Veterans in the Courtroom
As a veteran-owned personal injury law firm, we hold a steadfast commitment to protecting and advocating for veterans, active duty personnel, reservists, and first responders. Our team of trial attorneys brings a unique perspective to every case, having all served as officers in the United States Armed Forces. This unique background helps us both inside and outside the courtroom, ensuring that each client receives the best possible representation for their personal injury cases.
Beyond our legal expertise, we deeply value the principles of selfless service and teamwork instilled in us through our military service. We believe in going above and beyond for our clients, embodying the spirit of selflessness that defines military service. At Broughton Injury Law, we collaborate closely with our clients to understand their needs and achieve the best possible outcome. Whether navigating complex legal challenges or providing compassionate support, we are honored to serve those who have served our country.
The Trial Lawyers Behind the Firm
Both founding attorneys served as United States Army JAG Officers before building careers in the courtroom. That military background is not a tagline. It shapes how this firm investigates, prepares, and presents every case.
Founding Trial Attorney
GRAY
Gray served over four years as a JAG Officer in the U.S. Army with deployments to Korea, Germany, and Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. After military service, he spent nine years as a trial attorney at a large Virginia law firm before dedicating his practice entirely to personal injury.
GRAY
BROUGHTON
Gray served over four years as a JAG Officer in the U.S. Army with deployments to Korea, Germany, and Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. After military service, he spent nine years as a trial attorney at a large Virginia law firm before dedicating his practice entirely to personal injury. - Stationed in South Korea with Eighth Army.
- Served in Heidelberg, Germany with V Corps.
- Deployed to Baghdad with Operation Iraqi Freedom.
- Advised on rules of engagement and airstrikes.
- Served on the Judicial Reconstruction Team in Iraq.
- Bronze Star Medal recipient.
Founding Trial Attorney
SHARIF GRAY
Sharif graduated as Valedictorian from the Virginia Military Institute. He served as a JAG Officer in the U.S. Army, worked as a drug and vice prosecutor in Richmond, and served as a Federal Judicial Law Clerk. He has won millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements.- Graduated first in his class at VMI.
- Elected prosecutor on the VMI Honor Court.
- Completed Air Assault School, Fort Campbell.
- Defended hundreds of soldiers at courts-martial.
- Deployed to the Sinai Peninsula for trial work.
- Honorable discharge as a Captain, 2019.
The Trial Lawyers Behind the Firm
Both founding attorneys served as United States Army JAG Officers before building careers in the courtroom. That military background is not a tagline. It shapes how this firm investigates, prepares, and presents every case.
Founding Trial Attorney
GRAY
BROUGHTON
Gray served over four years as a JAG Officer in the U.S. Army with deployments to Korea, Germany, and Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. After military service, he spent nine years as a trial attorney at a large Virginia law firm before dedicating his practice entirely to personal injury. - Stationed in South Korea with Eighth Army.
- Served in Heidelberg, Germany with V Corps.
- Deployed to Baghdad with Operation Iraqi Freedom.
- Advised on rules of engagement and airstrikes.
- Served on the Judicial Reconstruction Team in Iraq.
- Bronze Star Medal recipient.
Founding Trial Attorney
SHARIF GRAY
Sharif graduated as Valedictorian from the Virginia Military Institute. He served as a JAG Officer in the U.S. Army, worked as a drug and vice prosecutor in Richmond, and served as a Federal Judicial Law Clerk. He has won millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements.- Graduated first in his class at VMI.
- Elected prosecutor on the VMI Honor Court.
- Completed Air Assault School, Fort Campbell.
- Defended hundreds of soldiers at courts-martial.
- Deployed to the Sinai Peninsula for trial work.
- Honorable discharge as a Captain, 2019.
Military Experience
Gray B. Broughton, Captain, U.S. Army
Gray Broughton attended Davidson College on a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) scholarship and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant upon graduation. While in college, in addition to wrestling, playing football and competing with his ROTC unit’s Ranger Challenge team, Gray attended Airborne School in Fort Benning Georgia and became Airborne-qualified. Gray attended the Washinton and Lee University School of Law immediately after college. After obtaining his law degree from Washington and Lee University, Gray served over four years on active duty in the United States Army in Korea, Germany, and Iraq after completing the Officer Basic Course at Ft. Lee near Petersburg, Virginia and The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School on the campus of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia.In South Korea, Gray obtained the rank of Captain and served as a legal assistance attorney, administrative law attorney and ethics advisor for Eighth Army. While serving in Korea, Gray launched a peninsula-wide marketing campaign for legal services to U.S. forces, appearing on radio and television programs on the Armed Forces Network and publishing articles disseminated throughout South Korea.
After completing his one-year tour in Korea, Gray was assigned to V Corps in Heidelberg, Germany. Shortly after arriving in Germany, Gray was deployed with his unit to Baghdad, Iraq, where he was the Officer-in-Charge of Operational Law – Current Operation for Combined Joint Task Force 7. In Iraq, Gray provided “on-the-spot” legal advice on combat and detention operations to command group and subordinate units throughout Iraq. Gray coordinated and worked closely with military officers from coalition countries. Among other things, Gray advised on rules of engagement, preplanned airstrikes, detention operations, rewards for information leading to the neutralization of high value targets and buying weapons from former Iraqi military personnel. Gray traveled throughout greater Baghdad working to re-establish civilian courts as part of V Corps’ Judicial Reconstruction Team. Gray was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his service during Operation Iraqi Freedom I.
