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Denbigh Law Center
JUNE 2025
After 40 years, Denbigh Law Center won’t rest
Denbigh Law Center partners Roy Lasris (left) and John Walsh at their offices.
By Melissa James, York County Contributor
If you google “lawyer jokes,” you’ll get over 24 million results. But the truth is, most lawyers are in the field to help people—often when they’re at their most vulnerable. Whether you’re fighting for custody of your children, dealing with financial issues or charged with a crime, the attorneys at Denbigh Law Center will defend your rights and interests.
Denbigh Law Center—home to Lasris, Walsh & Associates, P.C.—is commemorating four decades in its York County location on Denbigh Boulevard. The firm initially started in the 1970s as Buxton & Wentworth. In 1982, Joseph “Chip” Buxton rebranded the business as Denbigh Law Center as he looked to more effectively serve the surrounding community with quality legal services at reasonable prices. It became one of the first local law firms to advertise in the Yellow Pages, which led to a boon in business.
“At the time, it was very unusual for law firms to do that,” said Roy Lasris, who joined the practice also in 1982. “It was a different approach to finding and hiring lawyers, and it paid off well for us.”
Lasris, who earned his law degree from the University of Florida, was initially hired at Denbigh Law Center for his computer skills. He would later develop the firm’s first website in the early 1990s, another move that was unheard of at the time.
“It was very cutting edge, and it gave us another vehicle by which people could find us,” Lasris said.
Denbigh Law Center has operated out of its current location since 1985. Through the years, attorneys have provided various legal services, and today, they specialize in domestic relations law, which includes divorce, adoption and name changes, as well as bankruptcy and criminal law. Lasris, the firm’s senior partner, currently handles cases in family law and consumer bankruptcy. He first got interested in becoming a lawyer during high school, when a teacher suggested it might be a good fit for him. An Army veteran, Lasris began his legal career in the JAG Corps while serving at Fort Eustis.
One of his biggest cases for Denbigh Law Center came early on, in 1982. He was hired to defend Keith Allen Harward, who was accused of rape and murder. Despite Lasris’ efforts, Harward was wrongfully convicted based on testimony regarding bite marks on the victim’s leg. Harward served more than 30 years in prison before advances in DNA technology proved he was innocent.
“I did a good job trying that case, even though we lost,” Lasris said. “As a lawyer, you always worry if you did the best you could. Keith thought I did. It was wonderful when we found out that he was proven innocent. We all cried. I was honored to be able to go and watch him being released from prison. He still keeps in touch with us.”
Lasris has worked with many partners at Denbigh Law Center through the years. His current one is John Walsh, who joined the firm in 2006 and was named partner four years ago. Walsh, a major and helicopter pilot for the Army Reserve, earned his law degree from Brooklyn Law School in New York. His specialties are family law, personal injury, criminal law and traffic law.
“Most of the clients we deal with are at low points in their lives,” Walsh said. “Helping someone work through their problems is very rewarding.”
Lasris and Walsh are active in the legal industry, having both served as past presidents of the York/Poquoson Bar Association. Denbigh Law Center has also given back to the community through its support of the Denbigh Youth Baseball League, local Boy Scout troops and American Red Cross initiatives.
“A lot of people stereotype attorneys, but we have really good lawyers here who really care,” said Jeri Anderson, the firm’s officer manager and a paralegal, who has been part of the team since 1987.
Outside the office, Lasris is involved with his synagogue, Rodef Sholom Temple and is a former president of the United Jewish Community of the Virginia Peninsula. He and his wife, Betty, live in Seaford and are the proud parents of three and grandparents of four.
Walsh, also a father of three, relishes life by the water and resides on a boat in Gloucester. He continues to enjoy flying and spending time with his grandson.
“The water was a big draw here for me,” Walsh said. “I really love this area.”
But most of all, Lasris and Walsh take pleasure in making a difference as lawyers and are honored to serve the citizens of the County.
“We love being a part of York County,” Walsh said. “They’ve always been supportive of us.”
“Denbigh Law Center’s 40-year presence in York County speaks volumes about their dedication, integrity and the trust they’ve earned from generations of families,” said Kristi Olsen-Hayes, director of York County’s Department of Economic & Tourism Development. “They’ve supported our residents through some of life’s most important moments, and in doing so, have become a valued part of the community’s fabric. Their story is a shining example of how small businesses help shape and strengthen our local economy.”
But it’s the appreciation from clients that keeps Denbigh Law Center attorneys going, even in the toughest of cases. While retirement looms for Lasris, he’s not yet ready to call it quits.
“We have clients that come back just to say hi to us,” Lasris said. “There are challenges of the law that keep you on your toes, and you never know what is going to happen, but most days I still love coming into work. I really enjoy the people here."