Former West Virginia State Supreme Court Chief Justice Richard Neely and former federal prosecutor Mike Callaghan have announced they are partnering to form a new firm, Neely & Callaghan.

The law firm practices in several areas, with a focus on federal criminal defense, environmental and regulatory law and civil litigation, according to a news release.

Callaghan has been mentioned in political circles across the state as a potential candidate for West Virginia Attorney General or state Supreme Court justice in 2008.

Regarding these rumors, Callaghan commented, "It's flattering to have people holding you in high enough regard to be considered as a potential candidate for those positions. Truth be told, my focus right now is just building my law practice. So, that's what I see in my future for the time being."

Neely and Callaghan have both been media fixtures throughout their careers, given their histories of public service. They hope to capitalize on their experience with civil and criminal cases and plan on working on a deliberately small caseload to help give their clients a very high level of personal attention.

"I look forward to this new phase of my life," Neely said. "Mike and I plan to organize our practice around a small number of difficult cases that clients believe justify the personal attention of senior, experienced lawyers from start to finish."