About The Firm - Our Attorneys
Brewster S. Rawls
Mr. Rawls earned a B.A. in politics, cum laude, from Wake Forest University in 1978. Following a brief career as an artillery officer in the U.S. Army at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, he earned a juris doctorate from the T.C. Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond in 1984.
Mr. Rawls focuses his practice on cases involving medical malpractice. During the course of his practice at several firms, including Penn, Stuart; McGuire Woods; and Browder & Russell, Mr. Rawls has tried to verdict over 60 medical malpractice jury trials, plus a significant number of jury trials involving non-medical issues. Mr. Rawls is active in the Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys, as well as the Defense Research Institute. He is also a frequent instructor at Continuing Legal Education seminars.
Mr. Rawls can be reached through our toll-free number, 1-877-VET4VET (838-4838).
Edward J. McNelis, III
Mr. McNelis graduated cum laude in 1986 from the Pennsylvania State University with a B.S. in accounting. Mr. McNelis attended college on a four year, Army R.O.T.C. scholarship and he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army upon graduation.
Mr. McNelis received his J.D. in 1989 from the College of William & Mary. He graduated in the top third of his class and was a finalist in the 1989 Cardozo National Moot Court competition in New York. To fulfill his service obligation, Mr. McNelis attended the Army Judge Advocate General’s Officer Basic Course where he graduated 6th in a class of 121 lawyers. As a JAG officer, he initially served as a prosecutor with the 3rd Infantry Division in Germany, where he tried over 40 felony cases to verdict.
In 1993, he was promoted to Chief, Affirmative Tort Claims in D.C., where he managed the litigation of all tort claims filed by the Army. Mr. McNelis was an associate and then a principal with the Richmond law firm of Wright, Robinson, Osthimer & Tatum from 1994 until 1999, where he specialized in cases involving physicians, dentists, and other health care providers.
Mr. McNelis has tried to verdict over 35 civil cases. He joined the firm in March of 1999 and continues to specialize in cases involving health care providers. Mr. McNelis is a member of the Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys, the Defense Research Institute, the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the West Virginia Bar Association, and the American Legion.
Mr. McNelis can be reached through our toll-free number, 1-877-VET4VET (838-4838).
Joseph P. Callahan
Mr. Callahan earned his J.D. in 1979 from the Delaware Law School, where he received the AMJUR Award for excellence in the study of Torts. After graduation from law school, he entered active duty in the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps. While serving as a JAG officer, Mr. Callahan litigated over 400 cases to verdict. He also earned a master of laws degree (LL.M.) from George Washington University in 1988.
During his military career he also served as Assistant Director of Naval Intelligence for Legal Matters and in various overseas and deployed assignments. Mr. Callahan retired from Active Duty in February 1995 in the grade of Commander, and entered private practice with the Richmond, VA firm of Wright, Robinson, Osthimer & Tatum, where he specialized in health care law. Mr. Callahan joined Rawls & McNelis in July 2001, and specializes in the area of medical malpractice.
He is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and Virginia, and is active in the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Retired Officers’ Association, and the Retired Navy and Marine Corps Judge Advocates’ Association.
Mr. Callahan can be reached through our toll-free number, 1-877-VET4VET (838-4838).
John D. McChesney
Mr. McChesney graduated from Georgetown University in 1994 with a bachelor of science in foreign service. He received his juris doctor degree from Washington and Lee University in 1999. He served as a law clerk to Justice A. Christian Compton of the Supreme Court of Virginia from August 1999 to August 2000. He served as a law clerk to Judge James W. Benton of the Court of Appeals of Virginia from September 2000 to August 2001.
Mr. McChesney joined Rawls & McNelis in January 2002, focusing on medical malpractice. Mr. McChesney is a member of the Richmond Bar Association, the Virginia Bar Association, and the West Virginia Bar Association.
Mr. McChesney can be reached through our toll-free number, 1-877-VET4VET (838-4838).
Coreen A. Silverman
Ms. Silverman received her juris doctorate from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in May of 1998. She is admitted to the Bars of the State of New York and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Ms. Silverman joined Rawls & McNelis in December of 1999, specializing in medical malpractice litigation. She is involved in medical-legal issues and lectures to hospital nurses at nursing seminars.
Ms. Silverman is a member of the American Health Lawyers Association, the New York State Bar Association, and the American Association of Critical Care Nurses. Prior to beginning her legal career, Ms. Silverman was a highly accomplished registered nurse. She is licensed to practice nursing in six states. Ms. Silverman is certified as a critical care nurse and is experienced in all aspects of adult critical care, ranging from cardiovascular emergencies to trauma.
Her nursing career and experience included working alongside researchers and physicians at the internationally recognized Cleveland Clinic Foundation in developing new medical equipment, medicines, and surgical techniques; training critical care nurses; and providing critical care nursing to patients in the heart transplant program. Ms. Silverman worked at major teaching hospitals in New York City, Miami, and Los Angeles and holds a bachelor’s degree in health administration.
Ms. Silverman can be reached through our toll-free number, 1-877-VET4VET (838-4838).
Ramon Rodriguez, III, M.D, J.D.
Dr. Rodriguez received his juris doctorate degree from the College of William & Mary Marshall-Wythe School of Law in May of 2002. He is admitted to the bar in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Dr. Rodriguez joined Rawls & McNelis in January of 2005, specializing in medical malpractice litigation. He is involved in medico-legal issues and lectures to a wide variety of audiences regarding these matters.
