Henry Buist (1895-1977).
Pledger M. Bishop, Jr. (1932-1987).
B. Allston Moore (1900-1988).
Augustine T. Smythe (1918-1991).
Henry B. Smythe (1920-2002).
PRINCIPALS
Benjamin Allston Moore, Jr. (Principal) born Charleston, South Carolina, December 2, 1930; admitted to bar, 1957, South Carolina. Education: Princeton University (A.B., 1952); University of Virginia (LL.B., 1957). Phi Alpha Delta. Listed in Best Lawyers in America. President, Charleston County Bar Association, 1988. Member: Maritime Law Association of the United States (Member, Executive Committee, 1974-1977); South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys Association (President, 1968-1969); Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute (Chairman, 1970-1972); Tulane Admiralty Law Institute (Permanent Advisory Board, 1986-2002); International Association of Defense Counsel (Member, Executive Committee, 1988-1991); 4th Circuit Judicial Conference. [Lt. Comdr., U.S.N.R., active duty, 1952-1954]. Practice Areas: Admiralty Law; Aviation Law; Civil Litigation; Trusts and Estates.Email: Benjamin Allston Moore, Jr.
Joseph H. McGee (Principal) born Charleston, South Carolina, April 6, 1929; admitted to bar, 1956, South Carolina. Education: Washington & Lee University (B.A., 1950; LL.B., 1952). Omicron Delta Kappa; Phi Delta Phi. Recipient, The DuRant Distinguished Public Service Award, South Carolina Bar Association. Listed in Best Lawyers in America, Business Litigation. Member: South Carolina House of Representatives, 1962-1968; Charleston City Council, 1971-1975. Member, Executive Committee, 1968-1971 and Chairman, 1970-1971, South Carolina Bar. President, Charleston County Bar Association, 1980-1981. Trustee Emeritus, National Trust for Historic Preservation. President, Charleston County Bar Association, 1980-1981. Fellow: American College of Trial Lawyers; American Bar Foundation. [Lt. (J.G.), U.S.N.R., active duty, 1952-1956]. Practice Areas: Civil Litigation.Email: Joseph H. McGee
Gordon D. Schreck (Principal) born Richmond, Virginia, June 6, 1943; admitted to bar, Admitted to bar, 1969, Virginia; 1970, South Carolina, U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina; 1971; U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit; 1993, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit; 2009, U.S. Supreme Court. Education: Hampden-Sydney College (B.A., 1965); University of Virginia (LL.B., 1969). Delta Theta Phi. Listed in Best Lawyers in America over 20 years for admiralty law; South Carolina Super Lawyers Magazine, transportation/maritime. Associate Editor, American Maritime Cases. Member, Board of Trustees, Hampden-Sydney College. Member, Board of Directors, Maritime Association Port of Charleston. Chairman, Advisory Board: Charleston Maritime Law Institute; Charleston School of Law. Member: Virginia State Bar; South Carolina Bar; Maritime Law Association of the United States (Member, Board of Directors, 1996-1999); Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute (Member, Board of Governors, 1974-1983; Chairman, 1983); Defense Research Institute (Member, Admiralty Law Committee); Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (Chair, Maritime Law Committee, 1993-1996); South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys Association; 4th Circuit Judicial Conference (Permanent Member). Practice Areas: Admiralty Law; Civil Litigation.Email: Gordon D. Schreck
Henry B. Smythe, Jr. (Managing Partner) born Charleston, South Carolina, September 26, 1948; admitted to bar, 1977, South Carolina; 1979, District of Columbia. Education: Yale University (B.A., 1970); University of Virginia (J.D., 1976). Listed in The Best Lawyers in America in Personal Injury Litigation. Charleston City Council, 1992-1996. Member: Board of Directors, Charleston County Public Defender Corporation, 1982-1991; Corporation Counsel, Town of Sullivan's Island, 1977-1978; Charleston Civic Forum, Co-Chairman, 1995-1997; Board of Directors, Spoleto Festival USA, 1993. President, 1988-1991 and Member, Board of Directors, 1999, The Community Foundation. Member, Board of Directors, Friends of the Bermuda Aquarium, 1999. Leadership South Carolina (Class of 1982). Member: South Carolina Bar (President, 1997-1998; Treasurer, 1995-1996; Secretary, 1994-1995; Chairman, House of Delegates, 1993-1994; President, Young Lawyers Division, 1984-1985); American Bar Association; American Board of Trial Advocates (Product Liability Advisory Counsel); Defense Research Institute (Member, Product Liability Section); South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys. Fellow: American Bar Foundation. Member, Board of Directors, Saul Alexander Foundation. Mediator, State and Federal Courts. [Lt., USNR, active duty 1970-1972]. (Managing Partner). Practice Areas: Product Liability; Class Actions; Commercial Litigation; Civil Litigation; Insurance.Email: Henry B. Smythe, Jr.
