OUR PROGRAM

Join MRWBA at the Bank of America Building on February 11th for a discussion on negotiations with The Honorable Paul Cella (ret.) and The Honorable Catherine Hammond (ret.) of Juridical Solutions. 

Parking will be validated for all registrants.

Our Presenters

Judge Paul Cella served as a judge in General District Court in the Eleventh Circuit (Powhatan, Nottoway, Amelia, and Dinwiddie Counties, as well as the City of Petersburg) from 2007 to 2011.  He was Chief Judge from 2009 to 2011.  He served as a Circuit Court Judge in the  Eleventh Circuit from 2011 to 2025 and was Chief Judge from 2015 to 2023.  From 2017 to 2024, he served as presiding judge for the Multijurisdictional Grand Jury for Powhatan, Goochland, Amelia, and Prince Edward Counties.  During his time on the bench, Judge Cella heard and decided numerous cases involving family law, personal injury, real estate, decedents’ estates, defamation, and business disputes.  His private practice of law included general civil, business, and real estate matters.  He resides in Powhatan County.

Judge Catherine Hammond began serving on the Henrico Circuit Court in 1999, as the Governor’s appointee. She was elected by the General Assembly in 2000, reelected in 2008, and retired with over 16 years of judicial service. Before joining the bench, Judge Hammond practiced law in Richmond, handling complex commercial litigation. Her caseload included all kinds of business disputes, with clients ranging from banks, broker-dealers, and insurers to manufacturers and other general businesses, national and local. She also tried personal injury cases, most often car crashes, in Circuit Court and General District Court, as insurance defense counsel. From 1994 to 1998 Judge Hammond (Ret.) was the Deputy Attorney General for Civil Litigation, responsible for all tort claims against the state (including medical malpractice actions against state hospitals, nurses and physicians), state employment disputes, state construction litigation, and public utility cases for rate regulation. She was lead counsel in litigation involving the conversion of Blue Cross and Blue Shield from a not-for-profit mutual company to a for-profit stock company.  She personally appeared on behalf of the Commonwealth in state and federal courts, trial and appellate, and at the SCC.

On the bench, Judge Hammond served as Chief Judge for three non-consecutive terms of two years each. She heard all matters in Circuit Court involving the Commissioner of Accounts, and she enjoys mediating family disputes about wills and testamentary estates. In 2002, Judge Hammond and Judge Gary Hicks worked closely with the Henrico County Manager, Sheriff Michael Wade, Henrico Police, and Henrico Area Mental Health & Developmental Services to improve community health by creating the the County’s first Adult Drug Treatment Court.  It has now operated continuously for over 20 years.  After retiring, Judge Hammond joined the Faculty of the National Drug Court Institute and travels throughout the 50 states to conduct training in best practices for Adult Drug Treatment Courts. A lifelong volunteer, Judge Hammond was recognized by Virginia Lawyers’ Weekly in its annual Hall of Fame. She also received its Influential Women of Virginia award. She is the recipient of the annual Award of Achievement by the Metropolitan Richmond Women’s Bar Association. Judge Hammond became the owner of Juridical Solutions PLC in 2018. In January 2024 Juridical Solutions PLC ownership was transferred to Judge Jeanette Irby.

OUR SCHEDULE

• Registration and Lunch 12:00 p.m.
• Program 12:30 p.m.
• Adjourn 1:30 p.m.

Thanks to our Premier Sponsors

And Thanks to Our Gold Sponsors

Registration Fees

Registration is $30 for members of MRWBA and $40 for nonmembers.