Scott D. Helsel

Scott D. Helsel handles litigation matters in the federal, state, and local courts of Virginia and the District of Columbia. Throughout his career, he has handled a wide variety of civil litigation matters, representing clients, both large and small, in real estate and eminent domain disputes; employment disputes; business, investment, and contract disputes; construction disputes; education disputes; disputes involving land use and environmental issues; and disputes involving medical and scientific issues.

Areas of Concentration

Mr. Helsel has a special interest in appellate work and has been recognized by Virginia Business as being among the “Legal Elite” in Virginia appellate law. He was privileged to begin his career serving as a law clerk to the Honorable Henry H. Whiting on the Supreme Court of Virginia. He has handled a number of appeals in the Supreme Court of Virginia, including arguing five cases before the full Court. Among these appeals is Funny Guy, LLC v. Lecego, LLC, a significant res judicata case in which he secured for his client a 4-3 victory. He also has handled appeals in the Virginia Court of Appeals, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Mr. Helsel is a member of the Virginia State Bar and the District of Columbia Bar. He also is also admitted to practice in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, and the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Background and Accomplishments

Mr. Helsel is a co-author of a chapter in “Eminent Domain Law in Virginia,” which is published by Virginia CLE, and he has served on the faculty at several continuing legal education courses concerning eminent domain and inverse condemnation law. Before joining Walton & Adams, Mr. Helsel practiced law at Arnold & Porter, where he received “big-firm” training and represented clients in federal and state courts nationwide. Mr. Helsel graduated magna cum laude from Elizabethtown College in 1992. He received his law degree in 1995 from the Marshall Wythe School of Law at The College of William & Mary, where he was a member of the William & Mary Law Review, the Moot Court team, and The Order of the Coif.