Susan M. Smythe (Principal) born Washington, D.C., November 10, 1949; admitted to bar, 1977, South Carolina. Education: Yale University; University of Georgia; Brown University (B.A., 1972); University of Virginia (J.D., 1976). Phi Beta Kappa. Member, Order of the Coif. Listed in Best Lawyers in America, Corporate Law and Real Estate. Chairman: Real Estate Section, South Carolina Bar, 1988; Charleston County Banking Committee, 1991-1992. Member: Sullivan's Island Planning & Zoning Commission, 1988-1993; Governor's Committee on State Leases, 1988; Board of Trustees, Roper Hospital, 1994-1997. Practice Areas: Real Estate; Commercial Transactions; Corporate Law; Health Care.Email: Susan M. Smythe
W. Foster Gaillard (Principal) born Charleston, South Carolina, July 5, 1948; admitted to bar, 1973, South Carolina. Education: Washington & Lee University (B.A., 1970); University of South Carolina (J.D., 1973). Listed in: Best Lawyers in America, Real Estate; Chambers' America's Leading Business Lawyers, Real Estate; The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers (Real Estate). Contributing Author, Foreclosure Law and Related Remedies: A State-By-State Digest, ABA, 1995. Member, Charleston City Council, 1980-1992. Mayor Pro Tem, City of Charleston, 1983. Member, House of Delegates, South Carolina Bar, 1984-1988, Corporation, Banking and Securities Law Section and Real Estate Practices Section (CLE Chairman, 1995; Section Council, 1996-2004; Chair, Real Estate Practices Section, 2001-2002). Member: South Carolina Bar; American Bar Association (Member: Real Estate Practice Section; Business Law Section; Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section; Books/Media Committee, 2002-2004; Foreclosure and Related Remedies Sub-Committee, 1994-2000; Charleston Lawyers Club (President, 1980); American College of Real Estate Lawyers (ACREL) (Member, Member Selection Committee and Common Interest Ownership Committee). [1st Lt., U.S. Army, 1973]. Practice Areas: Commercial Real Estate; Banking Law; Commercial Transactions.Email: W. Foster Gaillard
Henry E. Grimball (Principal) born Charleston, South Carolina, August 23, 1948; admitted to bar, 1974, South Carolina. Education: University of the South (B.A., summa cum laude, 1970); Oxford University, Oxford, England (1970-1971); University of South Carolina (J.D., 1974). Phi Beta Kappa; Omicron Delta Epsilon; Phi Alpha Delta; Society of Wig and Robe. Member, South Carolina Law Review, 1973-1974. Alderman, City of Charleston, 1976-1981. Assistant County Attorney, Charleston County, 1982-1997. Certified Arbitrator and Mediator, South Carolina Bar and U.S. District Court. Listed in Best Lawyers in America, Insurance Law and Personal Injury Litigation. Member: Fourth Circuit Judicial Conference; American Board of Trial Advocates; American Bar Foundation; American Counsel Association; Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel. Practice Areas: Commercial Litigation; Insurance; Products Liability; Premises Liability; Zoning, Planning & Land Use.Email: Henry E. Grimball
