Three members of The Virginia Bar Association have been honored as 2026 Forty Under 40 by Virginia Business.

They are:

• Peter Askin, partner at ThompsonMcMullan P.C.
• Elizabeth Chapman, partner at Williams Mullen
• William Palmer, associate at Kaufman & Canoles, P.C.

The statewide awards program recognizes outstanding Virginia professionals under the age of 40 who demonstrate significant professional accomplishment and meaningful community involvement. Recipients are selected by a panel of judges, including editors of Virginia Business.

Askin serves as a council member of the VBA Administrative Law Section and a member of the Board of the Greater Richmond Bar Foundation. Chapman is president of CREW Coastal Virginia, a leading organization advancing women in commercial real estate. Palmer is a member of the VBA Labor & Employment Law Section.

Last year marked the first time Virginia Business hosted a Forty Under 40 awards event. Richard Foster, associate publisher and editor of Virginia Business, said of the honorees, “The Forty Under 40 honorees are high-achieving young professionals who give back to the community in exceptional ways. They have demonstrated significant career success but also know that making a difference in the lives of others is essential.”

All three have also been recognized in recent years as Legal Elite honorees, another distinction awarded by Virginia Business.

The recipients will be recognized May 5 at the Science Museum of Virginia in Richmond.

-- Isabel Lunato