Zemanian Law Group

Attorneys

Peter G. Zemanian

Member
Contact:  757-622-0090; ext. 11


 

Practice Areas

Creditors Rights; Bankruptcy; Commercial Law

Admitted:
1985, Virginia

Law School:
Washington & Lee University, J.D.


College:

Colgate University, B.A.


Member:
Virginia State Bar (Chair, Bankruptcy Section Board of Governors, 2006-2007).

Biography:
Contributor and Student Articles Editor, Washington & Lee Law Review, 1983-1985. Listed in The Best Lawyers in America. Past President, Tidewater Bankruptcy Bar Association, 1995-1996.

Born: New Rochelle, New York, April 23, 1960

Pete Zemanian was the first attorney in southeastern Virginia to be certified as a business bankruptcy specialist by the American Board of Certification, a national trade organization that is accredited by the American Bar Association.* He has qualified as an expert in federal and state court proceedings on a number of topics related to bankruptcy, foreclosures and the collection of delinquent accounts and associated commercial transactions.

Peer recognition is perhaps the most reliable method for measuring professional talent.  Pete Zemanian enjoys the universal respect of his colleagues.  He is included in the "Legal Elite", which is an annual survey of attorneys throughout Virginia conducted by the Virginia Bar Association and Virginia Business magazine. Pete Zemanian also has been listed for nearly 20 years in The Best Lawyers in America ® 2021 (copyright by Woodward/White, Inc., Aiken, SC), the definitive guide to legal excellence in the United States.  He has served as the 2006-2007 chair of the board of governors for the bankruptcy section of the Virginia State Bar, and is a founding member and past president of the Tidewater Bankruptcy Bar. 

*There are currently no procedures adopted by the Virginia State Bar or courts of the Commonwealth for approving certifying organizations, and the prior certification period has since expired.

Paul A. Driscoll

Contact: (757) 622-0090

paul@zemanianlaw.com

 

Practice Areas: Bankruptcy, Corporate Governance, Creditors Rights, Financial Institution Compliance, Commercial Transactions


Bar Admissions: Virginia, 1991; North Carolina, 1992. Supreme Court of the United States, United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, United States District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia and the Eastern District of North Carolina; United States Bankruptcy Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia, Eastern and Middle Districts of North Carolina, and the United States Court of Federal Claims.


Education: Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Virginia. Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, 1985; Juris Doctor, 1991, Burks Scholar; United States Army War College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Master of Strategic Studies, 2010.


Professional: 


Judicial Clerkships: Chief United States Bankruptcy Judge A. Thomas Small, Jr., United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina (1991 to 1992); United States District Judge Malcolm J. Howard, United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina (1992-1993).   


Private practice: Associate, Magee, Foster, Goldstein & Sayers, P.C. (1993-1996) and Brumberg, Mackey & Wall, P.L.C. Roanoke, Virginia (1996-1997); Associate, Counsel, Pender & Coward, P.C., Virginia Beach, Virginia (1997-2009). Extensive experience in foreclosures and collections in state court, representation of debtors, creditors, and trustees in contested matters and adversary proceedings in bankruptcy court; trial experience in commercial and employment litigation in federal court as well as representation of indigent defendants under the Criminal Justice Act. 


Corporate Counsel: Associate General Counsel, Hampton Roads Bankshares, Inc. and The Bank of Hampton Roads, Norfolk, Virginia; General Counsel, Hampton Roads Bankshares, Inc. and The Bank of Hampton Roads, later known as Xenith Bankshares, Inc. and Xenith Bank, respectively following their acquisitions by HRB and BHR (2012-2017). Provided legal advice to the Board, management, retail and commercial relationship managers in the field, and was primarily responsible for the selection and management of outside counsel in litigation, special assets, and transactional matters.   Corporate Secretary (2012-2017): Responsible for ensuring Board and committee compliance with internal governance requirements, responding to shareholder inquiries, and served as the primary Company contact for its stock transfer agent.  

 

Director of Special Assets (2010-2016): Oversaw a department that began with one commercial workout officer and a collector and developed it into an organization which peaked at ten Special Assets Officers, thirteen support personnel, and $340 million in nonperforming loans under management.  The Special Assets Department reduced nonperforming loans through chargeoffs, restructures, note sales, collateral sales, and foreclosures to less $40 million by December 2016.   Foreclosed real estate holdings fell from a high of $75 million to under $5 million and recoveries to the allowance for loan and lease losses totaled over $40 million during the same period. Extensive experience with the leadership, accounting, compliance, budget, internal control, personnel, and management challenges associated with classified and nonperforming assets.


Zemanian Law Group: Of Counsel (2017-present): Bankruptcy, creditors rights, and commercial litigation; pool Subchapter V Trustee for small business chapter 11 cases filed in the United States Bankruptcy Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia. Representation of indigent defendants in criminal cases in federal court under the Criminal Justice Act to include plea negotiation, trial where necessary, sentencing, and post-sentencing appeal.

Legal Professional Organizations: Former treasurer and current president of the Tidewater Bankruptcy Bar Association; Member of the American Bankruptcy Institute, Virginia State Bar Bankruptcy Section, and the National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees. 


United States Army and Army Reserve (1985-2015): Infantry officer in a variety of leadership and staff assignments including command at the company, battalion, and brigade levels and a deployment to Baghdad, Iraq as a National Police Transition Team Chief during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Retired as a colonel and assigned to the Retired Reserve. Badges and awards include the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Ranger Tab, and the Bronze Star.


Personal: Married with three children and active in local service organizations such as the Parent Teacher Guild at Saint Gregory the Great Catholic School, The Ryan Club supporting parochial education, and the Knights of Columbus.



Rosemary Kearns Zemanian

 

Contact:

757-622-0090; ext. 12


Admitted to the Virginia State Bar in 1985, Rosemary is a graduate of Colgate University and Washington & Lee School of Law.

 

 

Megan M. Lachman, Paralegal

 

Contact:  757-622-0090; ext. 13

megan@zemanianlaw.com


College:  Old Dominion University, B.S.

Notary Public