Attorney, Pill and Pill, PLLC
Photo by O’Roke Photography.
By Shannon Wells
Rick Pill’s path to becoming a revered real estate attorney in Martinsburg, WV, started—somewhat improbably—in pursuit of the military life. Graduating from West Virginia University (WVU) in 1974 during the waning days of the Vietnam War era meant the Morgantown native’s passion was a bit out of step with the times.
“When I graduated, I entered the Army as a second lieutenant with the expectation of staying at least four years,” Pill says. “However, in 1974, the military was paring back.”
Switching gears, Pill traded formation drills and sharply creased uniforms for the equally demanding discipline of legal studies. Fortuitous cooperation from Uncle Sam and the WVU College of Law helped ease his professional transition.
“The WVU College of Law took 150 rather than its normal 100 students that year,” he recalls. “I took the LSAT and with the larger law class, I was accepted, and the Army let me have an early discharge.”
After graduating from the WVU College of Law in 1977, Pill honed his legal skills at a small Martinsburg practice. He credits the role with exposing him to an array of legal scenarios.
“I worked for a four-person firm, so we did all types of law for the first three years,” he says. “My first job included various types of cases, so I attained a broad knowledge of the law. It took time, but I learned how to nicely turn down cases that were better suited for another lawyer. I also learned to care about people and their problems and to always return calls.”
The Martinsburg region’s then-bur-geoning real estate market presented an appealing opportunity for Pill and his brother, David. The siblings joined forces as Pill and Pill, PLLC in 1982.
“As the Martinsburg area grew, there was a need for real estate practitioners, and I enjoyed that type of work,” he says. “I call it happy law, since normally clients buying and selling want to be in that situation.”
The brothers’ practice focuses on residential and commercial real estate settlements, acting as a trustee for conducting foreclosures throughout the state.
“Closings are time sensitive, since people are trying to move, so it requires flexibility in scheduling to make the transaction a success,” says Pill. “In the foreclosure area, there are frequently life pressures on the borrowers, and we always try to be sensitive to their situation.”
That personal touch manifests itself in ways both profound and mundane. In the latter category, Pill has learned to under promise and overdeliver.
“I think one of my biggest challenges is telling people I can’t take their case because I am too busy,” he admits. “I have improved in just honestly explaining the situation to them and helping them find another attorney.”
As part of his practice, Pill also keeps an eye on the bigger picture regarding West Virginia’s legal and real estate industries.
“I think the biggest impact I have had on the real estate field has been helping start and continue the West Virginia Real Estate Lawyers Association,” he says.
This organization merged into the West Virginia Bar Association as its real estate division in 1996, and Pill has served as chairman, board member and president.
“I currently coordinate an email group of real estate lawyers that shares ideas, issues and questions,” he says.
A key part of Pill’s investment in his profession as well as his home state is never forgetting how he got where he is and giving credit where it’s due. Along with the incalculable influence of his parents, Richard and Thelma, Pill cites his experience in WVU’s Phi Kappa Psi fraternity with steering his rudderless early undergraduate years in a more fulfilling direction. The organization introduced the young marketing major to leadership opportunities, public service projects and a broader social network.
“I had no intention of going to law school during that time, but when I was a junior, seven members of Phi Kappa Psi started law school and encouraged me to do the same,” he says. “The direction of my life would have been totally different without the fraternity.”
In gratitude to his WVU experience and idyllic Morgantown upbringing, Pill established a $25,000 WVU College of Law endowment geared toward Phi Kappa Psi-affiliated law students. The Richard and Thelma Pill Family Law Scholarship also caters to students who, like Pill and his brother, graduated from Morgantown High School and grew up in the city’s First Ward neighborhood.
Pill’s ongoing ties to WVU include serving as president of the WVU Alumni Association’s Eastern Panhandle chapter and on the association’s board of directors from 1997-2002. He also serves on the university’s board of governors as well as the law school’s visiting committee. In 2005, his devotion to the WVU community led to an Outstanding Alumnus Award.
“Those experiences were so rewarding,” Pill says. “I was able to see so many students improving their lives and helping others. The opportunity to help our university by serving on the board of governors is a particularly great honor.”
Pill and his wife, Donna, have passed on a love for the Mountaineer nation to their three daughters, who have continued the family legacy by earning at least one degree each from WVU: Shannon Gallo, a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s in industrial relations; Jessica Gingold, a bachelor’s degree in interior design; and Christy Pill, a graduate of the WVU College of Law Class of 2018.
Pill recognizes how fortunate he is to practice law alongside his brother, who he credits with setting a tone that allows the firm to be more than a family business venture.
“Many people don’t get to be around their sibling very often. I get to see and work with him nearly every day of my life,” he says. “David carries the main responsibility at the office so I can do additional community service.”
Pill, who provides pro bono legal work for Martinsburg-area charity boards, including serving in a chairman role for the WVU Medicine Eastern Division, makes no bones about his deep and unwavering devotion to the Mountain State.
“My family has been in West Virginia for over 100 years, and my heart and soul are here,” he says. “The beauty of the state and its people are something I never want to leave.”
