F.T. Graff, Jr.

F.T. “Tom” Graff, Jr., a practicing attorney since 1964, is the former Managing Partner of the firm and practices in the areas of business and commercial law, banking law and mineral law.  His law practice began in real estate and coal, oil and gas law and evolved into a commercial and banking law practice, as well as natural resources. 

Tom has represented sole proprietorships, corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies and banking institutions, large and small, and has been involved in acquisitions and sales of businesses or business assets with extensive experience in the purchase and sale of coal, oil, gas and timber assets and properties. He also has participated in the planning, conceptualization, negotiation and settlement of numerous significant commercial transactions and claims, including the regular representation of clients in loan and capital related transactions. 

He currently acts as counsel and advisor to corporate executives and many of the firm’s commercial clients.

He acted as Managing Partner of Bowles Rice McDavid Graff & Love from 1986 to 2007.  During that time, the firm grew from 30 attorneys in one Charleston office in 1986 to an organization of more than 120 attorneys and seven offices in West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia. 

• President and director of Graff-Lane Properties, LLC, a West Virginia real estate development company (1990–present)
• Manager and member of HFS, LLC and Two Hands Ventures, LLC, both West Virginia LLCs primarily engaged in owning, leasing and selling of oil and gas properties situated in West Virginia
• Trustee (one of three trustees) for 12 private trusts involving oversight of several businesses and numerous passive investments and primary responsibility for distributions to or on behalf of trust beneficiaries (1986–present)

• Named to The Best Lawyers in America ® (Administrative / Regulatory Law; Corporate Law; Energy Law; Mergers & Acquisitions Law; Natural Resources Law; and Oil & Gas Law) 1989-present
• Recognized by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business in the area of Corporate/Commercial Law (2019)
• Recognized as Best Lawyers' 2014 Administrative / Regulatory Law Lawyer of the Year in the southern West Virginia region
• Peer-Review Rated AV by Martindale-Hubbell

• Listed in West Virginia Super Lawyers in the area of Energy and Natural Resources (2010–present)

• United Bankshares, Inc. – Director Emeritus since 2014; Director and Executive Committee Member, 1986–2014
• West Virginia Media and several of its subsidiaries – Secretary and Counsel, 2002–2016
• Mt. Hope Bankshares, Inc. and Bank of Mt. Hope – Director, 1966–2019 
• Port Amherst, Inc. and Amherst Madison, Inc. – Director, 2017–present
• Fahlgren, Inc. – Director, 1996–2018
• Chemical Alliance Zone – Chairman and President, 1998–2020
• West Virginia Chamber of Commerce – Current Director Emeritus; Former Director
• West Virginia Roundtable – Current Director Emeritus; Former Director
• Bank of Dunbar – Director and Executive Committee Member, 1980–1986
• McDonough Caperton Insurance Group, Inc. – Board of Directors, 1990–1995
• Acordia of West Virginia – Director, 1995–1998