After his deployment to Iraq, Gray served as a trial counsel (prosecutor) in Heidelberg, Germany. While stationed in Germany, Gray trained with the German army and was awarded the German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency (Gold) in recognition of his achievements in a wide variety of military competencies. Additionally, Gray trained for and completed IRONMAN Germany, a triathlon consisting of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and 26.2 mile run. In 2006, Gray left the Army as a Captain with an honorable discharge.
Sharif L. Gray, Captain, U.S. Army
Sharif Gray graduated valedictorian and as a distinguished military graduate from the Virginia Military Institute. At VMI, Sharif’s class elected him to serve as a prosecutor on the Honor Court, where he prosecuted honor offenses and first discovered his love for trial work. Sharif also wrestled at VMI, studied abroad in Morocco, served in leadership positions in the Corps of Cadets and the Army ROTC program, and completed Air Assault School at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
After VMI, Sharif attended the University of Virginia School of Law. In addition to being a student, he served as the Executive Officer of a Drill Sergeant Company that conducted basic training rotations at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. After earning his law degree, Sharif served four and a half years on active duty as a Judge Advocate. He first completed the Officer Basic Course at Fort Benning, Georgia and then graduated from The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School in Charlottesville, Virginia before reporting to Fort Stewart, Georgia.
At Fort Stewart, Sharif served as a legal assistance attorney in which he assisted Soldiers with varying legal issues and defended Soldiers against adverse administrative actions. While there, he also deployed to the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana as a detailed operational law attorney for one of Fort Stewart’s Armored Brigade Combat Teams.
Following that assignment, Sharif reported to the 1st Theater Sustainment Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. While there, he advised commanders and later deployed to Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula to serve as the Command Judge Advocate for Task Force Sinai, the largest contingent to the Multinational Force and Observers.
After returning to the United States, Sharif worked as a Trial Defense Counsel at Fort Bragg, in which he represented hundreds of Soldiers facing investigation, reprimand, nonjudicial punishment, or separation. He also defended Soldiers at 26 courts-martial and 27 administrative separation boards, to include deploying to the Sinai for a trial. At Fort Bragg, Sharif had the privilege of representing soldiers from a number of specialized units, to include Delta Force, Special Forces, and the 82nd Airborne Division.
In 2019, Sharif left the Army as a Captain with an honorable discharge.
Zachary Grubaugh, Captain, U.S. Marine Corps
After completing Officer Candidate School, Zac was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps on August 8, 2009. Upon completion of law school, he reported to The Basic School in Quantico, Virginia in April of 2013, for a six-month training school for all newly commissioned Marine Corps officers with particular emphasis on the duties, responsibilities, and warfighting skills required of a rifle platoon commander. After completing The Basic School, Zac reported to the Naval Justice School in Rhode Island for specific training in his military occupational specialty as a Judge Advocate.
After finishing the necessary training requirements, Zac reported to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, and was assigned to the Trial Services Office, Legal Services Support Team – Camp Pendleton where he advised commanders and served as a Trial Counsel (Prosecutor) eventually being designated as a Special Victims’ Trial Counsel – a designation reserved for the most experienced trial counsel – with a primary focus on the prosecution of sexual assault offenses and other serious misconduct.
Shea M. Gibbons, Major, U.S. Army
After earning his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2012, Shea received a direct commission as an officer in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps Reserve in 2019. He completed the Direct Commission Course at Fort Benning, Georgia, and then attended the Judge Advocate Officer Basic Course at The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School on the campus of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia, where he was named to the Commandant’s List—an honor awarded to the top 20% of the class. He subsequently completed both the Judge Advocate Tactical Staff Officer Course and the Judge Advocate Officer Advanced Course, again earning a place on the Commandant’s List.
Shea’s first assignment was with the 174th Legal Operations Detachment in Miami, Florida, where he provided legal assistance and client services to soldiers and their families. During that assignment, he completed a rotation through U.S. Southern Command, performing legal assistance and legal reviews in support of the command’s mission. Shea was nominated for the General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award, a leadership award for outstanding junior officers who exhibit the ideals for which General MacArthur stood.
He next served with the 354th Civil Affairs Brigade in White Plains, Maryland as an International Legal Officer. In that role, Shea advised soldiers and commanders on compliance with international legal obligations—including the Geneva Conventions and the laws of armed conflict, conducted administrative investigations, and served as an administrative prosecutor.
Shea currently serves with the 154th Legal Operations Detachment (Trial Defense Service), where he represents soldiers as a defense attorney in investigations and administrative separation proceedings.
Fitness is a cornerstone of Shea’s military service. He has earned the designation of Master Fitness Trainer in the Army, achieved a perfect score on the Army Physical Fitness Test, and recorded exceptionally high scores on the Army Fitness Test.
Shea’s favorite aspect of serving in the Army’s JAG Corps is interacting with the exceptional people in our nation’s military.