Ms. Darden joined the firm in 2006 after completing a judicial clerk externship with the Honorable Humes J. Franklin, Jr. and the Honorable Thomas H. Wood in the Twenty-Fifth Judicial Circuit Court of Virginia.  She is a native of Baltimore, Maryland and has lived in the Shenandoah Valley since 1996 when she began her undergraduate education at James Madison University.  Ms. Darden earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from JMU, cum laude, and earned her Juris Doctor degree from the Washington and Lee University School of Law, graduating as a member of the Order of the Coif.  Ms. Darden resides in Waynesboro with her husband, Christopher, and their two children.  She serves on the Board of Directors of the Waynesboro Family YMCA and the Board of Directors of the Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys. 

Ms. Darden enjoys a broad civil litigation practice in the areas of employment law, workers compensation defense, property damage litigation and corporate and commercial litigation.  She practices in all areas of insurance law, including insurance defense, policy coverage, and subrogation claims.  She is admitted to practice in all state and federal courts in Virginia and represents clients in all stages of litigation.  She has also represented clients in appellate matters pending before the Supreme Court of Virginia and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.  Ms. Darden also regularly counsels businesses regarding company policies and employment handbooks, employment compliance and various employment matters, from hiring to termination. 

Education:

  • James Madison University, B.A., 2000, cum laude
  • Washington and Lee University School of Law, J.D., 2006, Order of the Coif

Admissions:

  • Virginia, 2006
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Virginia, 2007
  • U.S. Bankruptcy Court, 2007
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia, 2010
  • U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, 2010

Areas of Practice:

  • Business Litigation
  • Civil Litigation, Trial and Appellate Practice
  • Contract Disputes
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Employment Law
  • Estate Litigation
  • Insurance Defense and Policy Coverage
  • Workers Compensation Defense

Memberships & Awards:

  • Virginia State Bar
  • Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys, Board of Directors, 2009-2014
  • Virginia's Legal Elite, Virginia Business Magazine, 2009-2013
  • Virginia Super Lawyers, Rising Stars, 2012-2013
  • Waynesboro Family YMCA, Board of Directors