Our Attorneys
Listed alphabetically are the attorneys of Butler Williams & Skilling, P.C. To learn more about a particular attorney click on their name in the main menu bar.
- Harris D. Butler, III
- Partner
- hbutler@butlerwilliams.com
- Martindale-Hubbell AV Peer Review Rated
Mr. Butler is a founding member of the Firm. He primarily represents employees in employment matters and has handled individual and class employment matters for private and public employees on a wide range of issues. His cases often attract statewide and national media attention. He is a regular speaker at continuing legal and judicial education programs, lecturing on a variety of employment and civil litigation topics. His peers recognize him as among the best trial lawyers in the region. In 2003 Virginia Business Magazine's "Legal Elite" edition named Harris "The Best Employment Lawyer" in Virginia. In 2006 and again in December 2007, he was named by them as "One of The Best Employment Lawyers" in Virginia. The May 2006 issue of Virginia Super Lawyers ranked Mr. Butler among “The Top 10 Attorneys in Virginia.” He is also included in the 2007 edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the specialties of Labor and Employment Law.
Representative Engagements:
- Many of the matters Mr. Butler is involved in are resolved on a confidential basis. However, he is proud to have represented both the CEO and the maintenance man; the police officer and the ex-convict; the teacher and the student; the hospital administrator and the nurse; the physician and the secretary; the general counsel and the paralegal; the department store regional manager and the part-time clerk; the high-tech computer salesperson and the installer; the executive and the entry level employee; the City Manager and the city worker. All are employees, and he has helped them receive what they were due under the law.
- During Mr. Butler’s twenty years of Virginia practice, he has quietly garnered the respect of his peers in the Employment Bar. Much of his work is by referral from other lawyers–including lawyers who represent management and appear regularly against him. He works tirelessly to advance employee rights, serving on bar committees and speaking across the state on employment litigation topics as an employee advocate. His cases are often reported publicly and followed in the press. Many are resolved confidentially. All are handled with the highest degree of loyalty, attention, and discretion. He and his staff are experienced in working with victims of workplace harassment. He understands the needs of his clients, and does his best to help them pursue their claims in the most effective and advantageous ways. He is committed to understanding the facts of a case to develop the most appropriate theory for his clients’ claims.
Education
J.D., University of Houston Law School, 1981
B.B.A., Texas A&M University, 1978
Admitted
- Texas, 1981
- U.S. Northern District of Texas, 1981
- U.S. Southern District of Texas, 1981
- U.S. Eastern District of Texas, 1981
- U.S. Western District of Texas, 1981
- Virginia, 1986
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, 1986
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia, 1986
- U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fourth, Fifth, and Ninth Circuits
- District of Columbia, 1986
- United States Supreme Court, 1986
Professional Memberships and Affiliations
- Virginia Bar Association
- American Bar Association
- Richmond Bar Association
- National Employment Lawyers’ Association
- Virginia Affiliate Chair
- Amicus & Ethics Subcommittees
- Virginia Trial Lawyers’ Association
- American Association for Justice
- Former Member, Virginia Bar Association Labor and Employment Section Council
- Former Chair, Virginia Bar Association Law Practice Management Section
- Former Chair, Virginia Trial Lawyers Association Employment Law Section
- Frequent Lecturer on Employment Litigation Topics
Community and Pro Bono Activities
- Elder, Battery Park Christian Church
- Youth Sports Coach