Dr. Rodriguez received his medical degree from National University of Ireland, Galway in June of 1990. After completing a surgical internship in general, plastic, and vascular surgery at University College Hospital, Galway, Ireland in 1991, Dr. Rodriguez returned to the United States and completed his Family Practice Residency at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Area Health Education Center South-Arkansas in 1994. He is certified by the American Board of Family Practice. Dr. Rodriguez has licenses to practice medicine in Arkansas, Florida, Virginia, and the Republic of Ireland.
Prior to beginning his legal career, Dr. Rodriguez was a partner and board member of a primary care physician group in Hillsborough County, Florida where he had an active clinical practice and was director of a large health care center. Dr. Rodriguez has done extensive work in the ER, Critical Care, In-patient and Out-patient settings. He received a Family Practice Resident Research Award and has participated in clinical research projects regarding diabetes mellitus.
Dr. Rodriguez is a member of the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the Virginia Academy of Family Physicians, the Virginia Bar Association, and the American Bar Association Health Law Division.
Dr. Rodriguez can be reached through our toll-free number, 1-877-VET4VET (838-4838).
David L. Terzian
Mr. Terzian graduated in 1967 from the Johns Hopkins University with a B.A. in psychology. He was a junior high school teacher, laboratory scientist, probation officer, and judge’s law clerk while he attended the University of Baltimore School of Law at night, graduating with a J.D. in 1972. While in law school, Mr. Terzian enlisted in the Maryland Army National Guard in 1969 as a laboratory technician and later served in that capacity with the U.S. Army Reserves. In 1976, he was commissioned in the Army Reserves as a member of the Judge Advocate General’s Corps and served in various capacities, including his last 15 years of service with the U.S. Army Claims Service handling medical malpractice claims, until his retirement from the Reserves in 1999 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
During his more than 30 years of practice, Mr. Terzian has been a sole practitioner, Chief Deputy Clerk of the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland, an associate with the firm of Beckett, Cromwell and Myers in Bethesda, Maryland defending medical malpractice cases, an attorney with the General Counsel’s Office of the Department of Veterans Affairs handling medical malpractice claims, and most recently, Senior Trial Counsel with the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice defending vaccine injury claims. Until joining Rawls & McNelis in 2005, Mr. Terzian had tried or settled approximately 175 vaccine injury cases during his 15-year tenure with the Department of Justice.
Mr. Terzian is admitted to practice in Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Virginia. He specializes in vaccine injury and medical malpractice litigation.
Mr. Terzian can be reached through our toll-free number, 1-877-VET4VET (838-4838).
Madeline Hawks Stark
Ms. Stark graduated from Purdue University in 1998 and received her juris doctorate from the University of Richmond, T.C. Williams School of Law in 2001. She was admitted to the Virginia State Bar in 2001 and previously served as a judicial clerk for the Virginia Beach Circuit Court. Ms. Stark is admitted to practice in the federal and state courts. While in law school, Ms. Stark served as a judicial intern for the Honorable James W. Benton, Jr.
Ms. Stark’s practice areas include health care law and the defense of medical malpractice claims. Ms. Stark frequently lectures on a variety of medical malpractice issues to local physicians’ groups and area hospitals. She also serves as an adjunct faculty member at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University as an instructor of Aviation Law, Criminology, and Health and Safety Law.
Ms. Stark is affiliated with Bon Secours Women’s Health Care Advisory Board, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Board of Directors, Southeastern Virginia Chapter, Virginia State Bar, Order of Barristers, and Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys. Ms. Stark previously served as a volunteer with the Virginia Beach Rescue Squad, providing patient care at their homes and in transport to area hospitals.
Ms. Stark can be reached through our toll-free number, 1-877-VET4VET (838-4838).
Elizabeth M. Muldowney
Ms. Muldowney graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1994 with a bachelor of arts degree in English. She received her juris doctor degree from Widener University School of Law in 2000, where she graduated cum laude and was a staff writer for the Law Review “The Delaware Journal of Corporate Law.” She was admitted to the Virginia State Bar in 2001. After law school, Ms. Muldowney began working as an Assistant City Attorney in the City Attorney’s office in Winchester, Virginia in 2001 and was appointed City Attorney in 2003. She joined Rawls & McNelis in 2006. She is a member of the Virginia Bar Association and the Virginia Women Attorney Association.
Ms. Muldowney can be reached through our toll-free number, 1-877-VET4VET (838-4838).
Sandra Holleran
Ms. Holleran earned a bachelor of arts in English from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1983. She earned her juris doctorate from Washington and Lee University School of Law in 1988. While at Washington and Lee, she was an editor on the Law Review and authored “Will Tort Reform Combat the Medical Malpractice Insurance Availability and Affordability Problems that Virginia’s Physicians are Facing,” 44 Wash. & Lee L. Rev. 1463 (1988). After law school, Ms. Holleran practiced at McGuireWoods from 1988 to 1997. At McGuireWoods, she practiced in the area of medical malpractice litigation, representing both individual health care providers and hospitals. She also practiced in the areas of product liability litigation and commercial litigation. After leaving McGuireWoods, Ms. Holleran stayed at home with her family for a few years. She returned to the practice of law with Rawls & McNelis in early 2005, where she is concentrating on medical malpractice litigation.
Ms. Holleran can be reached through our toll-free number, 1-877-VET4VET (838-4838).