Nate Schnetzler focuses his practice in civil litigation, particularly in the areas of insurance defense, insurance coverage, local government and 42 U.S.C. § 1983 litigation, and labor and employment matters in federal and state court.
He has successfully represented constitutional officers, local government employees and entities, and healthcare providers in cases asserting claims arising under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. He has also successfully defended employers in cases involving Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, and the Virginia Human Rights Act. He provides counseling to employers on restrictive covenants, policy manuals, employee separations, and compliance with state and federal labor and employment laws as well.
Additionally, Nate provides coverage analysis and has pursued declaratory judgment actions on behalf of insurers, as well as defended insurers against claims of bad faith. He also frequently handles cases involving allegations of defamation, personal injury, property damage, and construction matters.
He has handled multiple appeals to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and assisted Frith Anderson + Peake’s other attorneys with appeals to the Supreme Court of Virginia across the firm’s practice areas. In addition, Nate concentrates much of his work in motions practice, regularly assisting attorneys to address nuanced evidentiary and other legal issues in the firm’s other practice areas.
Nate maintains a robust practice in Virginia’s federal courts as both lead counsel and local counsel for attorneys admitted to practice pro hac vice. He is a contributor to Virginia CLE’s treatise Federal Civil Practice in Virginia and has lectured on motions practice in Virginia’s state and federal courts.
In 2018, 2019, and 2020, the rating service Super Lawyers® recognized Nate as a Virginia Rising Star®, a selection reserved for just 2.5% of attorneys 40 or younger or having been in practice 10 years or less. In 2019, Virginia Lawyers Media, the publisher of Virginia Lawyers Weekly, recognized Nate in its annual class of “Up and Coming Lawyers” who are making a mark in the profession within their first 10 years of practice and will be leaders of the profession in the future.
Prior to joining Frith Anderson + Peake, Nate clerked for the judges of Virginia’s Twenty-third Judicial Circuit in Roanoke, Virginia and then served as a law clerk to the Honorable Michael F. Urbanski, United States District Judge for the Western District of Virginia.
Education:
- Hampden-Sydney College (B.A., magna cum laude, with honors)
- Washington and Lee University School of Law
- Law Clerk to the Honorable Michael F. Urbanski
Areas of Practice:
- Auto, Boating & Recreational Vehicle Liability
- Coverage Analysis & Litigation
- Legal Malpractice
- Local Government Defense
- Local Government Employee Defense
- Medical Malpractice
- Premises Liability
- Products Liability/Dangerous/Defective Products
- Professional Liability
Bar Admissions:
- Virginia
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
Professional Honors, Affiliations & Activities:
State:
- Member – Virginia Bar Association
- Member – Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys
Local:
- Member – Roanoke Bar Association
