The Chapman
Caseys attending
the Wheeling
Symphony
Orchestra’s
Patron Party.
system, hard to hear unfounded criticism
and hard to find solutions, and ongoing
review is a must. It was very impressive
to me how all members had such a pos-
itive and pragmatic approach.”
Chapman has also served the West
Virginia State Bar, where she was elected
president in 2009-2010, and she presently
serves on the executive council of the
West Virginia Bar Association.
“Serving on the commission but in the
role as president of the West Virginia State
Bar, I represented all of the state’s lawyers.
I tried to keep that as the guiding star,” she
says. “We tried to make a difference, not
just be another commission or study group.”
In addition to her passion for her pro-
fession and education, Chapman is com-
mitted to the state’s arts community. She
is an avid supporter of the Wheeling
Symphony Orchestra, where she is a past
president of its board of directors.
While Chapman was leaving her foot-
print on education and the legal profes-
sion, Casey was using his own strengths
to advocate for individuals who didn’t
have a voice and help a local health system
move out of the red and back to solid
financial ground.
Throughout his career, Casey has been
described as a tireless advocate for individ-
uals with intellectual disabilities, mental
illness and substance use disorder. After
graduating with his bachelor’s degree
in psychology from West Virginia State
University in 1979, he began working for
a group in Charleston that advocated for
intellectually disabled individuals.
“That was the start of my work as an
advocate for the population,” he says.
“I lost touch with the movement when I
went to law school and started my prac-
tice, but I’ve always maintained a keen
interest in the area.”
In 1996, Casey became a member of the
board of directors of Northwood Health
Systems. At that time, Northwood was
on the brink of financial collapse.
“Northwood was literally about two
weeks away from bankruptcy,” he says.
“Along with a couple of key board mem-
bers, we made a change in management.
We hired Pete Radakovich, a turnaround
specialist from the manufacturing sector
in Pittsburgh, to run Northwood like
a business rather than a social service
agency. The transformation was nothing
short of phenomenal. Northwood is now
a well-run business providing world-class
care to its clients. It prevailed, preserving
hundreds of jobs in the upper Ohio Valley
and maintaining quality care for an un-
derserved segment of the population.”
Getting involved at Northwood, where he
remains as the board chair, has allowed him
to return to his initial passion of advocacy.
“Since its rebirth, Northwood has always
been a strident advocate, both politically
and legally, for the rights of its clients, and
I have played a small role in that effort,”
says Casey. “These individuals do not have
a voice and are largely ignored by society.
I believe they have a right to develop to
their fullest potential and be valued mem-
bers of the community.”
In recognition of his outstanding career,
Casey has an AV Preeminent rating on
Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating
in professional ethics and legal ability, a
distinction which both he and Chapman
are proud of holding. Casey enjoys trial
work and has been named Lawyer of
the Year in Medical Malpractice Law–
Defense in all of northern West Virginia
since 2016. He has been listed in the “Best
Lawyers in America” publication since
2008 and recognized as a Super Lawyer
in West Virginia since 2011. He is also a
permanent member of the Fourth Circuit
Judicial Conference and a West Virginia
Bar Foundation fellow.
Despite different interests and style
practices, one thing Casey and Chapman
can definitely agree upon is giving back.
Together they have established a scholar-
ship to support WVU law students from
the Northern Panhandle.
“The scholarship was established in our
firm’s name through the WVU Founda-
tion, and it’s dedicated to the law school,”
says Casey. “We understand the cost of
sending students through college can be
overwhelming. We wanted to give back
to the law school because it has provided
both of us with many opportunities. We
hope our efforts can make the journey a
little easier for someone else.”
Amidst their individual impacts and
their firm’s collective contributions to the
state’s legal profession, one of the biggest
challenges for Casey and Chapman as
married co-owners of their firm is main-
taining a work-life balance.
“It is a constant challenge,” says
Chapman. “Lawyers have a lot of control
over their schedules—except when they
don’t. It is especially difficult now with
e-mail and the expectations of being on
duty 24/7.”
This balance was especially difficult to
find when they were raising their three
children.
“Naturally, practicing law and running
a business together is all-consuming,”
says Casey. “Conversely, personal and
family issues must be left at home and
not bleed into work. It takes practice and
effort, but it is achievable. The only con-
stant in my life has been my wife, Sandra,
who has supported and encouraged me
every step of the way.”
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