Practice Areas
- Construction
- Construction Law (Business)
- Intellectual Property
- Intellectual Property Litigation
- Trade Secret
- Litigation
- Antitrust
- Commercial Litigation
- Construction Law
- General Civil Litigation
- Products Liability
Speeches
News
Roanoke
T: (540) 983-7716
F: (540) 983-7711
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Education
- University of Virginia School of Law, J.D., 1988
- Virginia Tech, B.A., magna cum laude, in honors, 1983
Bar & Court Admissions
- 1988, Virginia Bar
- 1988, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
- 1989, U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia
- 2005, U.S. Court of Federal Claims
- 1993, U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
- 2004, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
Francis H. 'Chip' Casola is a principal of Woods Rogers PLC, with a concentration in commercial litigation. Mr. Casola is an experienced litigator, handling cases dealing with widely varied issues, including antitrust, breach of contract, bond validation proceedings, business conspiracy, covenants not to compete, construction law, ERISA, False Claims Act (qui tam), fraud, land disputes, lemon law, nuisance, personal injury and wrongful death, professional malpractice, product liability, tax assessment challenges, tortious interference, white collar crime, and will contests. Mr. Casola’s cases have involved the mining (coal/vermiculite) industry, coated fabrics industry, health care industry, broadcast television industry, metal castings industry, higher education, and accounting, among many others. Mr. Casola also has experience in both defending and prosecuting class action claims.
Mr. Casola is a member of the American, Virginia and Roanoke Bar Associations, and has been active in professional organizations. He currently is a member of the Board (and Executive Committee) of the Roanoke Bar Association. He also is past chair of the Virginia State Bar's Antitrust Franchising and Trade Regulation Section, and a past member of the Health Law Council, the governing body of the Virginia Bar Association's Health Law Section. He is a graduate of University of Virginia's Trial Advocacy Institute.
Mr. Casola has been active in the Roanoke community. He currently sits on the board of the Legal Aid Society of Roanoke Valley, and is a delegate to the Roanoke Valley Aquatic Association. He also has served a term on the board and as treasurer of the Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline Council, and has volunteered with Roanoke's Refugee and Immigration Services, tutoring refugees in English as a second language. He is a past graduate of the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce's Leadership Roanoke Valley program.
Mr. Casola graduated magna cum laude from Virginia Tech in 1983 with a B.A. in Political Science, and was Phi Beta Kappa. He earned his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1988, where he was named a Dillard Fellow. He has been with the firm since that time.
Professional Affiliations
- American Bar Association, Antitrust Section; Litigation Section
- Virginia Bar Association, Litigation Section; Health Law Section, 2001-2004, Council Member
- Virginia State Bar, Antitrust, Franchising and Trade Regulation Section, 1999-2000, Chair, Board of Governors; 1998-1999, Vice Chair, Board of Governors; 1997-1998, Secretary, Board of Governors; Former Newsletter Editor
- Roanoke Bar Association, 2007- Secretary/Treasurer (Executive Committee); 2006-2007, Board (CLE Chair); 2006-2007, Board (Audit Committee Chair); Founding Newsletter Editor
- Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys