Schmittinger & Rodriguez

Six decades in Kent County

The firm dates to 1961, and it describes itself as the oldest law firm in Kent County. That gives it more than sixty years of steady work in Delaware. A record that long tells you the practice has held together through many changes in state law and local courts.

The work is spread across three offices. The main office sits in Dover, with further locations in Middletown and Rehoboth Beach. For clients in central and southern Delaware, that spread means help is not tied to one town.

What the firm handles

The range of practice areas here is wide. On the injury side, the firm lists personal injury, workers' compensation, medical malpractice, and wrongful death. It also takes on criminal law, family and domestic matters, employment and labor law, and civil litigation.

Advisory and transactional work

The list does not stop at disputes. The firm also handles trusts and estate planning, real estate, and corporate and business law. Add administrative, appellate, municipal, insurance regulatory, mechanics' lien, and construction accident matters, and you have a general practice rather than a single focus.

In my opinion, this breadth is the firm's clearest feature. Nine attorneys covering this many fields points to a practice built to serve a whole community. A client with more than one legal need may be able to stay under one roof.

How the team is built

The site names nine attorneys. Several hold the title of director, among them Nicholas H. Rodriguez, William D. Fletcher, Jr., Craig T. Eliassen, Crystal L. Carey, Scott E. Chambers, Walt F. Schmittinger, and B. Brian Brittingham. Douglas B. Catts and Gary E. Junge round out the roster.

A wide span of experience

The lawyers here come from several legal generations. Nicholas H. Rodriguez earned his J.D. from Washington and Lee University in 1961, the year the firm began, and his practice centers on personal injury. Gary E. Junge earned his J.D. from Widener University Delaware Law School in 2015. Between those two sit attorneys who finished law school in the 1970s, 1980s, and 2000s.

That range matters for a client. Newer lawyers bring recent training, while long-serving ones bring years in the same courts. Both show up on this roster.

Schools and training

The attorneys list a mix of Delaware and out-of-state schools. Douglas B. Catts holds degrees from George Washington University. William D. Fletcher, Jr. studied at the University of Delaware and Washington and Lee University School of Law. Craig T. Eliassen attended St. Andrews University and Wake Forest University.

Crystal L. Carey earned her degrees from the University of Delaware and the University of Maryland. Scott E. Chambers studied at the University of Delaware and Widener, and later attended the U.S. Army War College in 2003. Walt F. Schmittinger holds a degree from Dickinson College and a J.D. from Widener.

Editorial and clerkship background

Two lawyers stand out for extra credentials. B. Brian Brittingham holds a J.D. from Pace Law School and an M.B.A. from the Pace Lubin School of Business. Gary E. Junge served as External Managing Editor of the Widener Law Review and President of the Moot Court Honor Society, and he clerked for the Superior Court of Delaware before joining the firm.

Who does what

Personal injury runs through much of the roster. Rodriguez, Fletcher, Eliassen, Chambers, and Schmittinger all list it among their fields. Douglas B. Catts pairs litigation with personal injury and employment and labor work.

Craig T. Eliassen adds workers' compensation and family law to his injury practice, and his background includes cases before the Delaware Superior Court and the Delaware Supreme Court. Scott E. Chambers pairs personal injury with municipal law, criminal law, and litigation. Walt F. Schmittinger lists workers' compensation along with corporate and incorporation matters.

Others carry the firm's advisory and family work. Crystal L. Carey focuses on real property, domestic relations, guardianships, and residential real estate. B. Brian Brittingham lists estate planning, probate and estate administration, business law, administrative matters, and debt and collection work. William D. Fletcher, Jr. adds products liability, medical negligence, and insurance coverage to his injury practice.

How the firm works with clients

The firm describes a client-focused approach. It says its attorneys work directly with clients to explain the options and settle on the next step. That is a plain description of ordinary good practice, and it is the kind of claim a reader can check in a first meeting.

Its lawyers represent plaintiffs, defendants, and companies. They handle matters through both negotiation and litigation in Delaware courts. As a reviewer, I read that as a sign of a firm comfortable on either side of a dispute, which is common in a long-running general practice.

The evidence here is modest but consistent. A founding date, a named group of nine attorneys, their schools, and a clear list of fields all line up. For a reader weighing a Delaware firm on record rather than advertising, that is a fair place to start.