Charles graduated with honors in 1986 from Lehigh University, and received his J.D. in 1989 from Fordham University School of Law, where he was a member of Fordham Law Review. Charles spent five years as a litigation associate at the prestigious Wall Street law firm Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, where he worked on numerous high profile cases, including the first hexavalent chromium exposure case ever taken to trial, and litigation arising out of the 1989 Exxon Arthur Kill oil spill.
In 1994, Charles and Lloyd Ambinder co-founded Virginia & Ambinder, LLP, as a firm dedicated to advancing the rights of American's workforce.
Charles represents unions and multiemployer benefit plans in New York and New Jersey, and serves as local counsel to a number of international benefit funds. Charles advises multiemployer benefit plans on all plan matters, including compliance, plan design, administration and fiduciary issues. Charles litigates ERISA matters in federal court, including withdrawal liability. Charles also litigates labor and employment cases, including numerous high profile class actions.
Charles lectures on withdrawal liability and other Taft-Hartley benefit plan issues for educational organizations. Charles is a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. Charles is the author of Upgrading Collection Practices, Employee Benefit Issues, The Multiemployer Perspective, 2002, Volume 44, International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, and Communications Workers v. Beck: Supreme Court Throws Unions Out on Street, 57 Fordham Law Review 665.
Charles is a member of the New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania bars.
Mr. Virginia supports numerous charities and is a member of the Fordham University School of Law Small to Midsize Law Firm Dean’s Advisory Council and the Elon University Parents Council.