Our People

C. Dewayne Lonas Biography Print This Page

C. Dewayne Lonas

4110 East Parham Road
Richmond, Virginia 23228
(804) 864-4820
(804) 421-6251 (fax)
dlonas@mrcpclaw.com

Add V-Card

An AV-rated lawyer, C. Dewayne Lonas has fashioned a diverse practice as a trial lawyer and counselor in the areas of commercial litigation, product liability, trucking defense and premises liability. He is also the firm’s go-to lawyer in the areas of business formation and commercial transactions.

Commercial litigation. As a commercial litigator, Mr. Lonas has tried to verdict cases involving breach of contract, breach of warranty, conversion and detinue, and construction defects. He has also litigated insurance coverage disputes and matters involved compliance with state and federal regulations for both domestic and international companies.

Product liability. Within the broad area of product liability defense, Mr. Lonas has defended the designers, manufacturers and distributors of countless products, including heavy construction equipment, agricultural equipment, meat saws and grinders, and asbestos-containing products. He has drafted safety manuals and designed warnings for products.

Trucking defense. Mr. Lonas’s trucking practice centers on the defense of trucking companies and drivers throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. Mr. Lonas has also tried to verdict a declaratory judgment and damages case for a major regional trucking insurer.

Premises liability. Mr. Lonas’s premises liability practice has been equally diverse. For the past several years, Mr. Lonas has defended a major convenience store chain throughout Virginia in slip-and-fall, trip-and-fall and burn cases. Conversely, Mr. Lonas has prosecuted numerous slip-and-fall cases, and prevailed at trial in two such cases in 2004 and 2011.

Mr. Lonas’s practice extends statewide, and he is experienced and comfortable litigating in both the state and federal courts in Virginia. He has also been admitted pro hac vice in West Virginia, Maine, New York, Massachusetts and Washington, and has worked extensively in cases litigated in California, Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. He has defended or prosecuted claims for number of international companies in such far-flung places as Germany and Bulgaria.

Throughout his career, Mr. Lonas has represented Fortune 500 companies, mid-sized enterprises, startup businesses, and individuals. Regardless of the size of the case or the client, however, Mr. Lonas brings to each matter he handles the same responsiveness, thoroughness and passion for advocacy. It is these qualities that separate Mr. Lonas from his peers, and that elicit the most praise from his clients. In 2007, Mr. Lonas was selected as a Virginia Super Lawyer Rising Star in the category of Business Litigation – an honor reserved for the top attorneys in Virginia in their respective practice areas who are either 40 or under or who have been practicing 10 or fewer years.

Outside his law practice, Mr. Lonas enjoys following the Kentucky Wildcats, playing basketball, reading Southern American literature, and spending time with his wife and two wonderful kids.

Representative Cases:

  • Plaintiff’s verdict in slip-and-fall case against owner and operator of show cave (Page County Circuit Court, June 2011)
  • Summary judgment in breach of contract for German manufacturer of radioactive sealed sources. Also succeeded in defeating plaintiff’s effort to obtain temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to halt manufacturer’s work (United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, April 2011)
  • Defense verdict in $2 million wrongful death case against international bulldozer manufacturer (Loudoun County Circuit Court, September 2010)
  • Plaintiff’s verdict for general contractor in construction dispute with Richmond homeowners (Richmond Circuit Court, September 2008)
  • Defense verdict in $10 million product liability case against international construction equipment manufacturer (Henrico County Circuit Court, March 2007)
  • Summary judgment for construction equipment manufacturer in multi-million dollar product liability case (McDowell County, WV Circuit Court, May 2006)
  • Defense verdict in breach of contract action against occupational accident insurer (Richmond Circuit Court, December 2005)
  • Plaintiff’s verdict for compensatory and punitive damages in conversion case (Henrico County Circuit Court, September 2005)
  • Plaintiff’s verdict involving a slip-and-fall on an icy parking lot (Caroline County Circuit Court, November 2004)
  • Summary judgment for lawyer in malpractice action (United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, November 2004)
  • Summary judgment for regional cement manufacturer on claims for nuisance and trespass (United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia, October 2001)
  • Summary judgment for international telecommunications company in spamming/computer trespass case (United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia, October 2001)

Current Employment Position:

  • Principal and Shareholder

Areas of Practice:

Bar Admissions:

  • Virginia, 1999
  • U.S. District Court Eastern District of Virginia
  • U.S. District Court Western District of Virginia
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit

Education:

  • University of Virginia School of Law, Charlottesville, Virginia, 1999; J.D.
  • Law Journal: Virginia Environmental Law Journal, Member, Managing Board, 1998 – 1999
  • Hardy Cross Dillard Fellow in Legal Research and Writing, 1997 - 1999
  • University of Virginia Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, Charlottesville, VA
  • Coursework towards M.A. in English, 1992-94
  • Centre College, Danville, Kentucky, 1991; B.A.

Professional Associations and Memberships:

  • Virginia State Bar
  • Trucking Industry Defense Association
  • Board of Directors, Federal Bar Association, Richmond Chapter
  • Bar Association of the City of Richmond
  • Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys
  • Defense Research Institute
  • Trucking Defense, Commercial Litigation and Product Liability (Agricultural, Construction, Mining & Industrial Equipment subcommittee)
  • Civil War Preservation Trust

Representative Cases:

  • Frye v. Biro Mfg. Co., 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 38918 (W.D. Wash. 2011)
  • CNH America LLC v. Smith, 281 Va. 60, 704 S.E.2d 372 (2011)
  • Atlantic Bulk Carrier Corp. v. Milan Express Co., 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 74994 (E.D. Va. 2010)
  • Gilbert v. Luray Caverns Corp., 2010 Va. Cir. LEXIS 103 (Page County 2010)
  • Culkin, Administrator and Personal Representative of the Estate of John Thomas McCray, Jr. v. CNH America LLC, 598 F. Supp. 2d 758 (E.D. Va. 2009)
  • Andrews v. Virginia Union University, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 40001 (E.D. Va. 2008)
  • A.T. Massey Coal Co. v. Rudimex, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1882 (E.D. Va. 2006)
  • Massey Coal Sales Co. v. Ontario Power Generation, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 81705 (E.D. Va. 2006)

Fraternities/Sororities:

  • Phi Beta Kappa