West Virginia Executive Summer 2019 | Page 100

2019 AWARDS Scott Holcomb Partner, Holcomb + Ward, LLP, and Representative, State of Georgia My greatest strength is my integrity. That’s not something I’ll ever compromise.” Photo by Georgia House of Representatives. BY KATLIN SWISHER. From the military to the statehouse, Scott Holcomb’s legal career has been defined by public service. After graduating from West Virginia University (WVU) College of Law in 1997, Holcomb began his career as a lawyer in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps. He served on active duty for six years and was deployed overseas three times. In this role, he advised generals during conflict on international law and prose- cuted courts-martial. He also reviewed target sets during war for compliance with the laws of war, working diligently to avoid civilian casualties. During this time, Holcomb wrote a number of articles on his experiences, including one published by the Chicago Journal of International Law. Later, after leaving active duty, he taught a course on the laws of war at the Georgia Institute of Technology. “The most important things I learned in the military were to work hard and do the job correctly,” says Holcomb. “I also learned—and this is just as im- portant—that if you make a mistake, you take ownership and fix it. You don’t make excuses. You don’t lie. You stand up, accept responsibility, fix it and make sure it doesn’t happen again.” Captain Scott Holcomb in Srebenica, Bosnia, in 2000. 98 WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE Holcomb’s military service did not begin in the U.S. Army, though. He served six years with the Air National Guard during both his undergraduate work at the University of Connecticut and through- out law school at WVU. Before owning and managing his own law firm, Holcomb worked as a securities litigator for Sutherland Asbill & Bren- nan, LLP, known today as Eversheds Sutherland LLP, a large law firm in At- lanta, GA, and as general counsel for an Atlanta-based brokerage firm that was acquired by a public company. After more than 10 years in private practice, Holcomb toyed with the idea of opening his own firm. He earned his MBA so he could learn about running a business, and then in 2015 he took a leap of faith and opened The Holcomb Law Firm, LLC. “Admittedly, I was nervous at first because you never know if the phone will ring, but I’ve been really fortunate,” he says. “We built our firm the right way and have grown each year.” In 2016, the firm evolved into Holcomb + Ward, LLP when Holcomb partnered with Bryan Ward, an attorney with whom he had worked at Sutherland. “I trust Bryan completely, and we’ve built a practice based on outstanding client service and top-notch legal work,” says Holcomb. “To date, we’ve won every case we’ve taken to hearing, and many of them had very challenging facts. I enjoy building client relationships and the work that goes into solving challenging legal puzzles.” Holcomb’s commitment to public ser- vice started early in his career—before he graduated from WVU. As a first-year law student, he completed training to become a Court Appointed Special Advocate, or CASA, rep. One of the most impactful cases he had in this role involved two sis- ters with fetal alcohol syndrome whose mother was incapable of caring for them and whose father was in prison. “I worked with another WVU student, and we went through boxes and boxes of files and did our due diligence by speak- ing with case workers and family mem- bers,” he recalls. “Ultimately, we believed the parental rights should be terminated. I testified in court before Judge Larry Starcher, explaining why I believed this to be the case. He listened carefully and asked several questions. Ultimately, he agreed. The silver lining to the story is that one of my classmate’s parents adopted both of the girls before we graduated.” Since leaving active duty military service in 2004, Holcomb has represented veter- ans and their family members on a pro bono basis. These cases can be incredibly challenging and take years to complete. “I’ve helped veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and physical injuries related to their service, and I’ve helped family members with claims for survivors’ benefits,” he says. “Recently, I’ve been helping a disabled veteran resolve issues with his homeowners’ association because he had trouble maintaining his yard. As a veteran, I have a connection with other vets, and I want to help them.” This dedication to service is also evi- dent in Holcomb’s commitment to men- toring other lawyers. He is particularly passionate about mentoring women.