The publication examines significant decisions from the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, Intermediate Court of Appeals and selected federal courts. The analysis focuses on how those rulings could affect West Virginia businesses, employers and the broader economy.

The 2026 CourtWatch presentation included a panel of West Virginia attorneys who discussed legal developments and their potential effects on the state’s business community.

Panelists included Susan Deniker of Steptoe & Johnson PLLC; Joseph A. “Jay” Ford of Spilman Thomas & Battle PLLC; Tom J. Hurney Jr. of Jackson Kelly PLLC; Jill Cranston Rice of Dinsmore & Shohl LLP; and Marc Williams of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP.

Kaitlyn N. Pytlak-Morra, legal counsel for the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce, moderated the discussion.

The chamber said CourtWatch is intended to make complex court decisions easier for business leaders to understand by explaining how legal developments could affect their operations.

“CourtWatch is an important resource for West Virginia’s business community because it helps translate significant judicial decisions into information that business leaders can understand and use,” Pytlak-Morra said. “The decisions discussed in this year’s publication provide valuable insight into the evolving legal landscape in West Virginia and the issues that can have a direct impact on employers and businesses.”

The chamber also announced that its 90th Annual Meeting & Business Summit was approved for 11.6 hours of live continuing legal education credit through the West Virginia State Bar.

Attorneys who attended the summit but did not register for CLE credit can contact Pytlak-Morra at [email protected] and provide their State Bar number.

The 2026 edition of CourtWatch is available online through the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce.