VADA Member Spotlight

This month’s spotlighted VADA member is Cam Beck of McCandlish Holton PC in Richmond.  Cam is a graduate of the College of William & Mary and the Washington & Lee University School of Law.  Cam served as President of VADA from 2017-18.  He currently serves as a member of our Legislative Committee, of which he is a past Chair, and of our Finance Committee.

1.         Where were you born?

Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland.

2.         Tell us a little about yourself.  Spouse? Children? Pets?

I am married to Juliette Landphair, who is the Vice President for Student Affairs at Mary Washington.  I have three boys and two stepchildren.  Buttercup is the family cat.  We moved to the Fan area of Richmond a few years ago.

3.         What type of law do you practice?

All types of civil litigation, with a focus on trucking cases.

4.         What do you like most about practicing law?

“Winning” is a great feeling, but I really take more satisfaction when clients thank me for a job well done.  Our clients hire us with particular objectives in mind, and meeting or exceeding their expectations is what I find most rewarding.

5.         How long have you been a member of VADA?

I joined around 1997.

6.         What have you enjoyed most about your time in VADA?

The CLE content at the annual and springs seminars is fantastic for keeping current, but I have most enjoyed the friendships with other attorneys.  VADA has been a great organization for developing professional contacts and making friends with other attorneys.

7.         What was your undergraduate major?

History and Government at the College of William & Mary.

8.         What was your first job?

I first started out picking up cigarette butts for a penny a butt at my family’s hotel.  My first regular job was as the “Frappe Dude,” making milkshakes and sundaes at a restaurant.  (In the Northeast, milkshakes are often called frappes.)

9.         What is the last movie or TV show you binge watched?

The Bosch series.  I have read every book in the series.

11.       What is at the top of your bucket list?

Visit London and return to Ireland.  I also want to become proficient at fly fishing and take more advantage of the nearby James River.

12.       What was the year, make, and model of your first car?

1986 Chevy S-10 Blazer.

13.       When I am not at the office, I like to …

Most Saturdays in the Fall, you can find me at a William & Mary football game.

14.       If I wasn’t practicing law, I would be …

In the hospitality industry, probably as a hotel or restaurant manager.

15.       In what section of a bookstore would someone be most likely to find you?

Historical Fiction.

16.       What would your courtroom walk up music be?

“Come on Eileen.”

17.       What is your favorite travel spot?

Anywhere there is a beach.  My favorite is Virgin Gorda in the BVI.

18.       What is your favorite way to unwind after a long day at work?

Go out to dinner with my wife, or hang out at a local brewery with a country band.

19.       What quality do you admire most in other attorneys?

Trust is obviously first and foremost.  In my litigation practice, I admire attorneys who focus on doing what is necessary to understand and evaluate a case, rather than pursuing unnecessary discovery or motions.

20.       What advice would you give to someone who just passed the bar?

Trial work is not only about winning, although that can be so satisfying.  Remember that you are likely to have future cases against opposing counsel.  Treat opposing counsel as you would expect to be treated.  Also, get involved in a bar organization that interests you.