By Cantor, Grana, Buckner, Bucci, P.C. | Legally Reviewed by Stephanie E. Grana, Partner and 84th President of the Virginia State Bar
Published: April 27, 2026 | Last Updated: April 27, 2026
Cantor, Grana, Buckner, Bucci, P.C. (CGBB) is pleased to share that partners Stephanie E. Grana and Elliott M. Buckner have each been named to the Top 5: Personal Injury Plaintiff Virginia Super Lawyers® for 2026 — one of the narrowest peer-recognition lists in the Commonwealth. Four additional CGBB attorneys earned 2026 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars® recognition: founding partner Irvin V. “Irv” Cantor, partner M. Scott Bucci, and rising-star honoree Joseph L. Cantor.
These selections reflect the firm’s decades-long focus on catastrophic personal injury, traumatic brain injury, medical malpractice, products liability, and wrongful death representation across Virginia. A complete list of the firm’s peer recognitions is available on the CGBB awards page.
How Super Lawyers® Selections Are Made
Super Lawyers® is a peer-review rating service published by Thomson Reuters. Lawyers cannot pay to be listed and cannot nominate themselves. The selection process combines peer nominations, independent research by the Super Lawyers staff, and a “blue ribbon” peer evaluation by practice area. Each candidate is scored on twelve indicators of professional achievement and peer recognition — including verdicts and settlements, scholarly writing, position of honor, bar service, pro bono and community involvement, and experience.
No more than 5% of attorneys in any state are named to the Super Lawyers list each year, and no more than 2.5% make the Rising Stars list (which is limited to lawyers under 40 or in practice ten years or fewer). Inclusion in state-specific top lists — Top 100 Virginia, Top 50 Richmond, Top 5 Personal Injury Plaintiff — narrows the pool considerably further.
Super Lawyers explicitly does not certify any attorney as a specialist, and inclusion is not a guarantee of any particular case outcome. The Virginia State Bar requires that any reference to peer-rating recognitions disclose both the rating organization and that no comparison is being made to the quality of legal services provided by other lawyers.
Stephanie E. Grana — Top 10 Virginia Super Lawyers® and 2026 Best Lawyers® “Lawyer of the Year”
Stephanie Grana is one of the most decorated trial lawyers in Virginia. In 2026, she returns to the Top 10 Virginia Super Lawyers list and joins the Top 5 Personal Injury Plaintiff Virginia Super Lawyers®. Her Super Lawyers history reflects more than a decade of consecutive recognition:
- Top 5: Personal Injury Plaintiff Virginia Super Lawyers® (2026)
- Top 10: Virginia Super Lawyers® (2025–2026)
- Top 50 Richmond Super Lawyers® (2012, 2014–2026)
- Top 50 Women Virginia Super Lawyers® (2012–2026)
- Top 100 Virginia Super Lawyers® (2012, 2014–2026)
- Top 25 Women Virginia Super Lawyers® (2010–2011)
Beyond Super Lawyers, Stephanie has been named Best Lawyers in America® “Lawyer of the Year” in Richmond on five occasions. Most recently, she was named the 2026 Best Lawyers® “Lawyer of the Year” in Richmond for both Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs and Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs — a dual recognition that reflects how rarely a single practitioner is recognized in two distinct practice areas in the same edition. Her prior “Lawyer of the Year” selections include Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs (2020), Medical Malpractice Litigation – Plaintiffs (2021), and Products Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs (2022 and 2023). She is a Fellow of the Virginia Law Foundation and received the Virginia Lawyers Weekly Circle of Excellence award in 2024.
Stephanie’s contributions to the bar itself are equally substantial. She served as the 84th President of the Virginia State Bar in 2022–2023, President of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association in 2016–2017, and as Past President of the Virginia Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates and the Lewis F. Powell, Jr. American Inn of Court. She currently serves on the faculty of the Virginia State Bar’s Harry L. Carrico Professionalism Course (October 2023 – September 2026) and on the board of Commonwealth Community Trust.
Stephanie has handled more than 85 verdicts and settlements exceeding $1 million in cases involving medical malpractice, brain injury, and catastrophic motor vehicle and tractor-trailer collisions across Virginia. She graduated cum laude from the University of Richmond School of Law in 1993, where she was inducted into the Order of the Barristers and was a Moot Court Competition Finalist, and earned her undergraduate degree magna cum laude from the University of Richmond in three years, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Her full background is available on her attorney profile.
Elliott M. Buckner — Managing Partner and 2026 Top 5 Honoree
Elliott Buckner, CGBB’s managing partner, has been named to the Top 5: Personal Injury Plaintiff Virginia Super Lawyers® for 2026, alongside continued recognition in the Top 50 Richmond Super Lawyers® (2012, 2014–2026) and the Top 100 Virginia Super Lawyers® (2012, 2014–2026). Elliott has been selected to Virginia Super Lawyers every year since 2007.
Elliott began his legal career on the defense side, representing insurance companies and defendants. That early experience now shapes how he prepares plaintiffs’ cases — he understands how the other side builds and values a file. Since transitioning to plaintiffs’ work, he has secured more than 70 verdicts and settlements in excess of $1 million in cases involving traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, tractor-trailer crashes, products liability, and wrongful death.
His peer recognitions include Best Lawyers in America® “Lawyer of the Year” in Richmond for Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs (2021 and 2023) and Products Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs (2023), AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, and selection to Virginia Business magazine’s “Legal Elite” in Civil Litigation. Elliott served as President of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association in 2020, leading the more than 2,000-member organization through the early months of the COVID-19 court disruptions, and continues on its Executive Council. He won the American Bar Association National Appellate Advocacy Competition in 2000, and is admitted to practice in Virginia, New York, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia.
Elliott also lectures regularly at Virginia CLE and VTLA programs on sovereign immunity, trial preparation, and complex personal injury practice. More about Elliott’s practice is available on his attorney profile.
Irvin V. Cantor — 2026 Super Lawyers® Recognition
Founding partner Irv Cantor also earned 2026 Super Lawyers® recognition. In 2018, Irv was inducted into the inaugural class of the Virginia Lawyers Hall of Fame — one of only 33 attorneys statewide selected for that distinction. His Super Lawyers history previously included Top 10 Virginia Super Lawyers® (2012–2018) and Top 100 Virginia Super Lawyers® continuously from 2012 to 2021.
Irv has practiced trial law in Virginia since 1979, after clerking for the Supreme Court of Virginia following his graduation from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1978. His career includes more than 2,000 favorable verdicts and settlements, including more than 450 traumatic brain injury cases — the largest concentration of any practice in the Commonwealth. He authored the chapter on the legal aspects of brain injury litigation in Brain Injury Medicine, a leading medical textbook on the subject, and co-authored The Art and Science of Mastering the Jury Trial with Judge Samuel Johnston. He has been named Best Lawyers in America® “Lawyer of the Year” in Richmond three times for Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs (2014, 2016, 2025) and once for Medical Malpractice Litigation – Plaintiffs (2020). Irv is a past President of VTLA (2002), past President of ABOTA’s Virginia Chapter, and President of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Foundation. He is also the founder and President of Jury Impressions, a jury consulting practice that has supported trial lawyers nationwide since 2005. Read more on his attorney profile.
M. Scott Bucci — Top 50 Richmond and Top 100 Virginia for 2026
Partner Scott Bucci earned placement in the 2026 Top 50 Richmond Super Lawyers® and Top 100 Virginia Super Lawyers® lists. Scott has practiced for more than 25 years and has tried more than 125 civil cases to verdict in over 25 Virginia jurisdictions, with a verdict win rate above 75% (defined as beating the offer/demand on admitted liability or winning a contested liability case).
Scott graduated with High Honors from the George Mason University School of Law in 1998 after undergraduate studies at the University of Virginia, where he was awarded the Malcolm H. Kerr Memorial Scholarship to study in Cairo. He clerked for the Virginia Beach Circuit Court before beginning his career in civil defense litigation, where he represented Wal-Mart for more than seven years in state and federal courts. He later co-founded Bucci & Dix, PLLC before joining the catastrophic-injury team at the firm now known as Cantor Grana Buckner Bucci.
Scott is a former President of the Virginia Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), an organization devoted to preserving the civil jury trial. He has argued before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and the Supreme Court of Virginia, and is particularly experienced in the Eastern District of Virginia’s “Rocket Docket.” His practice focuses on catastrophic injury, wrongful death, premises liability, and products liability, and he is frequently brought in as co-counsel on complex retailer and premises cases. More on his attorney profile.
Joseph L. Cantor — 2026 Rising Stars®
Partner Joseph Cantor has been named to the 2026 Virginia Super Lawyers® Rising Stars list, continuing a streak of recognition that began in 2019. The Rising Stars list is limited to attorneys under 40 or in practice fewer than ten years, and selections are limited to no more than 2.5% of eligible attorneys in the state.
Joseph joined the firm in 2017 immediately after graduating cum laude from the University of Richmond School of Law, was promoted to partner in 2022, and has built a practice focused on traumatic brain injury, tractor-trailer litigation, premises liability, and wrongful death. He served as co-counsel on a $4 million tractor-trailer settlement in 2018 and a $1.25 million traumatic brain injury settlement in 2022.
His leadership is unusually deep for an attorney at his career stage. Joseph serves as President of the Board of the Brain Injury Association of Virginia (2024–present), as a District Governor of VTLA, as Social Chair of the Lewis F. Powell, Jr. American Inn of Court, and previously on the Development Committee of the American Association for Justice New Lawyers Division. He chaired the inaugural VTLA Young Trial Lawyers Retreat in 2023 and the VTLA Advanced Traumatic Brain Injury Retreat in 2020. Read more on his attorney profile.
Why Six CGBB Attorneys on the 2026 Lists Matters
A six-attorney showing on the Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists from a firm of CGBB’s size is notable. Two partners — Stephanie Grana and Elliott Buckner — in the Top 5 Personal Injury Plaintiff group statewide is narrower still. Stephanie’s simultaneous recognition as 2026 Best Lawyers® “Lawyer of the Year” in two distinct practice areas adds another data point about the depth of bench at the firm.
The 2026 selections continue a track record reflected in Virginia Lawyers Weekly’s data: since 2008, CGBB has reported more recoveries over $1 million than any other Virginia law firm. The firm’s published case results include more than 100 verdicts and settlements over $1 million.
That track record is built on a small, focused caseload. The firm intentionally limits the number of cases each attorney handles so that clients with serious injuries receive the time, expert support, and trial preparation those cases require.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the “Top 5 Personal Injury Plaintiff” Super Lawyers® list mean?
Super Lawyers, published by Thomson Reuters, selects no more than 5% of attorneys in any state for its annual list. Within that group, practice-area sublists — like “Top 5 Personal Injury Plaintiff Virginia” — represent the highest-scoring attorneys in that specific practice area for that state during that selection cycle. The selections are based on twelve indicators of professional achievement and peer recognition, including verdicts, settlements, scholarly contributions, and bar service. Super Lawyers does not certify any attorney as a specialist, and inclusion is not a guarantee of a future case outcome.
Can lawyers pay to be on the Super Lawyers list?
No. Super Lawyers’ selection process prohibits pay-to-play participation. Lawyers cannot nominate themselves or pay for inclusion. Selections are based on peer nomination, independent research by the Super Lawyers staff, and a peer-evaluation review by practice area. Attorneys may, after being selected, pay separately for an enhanced profile, but that does not affect the selection itself.
Who at CGBB was recognized in 2026?
Six CGBB attorneys appeared on the 2026 Virginia Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists: Stephanie Grana and Elliott Buckner (Top 5: Personal Injury Plaintiff Virginia); Irv Cantor (Super Lawyers); Scott Bucci (Top 50 Richmond and Top 100 Virginia); and Joseph Cantor (Rising Stars). Stephanie Grana was also separately named the 2026 Best Lawyers® “Lawyer of the Year” in Richmond for both Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs and Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs.
Do peer recognitions like Super Lawyers® affect case outcomes?
No, and the Virginia State Bar’s advertising rules require any reference to peer recognitions to make that clear. Awards reflect peer assessment of an attorney’s professional reputation, experience, and ethical record. The outcome of any individual case depends on the specific facts, applicable law, jurisdiction, and other variables, and prior recoveries do not predict or guarantee future results.
What kinds of cases does CGBB handle?
The firm focuses on catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death cases, including traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, medical malpractice, products liability, motor vehicle and tractor-trailer collisions, premises liability, and birth injury matters. CGBB does not handle the routine, high-volume injury claims that many advertising firms accept; it intentionally maintains a smaller caseload focused on serious, complex cases.
What is Virginia’s deadline to file a personal injury lawsuit?
Most personal injury claims in Virginia must be filed within two years of the date of injury under Va. Code § 8.01-243. Wrongful death claims have their own two-year deadline under Va. Code § 8.01-244. Medical malpractice cases involving children injured before age eight have extended deadlines. Virginia is a pure contributory negligence jurisdiction, which means that any degree of fault on the part of the injured person can bar recovery — making early evidence preservation and representation particularly important.
About Cantor, Grana, Buckner, Bucci, P.C.
Cantor, Grana, Buckner, Bucci, P.C. is a Richmond-based personal injury law firm that has represented seriously injured Virginians since 1979. The firm’s partners and counsel have collectively secured more than 100 verdicts and settlements over $1 million and, since 2008, have reported more recoveries over $1 million than any other Virginia law firm according to Virginia Lawyers Weekly. The firm has been listed in U.S. News Best Law Firms in America® multiple times, and is listed as a Brain Injury Association of America Preferred Attorney firm. Selected case results are published on the firm’s case results page.
CGBB is located at 7130 Glen Forest Drive, Suite 400, Richmond, VA 23226, and represents clients in serious injury and wrongful death matters throughout the Commonwealth.
If you or a loved one has suffered a catastrophic injury or lost a family member due to another party’s negligence, contact Cantor, Grana, Buckner, Bucci, P.C. at (804) 644-1400 for a free, confidential consultation.
This post is published by Cantor, Grana, Buckner, Bucci, P.C. on a matter concerning the firm’s professional recognitions. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case involves specific facts and applicable law; readers with legal questions should consult qualified counsel.
Past results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future case. Case outcomes depend upon a variety of factors unique to each case.
The Super Lawyers® designation is issued by Thomson Reuters. Super Lawyers does not certify any attorney as a specialist in any field of law. Best Lawyers® is a separate peer-review service. The Virginia State Bar does not certify lawyers as specialists in personal injury law.