Kenneth F. Smith (Principal) born Charleston, South Carolina, October 4, 1953; admitted to bar, 1978, South Carolina; 1979, U.S. Tax Court. Education: University of South Carolina (B.S., Accounting, magna cum laude, 1975; J.D., 1978); New York University (LL.M., Taxation, 1979). Phi Beta Kappa. Member, Society of Wig and Robe. President, Charleston Estate Planning Council, 1992-1993. Member: South Carolina Tax Specialization Certification Board, 1992-1995; South Carolina Estate Planning and Probate Specialization Certification Board, 1998-2001. Member: American Bar Association (Member, Sections on: Taxation, Probate); South Carolina Bar; National Academy of Elder Care Law Attorneys. (Certified Specialist, Tax Law and Estate Planning and Probate, The Supreme Court of South Carolina). Practice Areas: Taxation; Probate; Estate Planning; Corporate Law; Partnership Law.Email: Kenneth F. Smith
David B. McCormack (Principal) born Ravenna, Ohio, November 11, 1950; admitted to bar, 1979, South Carolina; 1980, U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina; 1982, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit; 1986, U.S. Supreme Court. Education: Yale University (B.A., History, magna cum laude, 1974); Cambridge University, Cambridge, England (M.A., History, 1976); University of Virginia (J.D., 1979). Phi Beta Kappa. Certified Mediator. Contributing Author: "Labor and Emloyment Law for South Carolina Lawyers" (S.C.1999). Listed in The Best Lawyers in America, Labor and Employment Law. Member: South Carolina Bar (Member, Employment and Labor Law Section); American Bar Association (Member, Labor and Employment Law Section; Employee Rights and Responsibilities Committee); College of Labor and Employment Lawyers; American Employment Law Council; American Law Institute (Member, Consultative Group for the Restatement of Employment Law); American Arbitration Association (Member, Southeast Employment Law Arbitration and Mediation Panels). (Certified Specialist, Employment and Labor Law, The Supreme Court of South Carolina). Practice Areas: Employment Law; Commercial Litigation; Alternative Dispute Resolution.Email: David B. McCormack
C. Allen Gibson, Jr. (Principal) born Greenville, South Carolina, May l, 1957; admitted to bar, 1982, South Carolina and U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina; 1984, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit. Education: University of Virginia (B.A., with high distinction, 1979; J.D., 1982). Listed in The Best Lawyers in America, Construction Law. Co-Author, Construction Damages and Remedies, 2003. Order of the Coif. Associate, American Board of Trial Advocates. Member: South Carolina Bar (President, Young Lawyers Division, 1989-1990; Member, Board of Governors, 1990-1991; Member, House of Delegates, 1992); American Bar Association (Forum on the Construction Industry, Chair, 2001-2002 and Governing Committee, 1997-2001); International Association of Defense Counsel (Vice-Chair, Fidelity and Surety Committee, 1995-1999); American Arbitration Association (Member, Panel of Arbitrators; Construction Arbitrator Master Panel). Fellow: American College of Construction Lawyers. Practice Areas: Construction Law; Commercial Litigation.Email: C. Allen Gibson, Jr.
