2019 AWARDS
Tom Lane
Partner, Bowles Rice LLP
It’s the relationships I’ve developed over the
years that are my favorite aspect of my practice.”
Photo by Rick Lee Photography.
BY JEAN HARDIMAN. Tom Lane is a name
that means different things to different
people. Many know him for the trusted
counsel he provides as a partner with
Bowles Rice LLP, others for his work
on Charleston City Council, where he
served for 32 years.
Meanwhile, lawyers practicing through-
out the country likely remember Lane
for the knowledge he passed along as the
Robert T. Donley Adjunct Professor of
Coal, Oil and Gas Law at West Virginia
University (WVU) College of Law, where
he taught from 1986-2005. Still others
might know him through his own land
development work. It’s hard to tell where
his impact has been the most profound.
What’s clear, however, is that his legal
savvy and commitment to improving life
for the people of West Virginia have been
a benefit to his community and state.
Lane began his studies at WVU College
of Law in 1968 before being drafted and
serving two years in the U.S. Army over-
seas during the Vietnam War. He returned
to law school in 1971 and graduated in
1973. After law school, he worked briefly
for a state agency before clerking for the
Senate Judiciary Committee. He then
spent over a year clerking for one of his
most appreciated mentors, Judge John
Field of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the
Fourth Circuit.
“I will never forget the day he handed
me a letter addressed to Paul Bowles, who
was then the senior partner of Stone,
Bowles, Kauffelt and McDavid, now
Bowles Rice, and suggested I deliver it
to him,” says Lane. “I never knew what
that letter said, but within a short time,
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WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE
Mr. Bowles gave me an offer to join the
firm. It was one of the most fortunate
things that has ever happened to me.”
In 1975, the firm was busy with new
development and property acquisitions
for its energy clients, and today, Lane’s
practice areas still include both litiga-
tion and transaction work in coal, oil
and gas matters.
“I found the work to be highly enjoy-
able and have continued in this special
area my entire career,” he says. “I have
had the good fortune of developing won-
derful relationships with clients whom
I admire and with whom I enjoy work-
ing. I often have a sense of partnership
with these clients in seeking solutions to
complex problems, closing transactions
and succeeding when litigation becomes
necessary. Thus, it’s these relationships
I’ve developed over the years that are my
favorite aspect of my practice.”
In 1986, Lane took up teaching when
he was asked by Bowles to take over his
class at WVU. “The teaching experience
was highly rewarding, and to this day, I
continue to see former students in highly
successful careers,” he says. “I am always
glad I had a part in making that happen.”
Lane has also been active with the West
Virginia Bar Association and Energy &
Mineral Law Foundation (EMLF), which
is dedicated to education on coal, oil and
gas law. He has organized and chaired
many educational seminars, published
numerous articles and served as president
of the EMLF, and he is currently serving
as a trustee and member of the scholar-
ship committee. Of all the accolades he
has received in his field, Lane says the
Lane recognized in 2018 for starting Charleston’s
Live on the Levee summer music program.
one that meant the most was the annual
McClaugherty Award given by the EMLF
to a lawyer who has contributed to the
educational efforts of the foundation.
During his active career, Lane has also
demonstrated unwavering commitment to
his hometown. He served on the Charles-
ton City Council for 32 years, 16 of which
he served as president. He has chaired the
homeless task force and was involved in
the construction of five shelters and tran-
sitional housing units in Charleston. He
also helped launch the Live on the Levee
series, bringing concerts to the riverfront
on summer evenings.
Reaching out to develop friendships,
seizing opportunities and working hard
for his clients, students, city and state
have been the foundation for a good life
for Lane in West Virginia.
“My entire adult life has been in West
Virginia,” he says. “Being a graduate of
WVU College of Law provided from the
outset a base of friends and acquaintances
around the state, and teaching many stu-
dents who have settled in West Virginia
has provided an additional connection.
It means a great deal to me to have these
statewide connections.”