Jonathan Caulder

Jonathan L. Caulder is a commercial litigator handling post-M&A disputes, products liability issues, environmental challenges, and appellate litigation. During law school, Jon served as an extern for the Honorable Michael F. Urbanski of the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia.

Jon also interned in the office of Chief Staff Attorney for the Supreme Court of Virginia. Before attending law school, Jon worked in the education field as a sixth grade math teacher for Teach for America in Warren County, North Carolina.

Jon is admitted to practice before the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, the Eleventh Circuit, and in Virginia state courts.

Jon currently serves on the Board of Directors for SupportOne, Inc., a nonprofit with a mission to promote independence for adults with intellectual disabilities through individualized support and service.

Jon also co-chairs the firm’s annual participation in the Legal Food Frenzy—a charitable competition where law firms compete to donate money and non-perishable food to the Richmond community.

Under Jon’s leadership, Virginia’s Attorney General honored the firm with the Smithfield Ham Award for raising over $25,000 and winning first place in the Commonwealth in the Large Law Firm category in 2018.

Jon is a regular contributor to the firm’s Retail Industry Blog.

Experience:

• Represented a major government defense contractor in a challenge to a local BPOL tax assessment by a Virginia locality. Obtained a favorable result after a bench trial.
• Represented a private equity client at a jury trial in a post-M&A dispute involving indemnification claims and business torts.
• Represented an energy company seeking a preliminary injunction in federal court to halt alleged trade secret misappropriation conduct.
• Represented a landlord in a landlord-tenant dispute with a commercial tenant.
• Represented landowners in a land use dispute over biosolids.
• Represented pro bono low-income and HUD housing program tenants in landlord-tenant disputes.
• Represented clients in administrative and judicial challenges to local BPOL taxes assessed by Virginia localities.
• Represented a utility client in an appeal concerning state regulation of utility rates charged to customers.
• Defended a mining company in a challenge to its Clean Water Act Section 404 permit.
• Experienced in researching, analyzing, and briefing all aspects of Supreme Court of Virginia appeals, including appeals of right from the State Corporation Commission.
• Represented the City of Charlottesville, Virginia in an independent review of the City’s response to various protest events during the summer of 2017 and drafted a published report detailing the independent review’s findings.
• Advised clients in post-M&A disputes involving net working capital disagreements, indemnification claims, and business torts.
• Advised clients on CPSC and recall-related issues for consumer products.
• Created litigation risk assessments for product manufacturers under consumer product safety laws addressing recall, liability, and intellectual property issues.

EDUCATION:

• JD, Washington and Lee University School of Law, magna cum laude, Order of the Coif, Managing Editor, Washington and Lee Law Review, 2015
• BA, Philosophy, University of Virginia, with high distinction, 2010

BAR ADMISSIONS:

• Virginia

COURT ADMISSIONS:

• US Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
• US Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit

Memberships:

• Member, American Bar Association
• Member, Virginia Bar Association
• Member, Richmond Bar Association