Morris A. Ellison (Principal) born Charleston, South Carolina, September 15, 1957; admitted to bar, 1982, South Carolina. Education: Yale University (B.A., magna cum laude, 1979); Duke University (J.D., 1982). Member, Editorial Board, Duke Law Journal, 1981-1982. Listed in The Best Lawyers in America, Commercial Litigation and Real Estate Law. Law Clerk to the Hon. James C. Hill, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit, 1982-1983. Author, "Federal Preemption Under the Railway Labor Act: Traditional vs. Essential State Functions in the Context of Commuter Transit Systems," Duke Law Journal 999, 1981. President, Charleston Lawyer's Club, 1991-1992. Chairman, Real Estate Section, South Carolina Bar, 1994-1995. Certified Mediator, South Carolina. Member, Panel of Arbitrators, American Arbitration Association, 1990-2004. Member: American College of Mortgage Attorneys; South Carolina Law Institute (Member, Advisory Committee on UCC Article 2A, 1996-1997 and UCC Article 8, 2000); American College of Real Estate Lawyers. Practice Areas: Real Estate; Commercial Litigation; Secured Transactions.Email: Morris A. Ellison
Charles P. Summerall, IV (Principal) born New Orleans, Louisiana, July 27, 1960; admitted to bar, 1985, South Carolina. Education: University of Virginia (B.A., 1982); University of South Carolina (J.D., 1985). Order of Barristers. Captain, National Moot Court Team, 1984-1985. Member: Bankruptcy Local Rules Advisory Committee, 1991-1993; Bankruptcy Specialization Advisory Board, 1992-1995. Certified Mediator. Listed in Best Lawyers in America, Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights Law. Member: South Carolina Bankruptcy Law Association (Member, Board of Directors, 1991-1993, 2000-2002). (Certified Specialist, Bankruptcy/Debtor-Creditor Law, The Supreme Court of South Carolina). Practice Areas: Bankruptcy; Debtor and Creditor; Commercial Litigation.Email: Charles P. Summerall, IV
James D. Myrick (Principal) born Allendale, South Carolina, August 3, 1961; admitted to bar, 1988, South Carolina. Education: Duke University (A.B., 1982); University of South Carolina (J.D., 1988). Associate Editor-in-Chief, University of South Carolina Law Review, 1987-1988. Co-Author, 28 S.C. Juris. Venue, 1998. Listed in Best Lawyers in America, Insurance Law and Personal Injury Litigation. Certified Arbitrator, South Carolina. Certified Mediator, South Carolina. Member, South Carolina Commission on Indigent Defense, 2006. Member: South Carolina Bar (President, Young Lawyers Division, 1996-1997; House of Delegates, 1997-1998; Member, Board of Governors, 1997-1999); American Bar Association (Member, Torts and Insurance Practices Section; ABA Young Lawyers Division Liaison to Torts and Insurance Practices Section Public Service Committee, 1997-1998; Vice-Chair, Business Litigation Committee, 2002; Associate Editor, Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Law Journal, 2003; Defense Research Institute. Practice Areas: Civil Litigation.Email: James D. Myrick
David H. Crawford (Principal) born Clover, South Carolina, December 19, 1953; admitted to bar, 1979, South Carolina. Education: University of South Carolina (B.S., cum laude, 1976; J.D., 1979). Beta Gamma Sigma. Secretary, Daniel Island Community Fund/Daniel Island Community Foundation, 2004. Chairman of the Board, Charleston Orphan House Inc. (Carolina Youth Development Center), 1999-2002. Practice Areas: Real Estate Law; Corporate Law; Estate Law.Email: David H. Crawford
David S. Yandle (Principal) born Albemarle, North Carolina, September 2, 1956; admitted to bar, 1982, North Carolina; 1983, U.S. Court of Military Appeals; 1990, South Carolina and U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina; 1994, U.S. Supreme Court; 1998, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit. Education: Davidson College (B.A., 1978); Wake Forest University (J.D., 1982). Member, Employment and Labor Law Section and Employment Law Committee, South Carolina Bar. Member: North Carolina State Bar; Defense Research Institute (Member, Employment Law Committee); USLAW Network (Member, Employment Law Committee). [Lt. Cmdr., USN, JAGC, 1982-1990]. Reported Cases: Smith v. Liberty Mutual Insurance Co., 313 S.C. 236, 437 S.E.2d 142 (Ct. App. 1993); Keiger v. Citgo, Coastal Petroleum, Inc., 326 S.C. 369, 482 S.E.2d 792 (Ct. App. 1997). Practice Areas: Employment Law; Civil Litigation; Products Liability; Insurance Defense.Email: David S. Yandle
John Marshall Allen (Principal) born Florence, South Carolina, August 8, 1953; admitted to bar, 1985, South Carolina; 1990, North Carolina. Education: Wofford College (B.S., 1976); School of Public Health, University of South Carolina (M.P.H., 1982); University of South Carolina School of Law (J.D., 1985). Listed in Best Lawyers in America, Health Care Law. Member: Independent Counsel, Ethics Consult Committee, Medical University of South Carolina, 1997; Joint Committee, South Carolina Hospital Association; South Carolina Medical Association, Do-Not-Resuscitate Order Analysis; South Carolina Hospital Association Risk Management Committee, 1991-1994. Board Member: St. James-Santee Family Health Center, Inc., 2004; Coastal Region, American Lung Association, 1996; Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Lowcountry Affiliate, 2000-2004. Co-Chairman, Health Law Council, South Bar Association, 1998-1999. Co-Editor, Health Law Manual, 1997. Chairman: Death and Right to Die, South Carolina Jurisprudence, South Carolina Bar Association Publication, 1992; Regulations and Policy Liaison Subcommittee, South Carolina Bar Association Hospital and Health Care Committee, 1989-1990; Nursing Home Contracts Manual, South Carolina Bar Young Lawyers Division Publication, 1988-1989. Member: South Carolina Bar (Member, Health Law Section); North Carolina Bar Association; American Health Lawyers Association; Society of Health Care Attorneys. Practice Areas: Health and Hospital Law; Administrative Law.Email: John Marshall Allen
Shawn M. Flanagan (Principal) born Binghamton, New York, April 11, 1961; admitted to bar, 1987, South Carolina. Education: Furman University (B.A., cum laude, 1983); University of South Carolina (J.D., 1986); University of Florida (LL.M., Taxation, 1987). Phi Delta Phi. Co-Author: "Sculpting a Nonprofit Corporation," South Carolina Lawyer, May/June 1995; "Sculpting a Nonprofit: Part II," South Carolina Lawyer, March/April 1996. Author, "The New South Carolina Solicitation of Charitable Funds Act," South Carolina Lawyer, July/August 1995. Past President, Rotary Club of St. Andrews, Charleston, 1998-1999. Member: Charleston Tax Council (President, 2005-2007); Charleston Estate Planning Council. Chairman, Estate Planning and Probate Specialty Advisory Board of the South Carolina Supreme Court, 2001. Instructor, 2005, College of Charleston North Campus in the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) Certification Education Program, Topic: Estate Planning. (Certified Specialist, Taxation Law; Estate Planning and Probate Law, The Supreme Court of South Carolina). Practice Areas: Business Law; Taxation; Estate Planning; Probate; Tax Exempt Organizations; Health Care; Employee Benefits.Email: Shawn M. Flanagan
Charles J. Baker, III (Principal) born Charleston, South Carolina, 1957; admitted to bar, 1984, South Carolina; 1986, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit and U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina; 1996, U.S. Supreme Court. Education: College of Charleston (B.A., magna cum laude, 1980); University of South Carolina (J.D., 1984). Order of the Coif; Order of the Wig and Robe. Member, South Carolina Law Review, 1982-1984. Law Clerk to the Hon. C. Weston Houck, U.S. District Judge, District of South Carolina, 1984-1986. Past President, College of Charleston Cougar Club. Listed in Best Lawyers in America, Construction Law. Member: South Carolina Bar (Executive Council, Young Lawyers Division, 1989-1993; Chairman, Lawyers Fund for Client Protection Committee, 1999); South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys Association; Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (Chair, Construction Law Section, 2003-2005; Vice-Chair, Professional Liability Section, 2006-2007); Defense Research Institute. Practice Areas: Construction Law; Products Liability; Professional Liability; Media Law.Email: Charles J. Baker, III
