Meet the Attorneys Serving Southwest Virginia
Bruce H. Russell, II is the founder and managing attorney of the firm. A graduate of the University of Virginia and the University of Richmond, he began practicing law in Charlottesville with a law firm that focused on representing high-tech companies. Mr. Russell returned to his native southwest Virginia to become assistant commonwealth's attorney for Buchanan County, where he prosecuted hundreds of cases ranging from misdemeanor traffic offenses to felony drug charges. He also taught at the Appaalchian School of Law. Mr. Russell went back to private practice in 2002. He serves a diverse group of clients in a wide range of cases throughout southwest Virginia.
Bruce H. Russell, II
President/Founder/Attorney
B. Laken Shuler
Attorney
Laken Shuler is a Bristol, Virginia native and an attorney at Bruce H. Russell, II, P.C., where she represents individuals, families, businesses, agencies, and organizations throughout Southwest Virginia. Her practice includes general counsel representation, business law, real estate, estate planning, domestic relations, civil litigation, criminal defense, and criminal appeals.
Laken has developed a broad and practical legal practice focused on helping clients navigate both everyday legal needs and complex disputes. She regularly advises agency, business, and organizational clients on general counsel matters, including contracts, debtor-creditor issues, employment matters, real estate transactions, regulatory compliance, policy review, and operational legal concerns. She also assists individuals and families with estate planning, domestic relations matters, property-related issues, and civil disputes.
In addition to her civil, transactional, and advisory work, Laken maintains a strong criminal defense and appellate practice. She represents clients at the trial, sentencing, and appellate levels, including serious and complex criminal appeals before Virginia’s appellate courts. Her trial-level criminal practice has included matters involving assault and battery, constructive possession, marijuana-related DUI charges, and other offenses requiring careful factual, legal, and evidentiary analysis. She has also obtained favorable sentencing outcomes for clients, including results more favorable than resolutions previously offered by the prosecution.
Laken earned her Bachelor of Science in Political Science from East Tennessee State University and her Juris Doctor from the Appalachian School of Law. While in law school, she made the Dean’s List, received Book Awards in Legal Process II, Advanced Legal Research, and Post-Conviction Relief, served on the Executive Board of the Appalachian Journal of Law, and competed on the Moot Court Team.

Laken gained valuable legal experience through internships with the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Virginia, Abingdon Division, and the Criminal Section of the Virginia Office of the Attorney General through Appalachian School of Law’s Advanced Appellate Advocacy Clinic. As a moot court advocate, she earned second-place honors in both the ASL Thurgood Marshall Moot Court Competition and the Appellate Advocacy Intraschool Moot Court Competition.
Laken is proud to practice in the region she has always called home. Across every matter, she strives to provide clear guidance, careful preparation, and practical solutions tailored to each client’s needs.
Chase D. Collins
Attorney
Chase D. Collins, Esq., has been licensed as an attorney for 15 years, and has been actively practicing law in Virginia since October 2012. Chase is a 2003 graduate of Graham High School in Bluefield, Virginia. Next, Chase received his B.A. in Classics With Honors (cum laude) from the University of Virginia in 2007. Then, Chase received his J.D. from the Pennsylvania State University - Dickinson School of Law in 2010. While in law school, Chase worked with the Dickinson School of Law's Children's Advocacy Clinic from May 2009 to May 2010, representing children as a Guardian ad Litem.
Chase passed the Pennsylvania Bar Exam in 2011 and passed the Virginia Bar Exam in 2012. Chase began his career as an independent attorney in Carlisle, Pennsylvania in 2011.
In January 2012, Chase moved back home to Virginia to serve as Law Clerk to the Tazewell County Attorney's Office. In January 2013, Chase began his first stint at Bruce H. Russell, II, P.C., working primarily from Tazewell, VA. In August 2016, Chase returned to the Tazewell County Attorney's Office as Assistant County Attorney. Chase was named Interim County Attorney in February 2019 and received the full title of County Attorney in February 2020. Chase had myriad duties as Tazewell County Attorney, but he is proudest of his work representing the Tazewell County Department of Social Services and Tazewell County delinquent tax collection, where he recovered $3,000,000.00 from 2017-2025 for Tazewell County.
Chase returned home to Bruce H. Russell, II, P.C. on July 7, 2025. While Chase proudly represents clients in almost all facets of law, Chase's specialties are real estate transactions, estate planning and administration, and civil litigation.
Chase has 2 children (Landon and Madeleine) who are the light of his world, and he loves being in the crowd as he watches them excel at swimming (both) and dance (Madeleine). Chase adores his Goldendoodle (Lemon) and is equal parts amazed by and suspicious toward his 3 cats (Felix, Maple, Graham). Many folks in Tazewell County better know Chase as the "Voice of the Bulldogs" with his work on the Tazewell Bulldog Radio Network. Chase is an avid recreational bowler with a 189 average, and you may find him competing in various tournaments in the eastern half of the United States. Chase is also a diehard UVA fan (Go Hoos), and he will talk your ear off if you get him started on the Wahoos.
If you feel like Chase would be the ideal fit for whatever legal situation you have, please give him a call at (276) 889-1750 or by email at chase@bhr2law.com.
