For the majority of his life, Philip Hatchett knew what career he was going to have, where he was going to live and what path he was going to take to make it all happen. For Hatchett, serving as Kaufman & Canoles’ managing director at the Newport News office always seemed to be directly on his route. Hatchett’s practice emphasizes business financing and formation as well as tax and wealth transfer and estate planning.
Coming from a family where the patriarch was a lawyer, Hatchett developed a passion for serving others through the law at a young age. Under his father’s advice, he started his pathway to practicing law by becoming a certified public accountant. That background has allowed him to have exponential knowledge and experience with the business and finance-oriented law he practices.
As a Virginia Peninsula native, Hatchett maintains a strong connection to the Newport New region, both in education and philanthropy. “I was born and raised in this region. I received the best background in schooling, from public school to Hampton Roads Academy, then Washington and Lee University and finally the University of Richmond School of Law,” Hatchett says.
When he is not sorting through case files, Hatchett dedicates his time to giving back to the Hampton Roads community through many philanthropies. To him, receiving multiple awards for his philanthropic works is part of the intrinsic satisfaction gained from giving back to the area. Smart Beginnings of the Virginia Peninsula, the organization committed to providing high-quality care, education and health services to prepare children for kindergarten and life, is one of the many philanthropies to which Hatchett devotes the majority of his spare time. Additionally, he has donated his time and efforts to the Hampton Public Library Foundation, Oyster Point Rotary Club, City of Newport News Employees Retirement Pension Board, Virginia Living Museum and many other organizations.
“I have always enjoyed standing up for the underdog,” Hatchett says. Hatchett’s feelings toward people with the odds stacked against them has influenced him at Kaufman & Canoles, as well as within his personal life. He finds that a career as a lawyer allows him to stand up and help those in need.
Hatchett’s daughters, Rebecca and Julie, both followed their father’s giving spirit through educating others across the globe. Rebecca spent time in Cairo, Egypt, teaching, while her sister Julie taught in South Korea and in Tanzania.
Because of their daughters’ travels across the globe, Hatchett and his wife Isabel have an excuse to explore diverse environments. They visited Egypt, South Korea and Tanzania and experienced communities different from their Peninsula stomping grounds. Now that his daughters have returned to the United States, Hatchett has traded in international flights for trips to the Northeast to spend time with his children and grandchild.
Hatchett continuously gives back to individuals and the wider community and indicated he will continue. He feels very fortunate to be living in a community he always wanted to serve through law and charity, following the path he has always intended to follow.
TO THE POINT:
Philip L. Hatchett, attorney and managing director, Kaufman & Canoles
Address: 11815 Fountain Way, Ste. 400, Newport News, VA 23606
Phone: 757-873-6316
Email: plhatchett@kaufcan.com
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