William C. Cleveland III (Principal) born New York, N.Y., January 14, 1951; admitted to bar, 1975, California; 1979, South Carolina; U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina; U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit; U.S. Supreme Court. Education: Yale University (B.A., 1972); University of Virginia (J.D., 1975). Member of the Faculty, Defense Counsel Trial Academy, University of Colorado, 1987. Assistant Director and Director of the Defense Counsel Trial Academy, University of Colorado, 1998-1999. Executive Committee, International Association of Defense Counsel, 1997-2004. President, International Association of Defense Counsel, 2001-2002. Member, Board of Directors, Lawyers for Civil Justice, 2001-2004. Listed in Best Lawyers in America, Commercial Litigation. Member: Charleston County, Richland County and American Bar Associations; State Bar of California; South Carolina Bar; International Association of Defense Counsel (President, 2001-2002); Lawyers for Civil Justice (Member of Board of Directors, 2001-2004); Defense Counsel Trial Academy (Director, 1999); The American Board of Trial Advocates; Defense Research Institute (Member of Board of Directors, 2001-2004). Reported Cases: Evangelical Lutheran Societies v. S.C.N. Bank, 329 S.C. 16, 495 S.E.2d 199 (S.C. 1997); Shakespeare Co. v. Silstar Corp. of America, 802 F. Supp. 1386 (D.S.C. 1992), rev. 9 F.3d 1091 (4th Cir.1993) on remand 906 F. Supp. 997 (D.S.C. 1996), aff'd. 110 F.3d 234 (4th Cir. 1997); Brockman Industries, Inc. v. Carolina Securities, 677 F. Supp. 430 (D.S.C. 1987) aff'd. 861 F.2d 798 (4th Cir. 1988); Levandag v. Dean Witter Reynolds, Inc., 623 F. Supp. 620 (D.S.C. 1985), rev. 833 F.2d 309 (4th Cir. 1987); Colin McK. Grant Home v. Medlock, 292. S.C. 466, 349 S.E.2d 655 (S.C. App. 1986); Merck v. Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc., 921 F.2d 549 (4th Cir. 1990); Morrisette v. Barnes, 285 S.C. 123,328 S.E.2d 627 (S.C. 1985); F.M.P., Inc. v. Myrtle Beach Farms, 280 S.C. 529,313, S.E.2d 357 (S.C. App. 1984); Mulherin-Howell v. Cobb, 362 S.C. 588, 608 S.E.2d 587 (S.C.App. 2005); Integrity Ins. Co. v. Taylor, 295 S.C. 143, 367 S.E.2d 441 (S.C.App. 1988); Morrisette v. Barnes, 285 S.C. 123, 328 S.E.2d 627 (S.C.,1985). Practice Areas: Business Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Intellectual Property; Securities Litigation; Products Liability.Email: William C. Cleveland III
Julius H. Hines (Principal) born Monterey, California, August 10, 1963; admitted to bar, 1992, South Carolina. Education: College of William & Mary (B.A., 1985); University of Virginia (M.A., 1989; J.D., 1992). Member, Order of the Coif. Notes Editor, Virginia Law Review. Co-Author, "Recent Developments in Maritime Law, Personal Injury," 22 Tulane Maritime Law Journal 513 (Summer 1998). Author, "Note: Why do Unrecognized Governments Enjoy Sovereign Immunity," 31 Virginia Journal of International Law 717, Summer 1991. Practice Areas: Admiralty Law; Civil Litigation; Insurance.Email: Julius H. Hines
David S. Cox (Principal) born Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi, November 28, 1968; admitted to bar, 1993, South Carolina; 1994, U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina; 1995, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit. Education: Tulane University (B.A., cum laude, 1990); Duke University (J.D., 1993). Phi Beta Kappa. Member: South Carolina Bar; American Bar Association (Member, Torts and Insurance Practices Section; Forum on Communications Law); International Association of Defense Counsel; Defense Research Institute (Member, Sections on: Products Liability, Insurance Coverage); South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys Association; South Carolina Insurance Fraud Investigators Association. Practice Areas: Litigation; Products Liability; Commercial Litigation; Media Law; Intellectual Property; Insurance Coverage and Defense; Insurance Fraud.Email: David S. Cox
