Margaret Whitfield
Founding Partner · Corporate Law
J.D., Georgetown University. Admitted to practice, 1976.
Corporate · Family · Litigation · Estate
Considered counsel,
for matters that cannot wait.
Forty-seven years advising individuals, families, and businesses through their most consequential decisions.
What We Practice
Practice Areas
Four disciplines, one standard of preparation.
Corporate & Business Law
Formation, governance, contracts, and transactions for growing enterprises.
- Entity formation & governance
- Mergers & acquisitions
- Commercial contracts
- Shareholder disputes
Family Law
Dissolution, custody, and support handled with discretion and care.
- Divorce & separation
- Child custody & support
- Prenuptial agreements
- Adoption proceedings
Civil Litigation
Representation in disputes before courts and arbitration panels.
- Contract disputes
- Real property disputes
- Arbitration & mediation
- Appellate advocacy
Estate Planning & Wills
Trusts, wills, and succession plans built to last generations.
- Wills & living trusts
- Probate administration
- Power of attorney
- Business succession planning
Our History
A firm built on precedent.
Founded in 1978 by Margaret Whitfield and Edmund Cole, our firm has represented the region's families and enterprises across two generations of practice. We measure our work not in hours billed, but in outcomes that hold.
Every matter is prepared as though it will be tried — because the ones that matter most, occasionally are. That standard has not changed as the firm has grown from two attorneys to nine, or as leadership has passed to a second generation of partners.
47
Years in Practice
1,200+
Matters Resolved
9
Attorneys
Firm Milestones
1978
Firm Founded
Margaret Whitfield and Edmund Cole open a two-attorney practice in downtown Alexandria.
1994
Litigation Practice Established
A dedicated civil litigation group is formed to represent clients through trial and appeal.
2011
Second Generation Joins
Founding partners begin transitioning leadership to a new generation of attorneys.
2026
Present Day
Nine attorneys serve individuals, families, and businesses across four practice areas.
Discretion
Client matters are handled in confidence, without exception.
Preparation
Every matter is built as though it will be tried before a jury.
Plain Counsel
Advice is given in direct terms, not hedged or oversold.
Counsel
Attorney Profiles
Nine attorneys, one standard of preparation across every matter.
Edmund Cole
Founding Partner · Litigation
J.D., University of Virginia. Admitted to practice, 1978.
Rosalind Hart
Partner · Family Law
J.D., Columbia Law School. Admitted to practice, 1998.
Thomas Bellweather
Partner · Corporate Law
J.D., University of Michigan. Admitted to practice, 2003.
Sylvia Nakamura
Partner · Estate Planning
J.D., Boston College. Admitted to practice, 2006.
Daniel Pierce
Senior Associate · Civil Litigation
J.D., William & Mary Law School. Admitted to practice, 2012.
Alicia Kessler
Senior Associate · Family Law
J.D., George Washington University. Admitted to practice, 2014.
James Marchetti
Associate · Corporate Law
J.D., University of Richmond. Admitted to practice, 2019.
Olivia Winters
Associate · Estate Planning
J.D., American University. Admitted to practice, 2021.
Case Results
In Their Own Words
“Whitfield & Cole guided our acquisition with a precision I have not encountered elsewhere in twenty years of business.”
— Regional Manufacturing Client
Corporate Transaction, 2024
“During the most difficult period of my life, this firm offered clarity and unwavering discretion.”
— Family Law Client
Dissolution Matter, 2023
“Their preparation for trial was exhaustive. We prevailed because they left nothing to chance.”
— Civil Litigation Client
Contract Dispute, 2022
“Our estate plan was rewritten three times as our family's circumstances changed, and each revision was handled without complaint or delay.”
— Estate Planning Client
Trust Formation, 2024
“I have referred four colleagues to this firm. Each one has thanked me for it.”
— Corporate Referral Source
Ongoing Counsel, 2021–Present
“The custody arrangement they negotiated protected my children first, and everything else second. That was all I asked for.”
— Family Law Client
Custody Matter, 2024
Consultation
Contact the Firm
Office412 Chancery Row, Suite 300, Alexandria, VA 22314
Telephone(703) 555-0148
HoursMonday – Friday, 8:30am – 5:30pm