Gentry Locke celebrated the accomplishments of highly esteemed partner J. Rudy Austin for his 50th anniversary at the firm at an event on June 12.

“We are proud of Rudy’s contributions to Gentry Locke, his generous role as mentor and partner, and of the honorable way that he has practiced law for 50 years,” said Monica Taylor Monday, managing partner of the firm. “Rudy exemplifies what is best in Virginia lawyers. He is wise, is courteous to everyone with whom he deals, maintains the highest standards of professionalism and ethics, and is fiercely committed to his clients. With more than 50 years in practice, Rudy is also a virtual encyclopedia of legal knowledge, and has devoted thousands of hours to mentoring young lawyers at Gentry Locke.”

Austin joins partners S.D. Roberts Moore and William R. Rakes, who have also practiced at the firm for more than 50 years.

Austin, a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, The American Bar Foundation and the Virginia Law Foundation, focuses his practice in the areas of insurance defense, insurance coverage, workers’ compensation, construction and legal ethics. He is a recipient of the2007 Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys’ Award for Excellence in Civil Litigation, its highest honor. He is consistently included among the Best Lawyers in America for Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants. Austin is also one of a select group of lawyers recognized by Chambers USA for Virginia Litigation: General Commercial; is noted as a Litigation Star in General Commercial and Insurance Litigation by Benchmark Litigation; and is regularly included as a Virginia Super Lawyer in Civil Litigation and Defense.

Austin earned his B.A. cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, and his LL.B. from the University of Virginia.

About Gentry Locke

With more than 55 lawyers practicing across a range of disciplines, Gentry Locke brings uncommon thinking and deep experience to the legal and business challenges of companies, institutions, organizations and individuals—a commitment the firm has met since 1923. Operating from offices in Roanoke and Lynchburg, Va., Gentry Locke serves clients in Virginia and across the U.S., as well as worldwide as a member firm of the ALFA International Legal Network. Meet the firm’s dynamic attorneys and learn more about its fierce drive to achieve success for its clients by exploring http://www.gentrylocke.com/.