MIDLOTHIAN, VA (November 1, 2012) – The law firm of Owen & Owens is proud to announce that one of its founding partners, Mary Burkey Owens, has been selected by her peers to be included in the 2013 edition of Best Lawyers in America®. She has also been recognized by Virginia Business magazine as a member of the 2012 Legal Elite in the Domestic Relations category.
Since its first publication in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey in which attorneys submitted more than 4.4 million evaluations on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas. Lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed, so inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor.
All licensed Virginia attorneys were eligible to vote for the 2012 Legal Elite via an electronic ballot provided by email or on the Virginia Business magazine website. More than 1,200 attorneys nominated 3,553 of their peers in 16 practice categories this year. There were only 870 attorneys who made the final list.
Mary Burkey Owens was selected for Best Lawyers for the first time in the category of Collaborative Law: Family Law. She has been named one of the Legal Elite by Virginia Business magazine since 2001. Earlier this year, she was recognized by Virginia Super Lawyers as one of the “Top 50 Women Super Lawyers” in Virginia, indicating she received one of the highest point totals in the nomination, research and blue ribbon review process. Owens has handled complex custody, divorce, support and equitable distribution cases for over 25 years and is trained in the collaborative law process. She is a founding member and former president of the Metro Richmond Family Law Bar and past president of the Chesterfield County Bar Association. In 2011 Owens was honored by Virginia Lawyers Weekly as one of the “Influential Women of Virginia” who are making notable contributions to their profession and community.