Overview
Veronica is a co-founder and the President of Financial Freedom Legal. Since she began practicing law, she has dedicated 100% of her practice to helping people resolve financial problems and get things back on track. She is a nationally recognized expert on consumer bankruptcy issues. She frequently publishes and speaks about bankruptcy topics locally, state-wide, and nationally. Additionally, Veronica serves as a leader in the bankruptcy community and the community at large. She regularly engages in the planning and carrying out of community projects that help people get access to legal services and other essential resources. She is also the co-founder and vice president of Brighter Tomorrows Begin Today, which is a non-profit organization that assists individuals in achieving their academic and professional goals. Outside of practicing law, Veronica loves spending time with her two teenage children and her family and friends.
Education
- Bachelor of Arts, Political Science, magna cum laude, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
- Juris Doctor, University of Richmond School of Law, Richmond, VA
Court Admissions
- Commonwealth of Virginia
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
- United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia
- United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
Professional & Community Involvement
- Virginia State Bar
- Bankruptcy Section, Board of Governors, 2024 – Present
- Bankruptcy Section, Publication Editor, 2020 – 2024
- Board of Bar Examiners, Bar Exam Grader, 2016- 2024
- Conference of Local and Specialty Bar Associations, Executive Committee Member, 2020-Present
- Hill Tucker Bar Association
- Member-at-Large, 2024-Present
- Treasurer, 2023-2024
- President, 2018-2020
- Vice President, 2017-2018
- Secretary, 2016-2017
- Richmond Bar Association
- Executive Board, Member-at-Large, 2024
- Judiciary Committee Member, 2022-2023
- Bench-Bar Conference, Co-Chair, 2020 & 2021
- Administration of Justice, Committee Member, 2020-2021
- Old Dominion Bar Association
- Secretary, 2022-2024
- Member-at-Large, 2020-2022
- American Bankruptcy Institute
- “40 under 40” Selection Steering Committee Member, 2022
- Mid-Level Professional Development Planning Committee Member, 2021
- South Hampton Roads Bar Association
- 100th Anniversary Planning Committee Co-Chair, 2022
- International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation
- Co-Chair of the Virginia Chapter 2017 – 2019
- Programming Co-Chair of the Virginia Chapter 2016 – 2017
- Brighter Tomorrows Begin Today
- Vice President, 2012-Present
- Co-Founder, 2012
Speaking Engagements
- “How to Not Practice Bankruptcy: A Practical Approach to Common Dilemmas,” National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys’ 32nd Annual Convention, Colorado Springs, CO (2024)
- “Implicit Bias and the Ethical Implications on Bankruptcy and Restructuring Practices,” Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Advisors’ 40th Annual Conference, Baltimore, MD (2024)
- “Bankruptcy Consequences of Vices in Consumer Cases,” Mid-Atlantic Institute on Bankruptcy and Reorganization’s 39th Annual Conference, Charlottesville, VA (2024)
- “Turn Out the Lights, the Party’s Over: Surviving the Afterparty in a Troubled Consumer Case,” National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges Annual Meeting, Austin, TX (2023)
- “Ethics & Remote Bankruptcy Practice: Where We Are and Where We Are Headed,” 31st Annual Hal J. Bonny Jr., Seminar on Bankruptcy Law and Practice, Tidewater Bankruptcy Bar Association (2023)
- “Crossroads of bankruptcy and other practice areas: Avoiding pitfalls and legal dead ends,” Virginia State Bar, General Practice Section (2023)
- “Exploring the overlap of bankruptcy and other practices: what practitioners need to know to protect their clients,” Old Dominion Bar Association Annual Winter Conference, Springfield, Virginia (2023)
- “Virtual Court Hearings-Maximizing the Benefits and Avoiding the Pitfalls,” The National Association of Chapter 13 Trustees’ 57th Annual Seminar, San Francisco, CA (2022)
