Attorney Overview

Tricia is the founder and managing partner of Dunlap Law.

Before becoming a lawyer, Tricia built a first career as a nationally recognized high school teacher, earning distinction as a James Madison Fellow and National Board Certified Teacher. That early work shaped her approach to problem-solving and communication, skills that continue to define her legal practice.

In 2003, after a difficult divorce and repeated flooding of her home, Tricia successfully pressed local officials to pursue a federal Hazard Mitigation Program grant that resulted in the buyout of her property and other chronically flooded homes. That experience navigating complex systems, sustained advocacy, and long-term consequences, combined with encouragement from a close friend, led her to law school in 2008 as a 40-year-old single mother. She graduated from the University of Richmond School of Law near the top of her class and joined McGuireWoods shortly thereafter.

In 2015, Tricia founded Dunlap Law with a mission to help business owners build durable, well-structured companies. At heart, she remains a teacher, helping business owners understand complex legal issues so they can make informed decisions and avoid problems before they arise.

Outside the office, Tricia spends much of her time in West Virginia’s Potomac Highlands. She and her husband Kenny are stewards of 163 acres of mountain forest and meadowlands, where they participate in historic preservation, pollinator conservation, and habitat restoration efforts while thoughtfully developing the land for their retirement home and future generations.

Who She Represents and How She Helps

Tricia represents owners and founders of closely held businesses in matters involving ownership, governance, and control. She helps clients fix defective governing documents, resolve partner conflicts, and build durable structures that support growth, succession, and shared ownership.

Examples of Tricia’s Work

• Advised the founder of a nationally recognized social enterprise on restoring control and leadership through corporate governance strategy following litigation and board conflict.
• Guided a multi-owner restaurant company through a governance crisis, structuring disclosures and shareholder action to ratify prior decisions and eliminate exposure.
• Enforced post-closing rights for business buyers denied operational control, securing access to company bank accounts without litigation.
• Rebuilt decades of defective corporate records for a second-generation family business to support lawful ownership transition and succession.
• Protected a member of a two-person LLC from personal risk arising from a defective operating agreement and misconduct by the other owner, negotiating a clean and documented exit.
• Advised multiple law firms and professional services practices on internal ownership, governance, and partner transition issues, including restructuring governing documents, resolving control disputes, and negotiating exits without litigation.

Education

• Loyola University of Chicago
  Bachelor of Arts, Political Science Cum Laude, 1991
• University of Maryland
  Master of Arts, American history, 1998
• James Madison Fellowship
• University of Richmond School of Law
  Juris Doctor Cum Laude, 2011
  Law Review Articles Editor, Vol. 45
• Moot Court Board, 2010-2011
• Robert R. Merhige, Jr. Fellow
• Otto M. Stanfield Scholarship
• Clerk for U.S. Magistrate Judge M. Hannah Lauck, summer 2009
• Research assistant, former Virginia Governor (now U.S. Senator) Tim Kaine

Memberships and Service

• Virginia State Bar
• District of Columbia Bar
• West Virginia State Bar
• Virginia Bar Association
  • Board of Governors (2026-2029)
  • Small Firm Committee
  • AI Task Force
• Metro Richmond Women’s Bar Association
• Richmond Bar Association
  • Business Law Section
  • Finance Committee 2024
• American Bar Association
  • Business Law Section
• National Association of Women Business Owners
• Metropolitan Business League

Recognition

• Virginia “Go To” Lawyer – Business Law, Virginia Lawyer’s Weekly, December 2020
• Legal Elite, Virginia Business, 2017, 2022, 2024
• SuperLawyer: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
• Women’s Business Center of Richmond POWERful Women Honoree, 2023
• RVA Power Woman – Richmond BizSense, 2024
• Influential Women of Law  – Virginia Lawyers Weekly, 2024

Featured In

• Flood Policy Seemingly in Vain, Richmond Times-Dispatch, A-1 (Nov. 7, 2003)
• Rising Tide Startups podcast, Feb. 2021
• P.O.W.E.R.ful Women Speak, SonaBank Newsletter, Feb. 2018
• The Smart and Savvy Business Exit podcast, December 2020
• Team Gavel, Tingen Williams podcast (Apr. 2021)
• ‘That whole chunk of our business was gone’: Grove Ave. menswear shop untied 9-year trademark battle, Richmond BizSense (Oct. 11, 2018)
• Founder Sues Impact Makers for $18M, Claiming He Was Forced Out, Richmond BizSense (May 16, 2019)
• Settlement Reached in Impact Makers Dispute, Richmond BizSense (June 18, 2019)
• Founder and Former CEO of Impact Makers Files Lawsuit Claiming He Was Wrongfully Forced Out of the B Corp Business, Richmond Times-Dispatch (May 15, 2019)