IRVING M. BLANK, ESQ.

PARTNER

Location: Richmond, Virginia

Phone: 804-554-0351
866-207-9823

Fax: 804-353-1839

Email: Email Me
 

AREAS OF PRACTICE:

• Personal Injury
• Wrongful Death
• Premise Liability
• Professional Malpractice

LITIGATION PERCENTAGE:

• 95% of Practice Devoted to Litigation

BAR ADMISSIONS:

• Virginia, 1967
• District of Columbia, 1978
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of Virginia, 1967
• U. S. Court of Military Appeals, 1972
• U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit, 1972
• U.S. Supreme Court, 1972

EDUCATION:

• University of Richmond, The T.C. Williams School of Law, Richmond, Virginia
  • J.D. – 1967

• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia
  • B.S. – 1966
  • Honors: Alpha Kappa Psi; Member of Civilian Honor Court; Co-Captain of the Tennis team
  • Major: Public Administration

CLASSES/SEMINARS:

• Instructor, Constitutional Law, Richmond Police Academy, 1970 – 1975
• Presenter, Discovery Problems, Richmond Bench/Bar Conference, 1998
• Lecturer, Slip and Fall and Trial Tactics, Virginia Trial Lawyers Association

HONORS AND AWARDS:

• Tree of Life award from Jewish National Fund, 1992
• Virginia Super Lawyer 2006 – Present
• Virginia’s Leaders of the Law 2011
• 2011 Virginia Leader of the Year in the Law
• Fellow of Virginia Law Foundation
• Fellow of American College of Trial Lawyers
• Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys Civility and Professionalism Award – 2020
• Inaugural Class of Virginia Lawyers Hall of Fame – 2018

PUBLISHED WORKS:

• Trial Tactics for Premise Liability Cases, Journal of Va. Trial Lawyers, Summer, 1994

PRO BONO:

• Central Virginia Legal Aid, Board of Directors
• Legal Aid Justice Center, Board of Directors

FRATERNITIES:

• Omicron Delta Kappa
• Phi Alpha Delta Legal Fraternity
• Alpha Kappa Psi

Virginia Leader in the Law, 2011, Virginia Lawyers Hall of Fame, 2018, Virginia Israel Advisory Committee, 1996-Present, Phi Alpha Delta; Omicron Delta Kappa; Alpha Kappa Psi. Author, “Trial Tactics for Premise Liability Cases,” The Journal of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, Summer, 1994. Treasurer and Founder, Virginia Congressional Committee, 1985-Present. Member, Executive Committee, National Jewish Community Relations Advisory Council, 1981-1984 and 1991-1994. National Council of AIPAC, 1982-1988 and 1992-1995.

Commonwealth of Virginia, Virginia-Israel Commission, 1986-1988. Virginia-Israel Partnership, 1994-1996. Board of Directors of the Central VA Legal Aid, Inc. Virginia Israel Advisory Board, 1996-Present. Panel of Arbitrators, American Arbitration Association, 1978-1998. Attorneys Arbitration and Mediation Services, Inc. 2006-2013. Listed, Virginia Super Lawyer, 2006-Present. Member of the Virginia State Bar Select Commission on Professionalism, 2008-2009. Board of Visitors, Averett University, 2010-Present. Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers; Fellow, Virginia Law Foundation. Member, Boyd-Graves Conference 2015-Present.

Representative Cases

• Lee v. Southland Corp., 219 Va. 23, 244 S.E.2d. 756. (Va. 1978)
• Memco Stores, Inc. v. Yeatman, 232 Va. 50, 348 S.E.2d. 288 (Va. 1986)
• Shope v. Commonwealth, 228 Va. 203, 321 SE2d 282 (1984)
• Waters v. Safeway Stores, Inc.,, 246 Va. 269, 435 SE2d 380 (1993)
• Bowers v. Sprouse, 254 Va. 428, 492 S.E.2d. 637 (1997)
• Williams v. Condit, 265 Va. 49; 574 SE2d 241 (2003)
• Safeway, Inc. v. Yowell, Record Number 921160
• $5M – Car and Truck accident. Settlement for death of two infant passengers
• $1M+ in verdicts for motor vehicle accidents in Arlington Circuit Court
• $900K settlement against Greater Richmond Transit Authority
• $1M settlement on motorcycle accident
• $1.775M settlement on slip and fall case
• $1M settlement product liability for defective jack
• $380K verdict in police brutality and malicious prosecution case in Richmond Circuit court
• $500K settlement on a slip and fall case
• $500K settlement on a slip and fall case
• $700,000 slip and fall
• $575,000 slip and fall
• $380,000 dog-related injury
• $1M death by dog settled in Virginia Beach, 2020
• $200,000 wrongful death from hot tub
• $2,500,000 wrongful death from chemical burn in the City of Richmond, 2018
• $4M fall from balcony settled in the City of Richmond, 2019
• $1.08M motorcycle settlement in Chesterfield County
• $1M defective truck jack, 2007
• $1M+ mesothelioma settlements, $1,000,000 2009
• $1M+ in settlements for toxic drugs