- “Student Debt: Crisis or Opportunity,” American Bankruptcy Institute’s Annual Spring Meeting, Washington, DC (2022)
- “The Ethical Implications of Implicit Bias and the Practice of Bankruptcy Law,” The Virginia Bar Association’s 23rd Annual Bankruptcy Law Conference, Williamsburg, VA (2022)
- “Dotting the I’s, Crossing the T’s, and Understanding Consumer Protections in Creditor Collections,” Virginia State Bar, General Practice Section (2022)
- “Ethics: Implicit Bias and Bankruptcy,” The Tidewater Bankruptcy Bar Association’s 30th Annual Hal J. Bonney Jr., Seminar on Bankruptcy Law and Practice (2022)
- “Post-Covid-19 Mortgage Issues,” Annual Consumer Practice Extravaganza, American Bankruptcy Institute (2022)
- “Ethics: Duty to Perform,” Annual Midwestern Bankruptcy Seminar, American Bankruptcy Institute (2021)
- “Recent Developments in Bankruptcy Law,” 36th Annual Mid-Atlantic Institute on Bankruptcy and Reorganization Practice Seminar, Charlottesville, VA (2021)
- “70 Days to Do What? Proof of Claim Issues Before and After Rule Changes,” National Association of Chapter 13 Trustees’ 56th Annual Seminar, Washington, D.C. (2021)
- “Remote Practice and Virtual Client Consultations,” Tidewater Bankruptcy Bar Association’s 29th Annual Hal J. Bonney Jr., Seminar on Bankruptcy Law and Practice (2021)
- “NCBJ: Now that You’re Employed, Here’s How to Avoid Stubbing Your Ethical Toe,” American Bankruptcy Institute’s Insolvency 2020 Summit (2020)
- “Hot Issues Involving Chapter 7 Trustees,” 35th Annual Mid-Atlantic Institute on Bankruptcy and Reorganization Practice Seminar (2020)
- “Don’t Lose It: Protecting Our Legacies of Land & Other Possessions,” First Baptist Church, Virginia (2020)
- “The Do’s and Don’ts of Consumer Protections and Creditor Collections,” Old Dominion Bar Association 79th Annual Conference, Virginia Beach, Virginia (2019)
- “Litigation in Individual Bankruptcy Cases,” Tidewater Bankruptcy Bar Association’s 27th Annual Hal J. Bonney, Jr., Seminar on Bankruptcy Law and Practice, Norfolk, Virginia (2019)
- “Intersections with Bankruptcy”
- Norfolk Portsmouth Bar Association, Norfolk, Virginia (2018)
- Hampton Bar Association, Hampton, Virginia (2018)
- Old Dominion Bar Association, Springfield, Virginia (2017)
- Hill Tucker Bar Association, Richmond, Virginia (2017)
Publications
- “Remote Court Hearings: Present Practice and Future Prospects,” American Bankruptcy Institute, E-Book, July 2021
- “Discharging Student Loan Debt: Evolving Applications of the Brunner Test,” Virginia State Bar, Bankruptcy Section Newsletter, March 2020
- “Disregarding Bankruptcy Protections Can Be Costly: How Courts Decide Punitive Damages,” The NACTT Academy, December 2019
- “Applicable Commitment Period: Is it Applicable Post-Confirmation,” American Bankruptcy Institute Journal, June 2019
- “When Life Backs Chapter 13 Debtors Into A Corner, § 1329 May Provide A Way Out of Trouble And A Shorter Path to Discharge,” The NACTT Academy, February 2019
Awards
- Named among “Rising Stars” for Bankruptcy by Virginia Super Lawyers (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022,2023,2024)
- Named among “Ones to Watch in America” for Bankruptcy by Best Lawyers in America (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
- Named among “Legal Elite” for Bankruptcy by the Virginia Business Magazine (2020, 2021, 2022,2023, 2024)
- Named among “40 Under 40” Emerging Leaders in Insolvency Practice by the American Bankruptcy Institute (2020)
- Named among “Top Lawyers” by Coastal Virginia Magazine (2020)
- Blackshear Presidential Fellow, National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges (2019)
- Next Generation Program Participant, National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges (2019)
- Young Lawyer of the Year, South Hampton Roads Bar Association (2019)
- Class of Up and Coming Lawyers, Virginia Lawyer’s Weekly (2018)
- Rising Star Semi-Finalist, International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation (2018)
