, FL, IL, IN, KY, NY, OH, PA, SC, TX, and VA. Additionally, Stuart has been appointed Class Counsel by both federal and state court judges in complex class action litigation involving communities contaminated with toxic chemicals and the chemical contamination of a large public water treatment facility affecting more than 200,000 residents. Under Stuart's direction, the firm has earned distinction by taking on cases driven by principle and without regard to monetary values in the quest for justice for individuals and communities. An accomplished writer and strategist, Stuart has authored and published numerous articles and papers about chemical exposure and workplace accidents. He has tried dozens of cases to verdict, including an 11-month federal court jury trial. He also won an 8-week jury trial against coal and timbering companies for causing the flooding of more than 2,000 coalfield residents in Southern West Virginia. Notably, while a law student, Stuart was on the team that won the 1973 Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition in Washington D.C., competing against 94 teams worldwide.