Victor O. Cardwell

Victor O. Cardwell is Chair of Woods Rogers’ Labor and Employment Law Section. He is also Chairman of the Woods Rogers Board of Directors.

He practices labor and employment law throughout the U.S., focusing on diversity, the Fair Labor Standards Act, and labor/management relations—including union-organizing campaigns and union-avoidance techniques, and workplace violence.

Victor has significant experience before state and federal courts and administrative agencies, including the National Labor Relations Board.

He offers counsel to executive and human resources managers on a wide range of employer concerns—from harassment, sexual orientation/transgender, retaliation, and discrimination, to workforce reductions, handbooks and agreements, unfair competition, wage/hour compliance, health and disability, discipline/discharge, and employee leave.

Victor is a member of the Board of Governors of the Virginia Bar Association. He is also a member of the Virginia State Bar’s Board of Governors for its Diversity Conference. He has received Virginia Lawyers Weekly Leaders in the Law recognition.

He is regularly listed in industry rankings including Virginia Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers in America for Employment Law-Management and Labor Law-Management. He is also recognized by Martindale-Hubbell in Litigation and Labor and Employment.

Prior to joining Woods Rogers in 1991, Victor served as Deputy Associate Chief Counsel with the U. S. Department of Labor Benefits Review Board. He has served as a member of the House of Delegates of the American Bar Association, representing Virginia, and was appointed to the Human Rights Council of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Victor lends legal counsel to many Roanoke-area nonprofit organizations including the Bradley Free Clinic, Center in the Square, Grandin Theatre Foundation, Mill Mountain Zoo, United Way of Roanoke Valley, Science Museum of Western Virginia, and Human Rights Council of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

He serves on the board of directors for the Bradley Free Clinic, the Science Museum of Western Virginia and the Virginia High School League Foundation and is an active volunteer with Cosmopolitan International.