I was born in Monterey, California, in 1962 and grew up in Fairfax County, Virginia. I received my Bachelor of Arts from the University of Virginia in 1984. I received my Juris Doctor from the University of Richmond in 1987. I practice law because I enjoy the intellectual and emotional challenges of helping people solve real problems within the framework of the law.

I am a member of the Virginia State Bar and its Bankruptcy Law, Family Law and Trusts & Estates Sections, the Henrico County Bar Association, and the Richmond Bar Association and its Bankruptcy Law Section.