Achievement March 24, 2025

Fifty-Two AGs Back Troutman Pepper Locke Clients in Veteran Benefits Case

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Lauren Hancock Miller Jeff P. Johnson William “Trey” Smith Timothy L. McHugh Mary Grace W. Metcalfe Misha Tseytlin

In a remarkable display of unity, a bipartisan coalition of the attorneys general for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Northern Mariana Islands filed an amicus curiae brief in support of Troutman Pepper Locke and Dominion Energy’s petition for extraordinary relief in Yoon v. Collins, which continues the fight for veterans’ denied educational benefits.

In 2024, the firm and Dominion Energy secured victory in the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Rudisill v. McDonough, which affirmed the rights of veterans to receive additional education benefits owed to them under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

Despite the Rudisill holding, Troutman Pepper Locke’s clients Paul Yoon, a decorated Army veteran with almost 24 years of service, and Toby Doran, a decorated Air Force veteran with more than 27 years of service, were denied by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs after applying to use their benefits to support the education of their children. The VA stated that Yoon and Doran were required to have had a break in their decades of service to qualify under the Montgomery and Post-9/11 GI Bills, which is inconsistent with the bills and the Supreme Court’s decision in Rudisill. Ultimately, both veterans have been forced to pay out-of-pocket for educational expenses until relief is secured. 

Troutman Pepper Locke’s representation of Yoon and Doran continues the firm’s partnership with Dominion Energy to protect the rights of U.S. veterans.

The case also demonstrates the strength of the firm’s nationally recognized Appellate and Supreme Court Practice and Regulatory Investigations, Strategy, and Enforcement (RISE) Practice, which have worked together to advocate for veterans in the courtroom and with state agencies.

Misha Tseytlin, Timothy McHugh, Mary Grace Metcalfe, Jeff Johnson, Lauren Miller, and Trey Smith, among others, as well as David DePippo from Dominion Energy, represent Yoon and Doran. Metcalfe played a vital role in securing support for the amicus brief, liaising with the state AGs to obtain this unprecedented unanimous support.

Yoon v. Collins is currently pending before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.