Partner, Bowles Rice LLP
By Jean Hardiman
Tom Lane is a name that means different things to different people. Many know him for the trusted counsel he provides as a partner with Bowles Rice LLP, others for his work on Charleston City Council, where he served for 32 years.
Meanwhile, lawyers practicing throughout the country likely remember Lane for the knowledge he passed along as the Robert T. Donley Adjunct Professor of Coal, Oil and Gas Law at West Virginia University (WVU) College of Law, where he taught from 1986-2005. Still others might know him through his own land development work. It’s hard to tell where his impact has been the most profound. What’s clear, however, is that his legal savvy and commitment to improving life for the people of West Virginia have been a benefit to his community and state.
Lane began his studies at WVU College of Law in 1968 before being drafted and serving two years in the U.S. Army overseas during the Vietnam War. He returned to law school in 1971 and graduated in 1973. After law school, he worked briefly for a state agency before clerking for the Senate Judiciary Committee. He then spent over a year clerking for one of his most appreciated mentors, Judge John Field of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the
Fourth Circuit.
“I will never forget the day he handed me a letter addressed to Paul Bowles, who was then the senior partner of Stone, Bowles, Kauffelt and McDavid, now Bowles Rice, and suggested I deliver it to him,” says Lane. “I never knew what that letter said, but within a short time, Mr. Bowles gave me an offer to join the firm. It was one of the most fortunate things that has ever happened to me.”
In 1975, the firm was busy with new development and property acquisitions for its energy clients, and today, Lane’s practice areas still include both litigation and transaction work in coal, oil and gas matters.
“I found the work to be highly enjoyable and have continued in this special area my entire career,” he says. “I have had the good fortune of developing wonderful relationships with clients whom I admire and with whom I enjoy working. I often have a sense of partnership with these clients in seeking solutions to complex problems, closing transactions and succeeding when litigation becomes necessary. Thus, it’s these relationships I’ve developed over the years that are my favorite aspect of my practice.”
In 1986, Lane took up teaching when he was asked by Bowles to take over his class at WVU. “The teaching experience was highly rewarding, and to this day, I continue to see former students in highly successful careers,” he says. “I am always glad I had a part in making that happen.”
Lane has also been active with the West Virginia Bar Association and Energy & Mineral Law Foundation (EMLF), which is dedicated to education on coal, oil and gas law. He has organized and chaired many educational seminars, published numerous articles and served as president of the EMLF, and he is currently serving as a trustee and member of the scholarship committee. Of all the accolades he has received in his field, Lane says the one that meant the most was the annual McClaugherty Award given by the EMLF to a lawyer who has contributed to the educational efforts of the foundation.
During his active career, Lane has also demonstrated unwavering commitment to his hometown. He served on the Charleston City Council for 32 years, 16 of which he served as president. He has chaired the homeless task force and was involved in the construction of five shelters and transitional housing units in Charleston. He also helped launch the Live on the Levee series, bringing concerts to the riverfront on summer evenings.
Reaching out to develop friendships, seizing opportunities and working hard for his clients, students, city and state have been the foundation for a good life for Lane in West Virginia.
“My entire adult life has been in West Virginia,” he says. “Being a graduate of WVU College of Law provided from the outset a base of friends and acquaintances around the state, and teaching many students who have settled in West Virginia has provided an additional connection. It means a great deal to me to have these statewide connections.”
