Rick Matthews is a firm shareholder focusing his practice in the areas of litigation, banking and financial institutions, business legal services, and labor and employment law.
Rick serves as lead counsel in many of the firm’s complex civil matters, both commercial and tort. He routinely advises financial institutions, businesses and governmental institutions on legal matters having potential litigation ramifications. He also supervises transactional work for such clients.
He served as Assistant City Attorney for Virginia Beach from 1978 to 1983 and served as Pender & Coward's CEO from 1999-2019.
Rick frequently lectures and judges competitions at Regent University School of Law.
Represented regional banks in a number of multi-million dollar cases involving participation agreements, lender liability defense and creditor’s rights.
Represented multiple school boards and municipalities in million dollar tort and civil rights cases.
Represented ownership of golf course in multiple cases involving utilization of fly ash in construction of facility, involving hundreds of plaintiffs and millions of dollars in claims, contract disputes between participants and indemnity claims.
- Virginia Beach Bar Association
- Norfolk-Portsmouth Bar Association
- Chesapeake Bar Association
- Virginia Bar Association
- James Kent Inn of Court, Past President
- Hampton Roads University of Richmond Alumni Association, Past President
- University of Richmond Law School Association, Past Director
- Sigma Chi Lifetime Member
- Pack 53 Chesapeake Boy Scout Association, Former Cub Master
- Greenbrier Athletic Association, Former Vice President and Director
- Greenbrier Panthers AAU/USSSA Baseball Program, Co-founder
- Best Lawyers in America, Banking & Finance Law, 2024 and 2025, Employment Law - Management 2025
- Virginia's Legal Elite, Labor/Employment, 2016-2023
- Coastal Virginia's Top Lawyers, Labor and Employment/Legacy, 2016-2024