Vandeventer Black LLP
500 World Trade Center
Norfolk, Virginia 23510
Tel. (757) 446-8600

Deborah is a partner with Vandeventer Black and concentrates her law practice in community associations, creditors' rights, collections and bankruptcy, contracts and commercial leasing. She is one of a small number of attorneys in the country who practice Community Association Law, a relatively new, trend setting area. Deborah represents a large roster of community associations in the region. Her clients include a variety of condominium and property owners associations, as well as mixed use and planned communities. She has worked with community associations on the spectrum of legal issues, ranging from transition to aging properties; from drafting, amending and interpreting documents to enforcement of covenants, litigation and mediation; from defective construction to major repair projects from financing and fund management to assessment collection and foreclosures; from insurance to management concerns; from ADA issues to FHA complaints and as corporate counsel. Deborah has broad experience representing creditors and property owners in bankruptcy and extensive experience in commercial leasing and focuses on contracts, in general.

Deborah received a B.A. (cum laude) from Emory University and a J.D. from The College of William and Mary School of Law. She is Past President (2001) of the Community Associations Institute, Southeastern Virginia Chapter (SEVA-CAI), is a frequent speaker at the Chapter's programs and was awarded the Chapter's Distinguished Service Award (2002). In 2004, she was presented the SEVA-CAI Hall of Fame award. Deborah is admitted to CAI National's prestigious College of Community Association Lawyers (CCAL). The purpose of CCAL is to acknowledge CAI member attorneys who have distinguished themselves through contributions to the evolution or practice of community association law and who have committed themselves to high standards of professional and ethical conduct. She was elected to CAI's Virginia Legislative Action Committee (VALAC) in 2004 and in 2008 was elected to chair the committee.

Deborah served on the Board of Zoning Appeals for the City of Chesapeake ( 1999-2002), as Vice President for the majority of her tenure. She served on the Virginia State Bar Council Disciplinary Committee for the Second District (1997-2000). She was selected as one of Hampton Roads' Top Forty Under Forty for 2001 by Inside Business magazine and their Women in Business Achievement Award for 2005

You can view her full bio on the firm's website.

Deborah has contributed her expert opinion and experience to the HOAleader.com articles below.