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.
- Charles L. Williams
- Partner
- cwilliams@butlerwilliams.com
- Martindale-Hubbell AV Peer Review Rated
Mr. Williams is a founding member of the Firm. His practice focuses on commercial litigation, with an emphasis on construction law, contract law, and creditors’ rights. He has represented all parties in the construction process, including owners, lenders, design professionals, contractors, subcontractors, manufacturers, and suppliers. His clients include businesses, financial institutions, shopping center owners, governmental entities, and individuals. He has appeared before state and federal courts throughout Virginia, at both the trial and appellate level, as well as before the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals, numerous arbitrators appointed by the American Arbitration Association and the National Association of Securities Dealers, and numerous mediators. He also appears before bankruptcy courts in Virginia and in other states.
Representative Engagements:
- In the construction defect context, Mr. Williams played a leading role in the defense of more than fifteen lawsuits filed in Virginia state and federal courts against a supplier of fill material used in the construction of numerous commercial projects, schools, and churches. Collectively, these cases sought over sixty million dollars, and the litigation spanned more than seven years. All of the cases were resolved to the satisfaction of the client and its insurance carriers. Mr. Williams was instrumental in reducing the claims and in ensuring in each case that the parties responsible for the damage were at the table.
- Mr. Williams has significant experience in the area of contract law in many contexts, including construction, real estate, non-competition agreements, and franchises. In one dispute involving a non-compete agreement between two bidders on a federal construction project, he successfully defended a lawsuit which sought to enjoin his client from bidding on the contract. On Mr. Williams’ motion, the non-compete agreement was declared void as violative of government regulations favoring competition, and the case was dismissed with prejudice. Mr. Williams’ client went on to obtain several contracts with the federal government.
- Mr. Williams often acts as local counsel to law firms outside of Richmond in matters pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia (widely known as the “Rocket Docket”). He typically plays a substantive role in these representations. For example, he argued numerous motions on behalf of the plaintiff, and was the plaintiff’s representative in all communications with opposing counsel, in Personalized Mass Media Corp. v. The Weather Channel, et al., Civil Action No. 3:95cv00859.
- In the landlord/tenant context, Mr. Williams primarily represents landlords. He represented the prevailing shopping center owner in the decision handed down by the Supreme Court of Virginia in Cavalier Square Ltd. Partnership v. Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. 246 Va. 227, 435 S.E.2d 392 (1993). In that case, the tenant moved to a different location and sought to escape its obligations under the lease by asserting constructive eviction. After the trial court agreed with the tenant, Mr. Williams appealed and succeeded in having the decision of the trial court reversed. Upon remand to the trial court, the landlord prevailed.
- Mr. Williams’ experience in arbitration includes his representation of a bond manager/trader recruited by a brokerage firm to leave his employment in New York and move his family to Richmond. The brokerage firm failed to live up to its representations and arbitration ensued. Although the brokerage firm denied all wrongdoing, Mr. Williams’ client received a substantial award following evidentiary hearings that extended over several days.
Practice Areas
- Construction Law
- Commercial Litigation
- Creditors’ Rights Law
- Intellectual Property Litigation
- Products Liability Litigation
- Securities Arbitration
- Appellate Practice
Education
- J.D., University of Virginia School of Law, 1983
- B.A., Mary Washington College, 1979
Admitted
- Supreme Court of Virginia, 1984
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, 1986
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia, 1988
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, 1988
- U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
- U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Virginia
Clerkship Experience
- Clerk, Hon. Richard H. Poff, Supreme Court of Virginia, 1983-1985
Professional Memberships and Awards
- Virginia Business Legal Elite 2004 and 2007
- Master, John Marshall American Inns of Court
- President, Member of Board of Directors, Builders’ Exchange Association of Virginia
- Section Council Member, Construction and Public Contracts Law Section, Virginia Bar Association
- Former member of Board of Governors, Construction and Public Contracts Law Section, Virginia State Bar
- Editor, Construction and Public Contracts Law Section Newsletter, Virginia State Bar, 1994-1998
- Richmond Bar Association