Thompson Law Group’s Legal Action Division was founded by Virginia Beach native Jeff S. Howell, Jr. Prior to joining the Thompson Law Group, Jeff founded and ran a successful law practice in Virginia Beach which catered to local family owned businesses, builders, tradesmen, and real estate professionals. Jeff’s family founded, owned, and operated small businesses for several generations: including farms, mills, lumber yards, and most recently construction companies.
With those values as a foundation, Jeff began his practice in the same way as many of his clients: by spending his life savings to outfit a small one-room office in his home. From that humble beginning, Jeff went on to grow an experienced and dedicated team of professionals tirelessly advocating for clients across Hampton Roads. In 2023, his team joined forces with the Thompson Law Group to continue that mission through our Legal Action Division.
OUR PRACTICE PHILOSOPHY
The primary problem Jeff went into practice to solve was the shortage of affordable legal solutions available to individuals and small and mid-sized businesses. To solve for this problem, our Legal Action division continues to operate under to a two-fold practice philosophy which sets it apart from other law firms:
First, we believe in the power of preventative lawyering to avoid costly legal problems through wise preparation before they arise. We pride ourselves in creating value for individuals and businesses alike by taking the time necessary to learn your vision and your essential interests so we can work with you to craft and fortify them into a sustainable reality.
Second, we believe that, despite even the best planning, some battles simply must be won in court. That is why we firmly believe there is no substitute for aggressive, zealous trial advocacy. With that said, our Legal Action Division prides itself in helping you weigh the costs, advantages, and disadvantages of litigation. We are most concerned about creating value for our clients by ensuring precious resources are directed only toward litigation over essential interests. In such situations, our reputation for exhaustive trial preparation and aggressive, ethical advocacy is an invaluable asset to any legal cause. Whatever your legal needs and challenges, our Legal Action Division stands ready to fortify your positions and fight to assert your essential legal interests.
OUR VALUES
TLG Legal Action Division Mission Statement:
To champion prosperity and justice in our Commonwealth by providing individuals and businesses with greater access to innovative legal solutions, wise counsel, and tireless advocacy for essential interests.
THE TLG LEGAL ACTION DIVISION ADVOCATE’S CREED:
- First and foremost, TLG legal advocates and support staff strive to be champions of justice who keep our faith, our values, and service to our community and Commonwealth at the center of all Division action.
- We will always strive to reinvigorate public trust and respect for the legal profession through tireless, ethical, client-centered advocacy.
- We will always conduct ourselves in an appropriately courteous and humane manner when dealing with teammates, adversaries, and all our colleagues from the bar.
- We will always seek an amicable resolution of disputes and compassionately negotiate with all people of good will.
- We will zealously confront bad actors and aggressively prosecute and defend our clients’ essential interests. We will never be outworked, and we will never be brow beaten or intimidated into retreating from any meritorious position.
- We will always conduct ourselves in accordance with the highest standards of ethics applicable to Officers of the Court. We will never perpetrate or tolerate unlawful, unethical, or dishonest activities from clients, colleagues, courts, or opponents.
- We will take all reasonable actions within our control to keep our fees reasonably correlated with the value we create for our clients. We will always conduct legal action in the most efficient manner consistent with the clients’ interest and we will always inform and advise against any course of action we know will result in greater costs than benefits for our clients.
- We will proudly deploy our diverse experiences and skill sets to provide wise counsel to help our clients navigate through uncharted waters and legal storms that can throw them off course.
- We will deploy innovative approaches to increase access to affordable legal solutions for a greater number of individuals and businesses in the Commonwealth.
- We will proudly fight to secure and preserve economic prosperity for our fellow Virginians by zealously defending commutative justice for Virginia’s tradesmen, property owners, and other value creators by ensuring promises made are promises kept.
PRACTICE AREAS
CIVIL LITIGATION
FOR THOSE BATTLES THAT CAN ONLY BE WON IN COURT.
Much of the law applicable to your life can only be enforced through the prosecution or defense of a civil lawsuit. Whether you are seeking to enforce a private agreement or recover compensation for some injury or loss of property, government authorities and law enforcement often lack the authority to right the wrong. In our system, you need a champion who will aggressively advocate for the best possible outcome under the law. Our practice prides itself in providing affordable legal solutions to litigants of all backgrounds. Whether you are a business or an individual, we will treat your case as our own and advocate for your cause zealously and aggressively.
BUSINESS LAW & CONSULTING
YOU PLOT YOUR OWN COURSE. WE CAN HELP YOU NAVIGATE UNCHARTED WATERS
Much of the law applicable to your life can only be enforced through the prosecution or defense of a civil lawsuit. Whether you are seeking to enforce a private agreement or recover compensation for some injury or loss of property, government authorities and law enforcement often lack the authority to right the wrong. In our system, you need a champion who will aggressively advocate for the best possible outcome under the law. Our practice prides itself in providing affordable legal solutions to litigants of all backgrounds. Whether you are a business or an individual, we will treat your case as our own and advocate for your cause zealously and aggressively.
CONSTRUCTION LAW
FORGED FROM A UNIQUE COMBINATION OF COURTROOM AND JOBSITE EXPERIENCE
The Legal Action Division has a unique passion for construction law. For several generations, the Legal Action Division’s founder’s family business has been construction. Our founder built his construction practice upon 20 years of prior exposure to the construction industry and wielded this experience defending reputable contractors and prosecuting construction defect cases. We pride ourselves in creating value for general contractors, subcontractors, tradesmen, and consumers by guiding them through this uniquely challenging area of law. Whether you are a contractor who will stop at nothing to defend your hard-earned reputation, or a customer aggrieved by defective or untimely work, our Legal Action Division stands ready to assist!
LANDLORD TENANT LAW
Our office has a wide client base including landlords, property managers, and tenants in both the residential and commercial contexts. Serving this diverse array of clients has given us a wealth of experience to draw from in this deceptively complex area of the law. We frequently assist landlords and property managers in protecting their investments by dealing with non-payment of rent and damages to their property. We also assist tenants in asserting claims to hazardous conditions or inadequate maintenance of the premises. Whatever your landlord-tenant needs, our office stands ready to assist.
JUDGMENT ENFORCEMENT
Have you already been awarded a civil judgment? Despite popular belief, obtaining a judgment in court is often just the beginning rather than the end of your struggle to recover damages or unpaid accounts. We assist all sorts of judgment creditors, including individual, small business, and other professional practices, in navigating the complex process of both retail and commercial collections. Whether your case is large or small, our office can assist you in getting paid!