Jim Guynn is the managing partner and founder of the firm. He has a peer review rating of AV Preeminent from Martindale.com. Jim received his B.A. from Washington and Lee University in 1979 and J.D. from the University of Virginia Law School in 1982. He has over 30 years of experience advising, representing, and defending local governments, school boards, other political subdivisions, public officials, and constitutional officers in Virginia. He is admitted to all state and federal courts in the Commonwealth.

Jim currently serves as County Attorney for Alleghany and Franklin Counties, and shares the County Attorney role of Patrick County with his colleagues.  In addition, Jim is the City Attorney for the City of Salem and provides general counsel services to the NRV Regional Water Authority, the Western Virginia Regional Jail Authority, the Roanoke Valley Juvenile Detention Commission, the Rockbridge Area Regional Jail Commission, the Roanoke Valley Resource Authority, the Giles County Public Service Authority, Giles County Public Schools, and the City of Salem School Board.

Jim is an experienced and well-respected litigator.  He has tried dozens of jury trials in both state and federal courts on subjects including employment disputes, constitutional violations, and governmental liability.  He has also litigated cases involving land use issues and procurement disputes. In addition, Jim is an experienced appellate advocate with over 20 cases decided at the Supreme Court of Virginia and more than a dozen published opinions from the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. 

Jim is an accomplished speaker and trainer.  He has served as a speaker at numerous programs for fellow attorneys provided by the Local Government Attorney’s Association, and conducted employment law training for localities and their human resources staffs.  He is the author of the chapter on Sovereign Immunity in the Local Government Attorney’s Handbook, a standard reference used by local government attorneys in Virginia.