Welcome, Chris Erich!
Our newest attorney brings help for small businesses and others to the Roanoke Valley
Christopher Erich is a bit of a Renaissance man. He has worked as a teacher and a poultry farmer. He received his Bachelors from UNLV in Spanish and French and is a voracious reader. Fluent in Spanish, his favorite book is Don Quixote (in the original 16th century Spanish, of course). He held various careers before attending Ave Maria School of Law on a full scholarship. As an attorney in Florida, Chris built a successful career as an in-house corporate counsel and owner of his own boutique law firm. Now he brings his expertise and experience to Magee Goldstein Lasky & Sayers. We sat down with Chris to find out more about one of Roanoke’s newest attorneys.
Where are you from, Chris?
Lots of places! I grew up near Atlanta, Georgia, and attended William & Mary for four years. Afterwards, I got married and lived on the Eastern Shore of Virginia for a few years, then moved to Las Vegas, where I completed my B.A. Around 2009, I returned to Atlanta, and lived there until 2014, when I moved to Florida to attend law school. I practiced law in Florida for almost five years when the opportunity presented itself to relocate back to Virginia. I have to say that I think Southwest Virginia is beautiful, and that I’m proud to be a Virginia licensed attorney.
What kind of law did you practice in Florida?
I specialized in what we call “transactional law.” For businesses, that means preparing and reviewing contracts, employment agreements, forming corporations and other business entities, drawing up shareholder agreements, and so on. I advised them on how to structure their businesses—corporation, partnership, or LLC—and prepare and file the right organizational documents. I did M&A (mergers and acquisitions), compliance, tax structuring, contracts, prepared employment agreements as well as independent contractor agreements with restrictive covenants (non-competes and NDAs), challenged unenforceable employment agreement terms, prepared negotiable instruments, security/financing and franchise agreements, and represented individual business owners in “business divorces,” or dissolutions.
For individuals, I practiced estate planning law and probate and trust litigation. I’ve drafted dozens of wills and trust instruments, represented personal representatives and trustees in formal probate and trust administration, and litigated on behalf of beneficiaries who were being treated unfairly. I’m particularly proud to say that I’ve recovered more than $4 million for my clients.
Do you enjoy that kind of practice?
I sure do! I owned and operated my own small business, and there is just so much small business owners need to know. Any of the transactions I mentioned can make or break a business, and I like seeing my clients’ business ventures grow and thrive. I take a lot of pride in this type of work. Helping business clients take on new customers, expand to new territories, offer new product or service lines, and then come back to me for help on their next stage, makes me feel as if I am really making a difference. I see myself as more of a collaborative partner—my mission is to provide advice and legal counsel to my clients so we can grow together.
Most of my work has been from referral. For example, a business owner who I’ve worked with as a “collaborative partner” might come to me and ask to draw up power of attorney documents for a parent or create a will. I’ve learned Virginia’s intestacy laws are particularly tricky, so you need to have a trustworthy lawyer avoid probate issues. In other words, don’t rely on forms you downloaded from online!
And now you’re licensed in Virginia as well as Florida?
Yes. I actually passed the New York state Bar Exam, as well, but ultimately decided not to get sworn in.
Which bar exam was the hardest?
That would be the Virginia Bar, hands down! Virginia has some of oldest legal traditions, and did I mention the bar exam is all essay questions?
And you’ve been at Magee Goldstein Lasky & Sayers for a year now?
Yes, I just celebrated one year of employment with Magee Goldstein Lasky & Sayers, P.C. I moved to Southwest Virginia last July, and took the February 2023 Virginia Bar Exam. I passed, and became licensed in Virginia June 14, 2023. Before that, I assisted Andy Goldstein and Chelesea Vaughan on their bankruptcy and family law cases. This year has been extremely valuable—I learned a lot about Virginia state law and procedure. Now that I am licensed here, I look forward to growing out our small business and transactional clientele—wills, estates, and trusts, too.
Are there any ideal clients for you?
I love technology and have always been an early adopter of new tech. So, I’m excited to be close to so many technology startups at the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center, the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, and elsewhere. As I mentioned, I like collaboration, so I want to come alongside small and medium-sized business owners and be their partner through growth and challenges, too. I’ve worked in many fields, from retail to real estate, so I understand the legal and business needs of a diverse set of endeavors. Regardless of the type of business, my ideal client is one who I can help over the long haul.
