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Biography

Calvin Smith focuses his practice on commercial and business litigation and the representation of national, regional, and community banks in bankruptcy proceedings, workouts, loan restructurings, foreclosures, commercial collection actions, and related matters.

Calvin served as law clerk to the Honorable Ross W. Krumm, then Chief Judge of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Virginia from 1999-2001. Since 2001, he has been representing creditors in bankruptcy court, including litigation in numerous adversary proceedings and contested matters. Earlier in his career, Calvin represented debtors... and official unsecured creditors’ committees in cases ranging from simple Chapter 7 liquidations to complex Chapter 11 restructurings to the bankruptcy of an economic development authority under Chapter 9, and those experiences have helped him better serve his creditor clients.

As many troubled businesses never end up in bankruptcy court, Calvin regularly negotiates loan modifications, represents clients in state court litigation, advises clients on repossession of equipment, conducts real estate foreclosures, and handles related matters. He also reviews loan documents in order to identify potential concerns and strengthen his clients’ positions prior to bankruptcy or litigation.

Calvin handles a variety of litigation in state and federal courts, including the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, including title defense work, modular and manufactured housing issues, and employee non-compete agreements. Calvin also represents churches and advises them on issues ranging from incorporation to litigation, and he has extensive experience with church lending issues.

He attended the National Trial Advocacy College, a six-day, intensive litigation training program held annually at the University of Virginia School of Law, in 2008. He has served on the faculty of the annual Mid-Atlantic Institute on Bankruptcy and Reorganization Practice and has taught other CLE courses in the areas of bankruptcy, landlord-tenant law, and collections.

Calvin volunteers as the 5th and 6th Grade Commissioner for the Western Loudoun Basketball League and as a coach. He has served on the Susan G. Komen – Virginia Blue Ridge Give Day Committee, was a speaker at the 2013 Race for the Cure, and has raised funds for breast cancer research, education, and testing. He has served as a ruling elder, Sunday School teacher, and small group leader at Christ the King Presbyterian Church in Roanoke, as a member of an ad hoc committee mediating an intra-church dispute, and currently as a lector at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Purcellville, VA. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife, an IT executive, and their four children at the beach, as well as playing basketball and softball.

Education

  • Geneva College, B.A. History; Summa Cum Laude, Research Honors
  • Washington & Lee University School of Law

Admissions

State
  • Virginia
Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia
  • Virginia State Courts

Intern Program

As part of our effort to recruit, develop and retail the best and brightest attorneys, Dunlap Bennett & Ludwig offers a summer intern program for promising law school students who are looking to work as part of an innovative and incredibly successful team. With a global team of lawyers, selected candidates are able to work on high level projects in a collaborative space.

Paralegals and Legal Support Staff

At Dunlap Bennett & Ludwig, our team of paralegals and staff work together collaboratively along side our attorneys toward a common goal. We have created a positive work environment where our paralegals and legal assistants work to successfully reach firm-wide goals and support each other to combine individual strengths to enhance team performance. They regularly assist our attorneys with organizing and maintaining files, conducting legal research, and preparing documents.