Professional Associations and Memberships

• National Jewish Community Relations Advisory Council, Member, Executive Committee, 1981 – 1984
• National Jewish Community Relations Advisory Council, Member, Executive Committee, 1991 – 1994
• American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Member, National Council, 1982 – 1988
• American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Member, National Council, 1992 – 1995
• Richmond Jewish Community Relations Board, Chairman, 1984 – 1994
• Richmond Bar Association, Member, Board of Directors
• Central Virginia Legal Aid, Inc., Member, Board of Directors
• Virginia Congressional Committee, Treasurer and Founder, 1985 – Present
• Virginia-Israel Partnership, Member, 1994 – 1996
• Virginia Israel Advisory Board, Member, 1996 – 2018
• American Arbitration Association, Panel of Arbitrators, 1980 – 1996
• District of Columbia Bar, Member, 1978 – Present
• Richmond Bar Association, Member, Committee Administration of Justice, 1980-1984; Attorney Client Relations, 1982-1983; Member, Board of Directors, 1982-1985, 2002 – Present; Executive Committee – 1982-1985, 2001-2005
• Virginia State Bar, Council Member, 2003 – 2012
• American Bar Association, Member, Committee on Specialization, Section of Criminal Justice, 1974 – 1976
• American Bar Association, Member, Committee on Environmental Matters in Criminal Law, Section of Criminal Justice, 1974 – 1976
• Richmond Criminal Bar Association, Founding Member
• Richmond Criminal Bar Association, Secretary, 1973
• Richmond Trial Lawyers Association, Member
• Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, Member
• American Association for Justice, Member
• Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys, Member
• John Marshall Inns of Court
• Jewish Family Services, Member, Board of Directors
• Richmond Jewish Community Federation, Member, Board of Directors and Executive Committee
• Richmond Bar Association, Member, Judiciary Committee, 1999-2005
• Richmond Bar Association, Member, Board of Directors, 2002 – 2003
• Virginia State Bar, Executive Committee, 2006 – 2012
• Richmond Jewish Community Federation, Community Relations Committee, 1984 – Present
• Virginia State Bar, President-Elect, 2009 – 2010
• Virginia State Bar, President, 2010 – 2011
• Richmond Bar Association, Executive Committee, 1982 – 1985
• Richmond Bar Association, Executive Committee, 2001 – 2005
• Richmond Bar Association, Judicial Committee, 1999 – 2005
• American College of Trial Lawyers, Legal Ethics Professionalism Committee
• Million Dollar Advocates Forum
• Virginia State Bar Judicial Candidate Evaluation Committee, 2007 – Present
• Virginia Law Foundation, President, 2016 – Present
• Virginia Holocaust Museum, Board of Directors, 2009 – Present
• Chairman of the Nuremberg Courtroom Exhibit Committee, 2008 – Present
• Virginia Continuing Legal Education, Board of Directors, 2008 – Present
• Faculty Member, Carrico Professionalism Course
• Boyd-Graves Conference, Member, 2015 – Present
• Super Lawyer, 2006 – Present
• Appointed by 7 different Governors of Virginia to Boards and Commissions
• Virginia Israel Advisory Board, Member, 1996 to present
• Member of Virginia Bar Association Select Committee on Principles of Professionalism for Virginia Lawyers 2008
• Life Member of the Virginia Bar Association

Past Employment Positions

• Military: Captain Judge Advocate General’s Corps, United States Army Reserve, 1968 – 1974