Cynthia Spieth Morton (Principal) born Wilmington, Delaware, February 10, 1966; admitted to bar, 1995, New York and U.S. District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; 1996, South Carolina. Education: Georgia Institute of Technology (B.S., with honors, 1988); University of South Carolina Law School (J.D., 1994). Order of Wig and Robe. Articles Editor, Student Editorial Board, American Bar Association Real Property, Probate & Trust Journal. Member: South Carolina Bar; Commercial Real Estate Women; NETWORK; The Propeller Club of Charleston; Zonta Club of Charleston. Practice Areas: Corporate Law; Commercial Law; Environmental Law.Email: Cynthia Spieth Morton
L. Gregory Horton (Principal) born Augsburg, Germany, December 17, 1970; admitted to bar, 1996, South Carolina. Education: Clemson University (B.A., 1993); University of South Carolina (J.D., 1996). Order of the Coif; Order of the Wig and Robe; Order of the Barrister. Member, Moot Court Bar, 1993-1996. Captain, National First Amendment Moot Court Team, 1995-1996. Managing and Research Editor, University of South Carolina Law Review, 1995-1996. Law Clerk to the Honorable Henry M. Herlong, Jr., U.S. District Court, 1996-1998. Legal Writing Instructor, University of South Carolina School of Law, Council on Litigation Management, 1995-1996. Practice Areas: Labor and Employment; Construction Law; Products Liability; Commercial Litigation.Email: L. Gregory Horton
Sean D. Houseal (Principal) born Lancaster, Pennsylvania, July 17, 1968; admitted to bar, 1993, South Carolina; 2001, U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina and U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit. Education: Wake Forest University (B.A., 1990); University of South Carolina (J.D., 1993). Member: South Carolina Bar (Chairperson: Environment and Natural Resources Section, 2004-2005); Section Delegate, House of Delegates, 2005-2006; American Bar Association (Member, Sections on: Litigation; Environment, Energy and Resource Law); Propeller Club of the United States; Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute (Port Director, Port of Charleston, 2004-2005); Maritime Law Association of the United States; South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys Association. Practice Areas: Admiralty and Maritime Law; Environmental; Construction; Products Liability; Civil Litigation.Email: Sean D. Houseal
Graeme F. Philp (Principal) born Aberdeen, Scotland, November 12, 1970; admitted to bar, 1997, South Carolina; 1998, New York. Education: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (B.S., 1992; M.A.C., 1992); University of South Carolina (J.D., 1997); New York University (LL.M., Taxation, 1998). Order of Wig and Robe; John Belton O'Neill Inn of Court. Recipient: Associate Justice Moot Court Bar, Arthur B. Custy Tax Award; National First Amendment Moot Court Competition. Certified Public Accountant, North Carolina and South Carolina. Member: Bar Association of the City of New York; South Carolina Bar (Member, Sections on: Taxation and Probate, Estate Planning and Trusts); American Bar Association (Member, Taxation Section); Charleston Tax Council. Practice Areas: Business Law; Taxation; Estate Planning; Tax Exempt Organizations; Buying and Selling of Businesses; Mergers and Acquisitions; Probate Administration; Conservation Easements.Email: Graeme F. Philp
James E. Weatherholtz (Principal) born Charleston, South Carolina, February 12, 1974; admitted to bar, 1999, South Carolina. Education: The Citadel (B.A., History, 1996); University of Virginia (J.D., 1999). Phi Kappa Phi; Phi Alpha Theta. Recipient: Inn of Court Award. [U.S. Army Reserves, 1992-1998]. Practice Areas: Construction Litigation; Insurance Defense; Civil Litigation.Email: James E. Weatherholtz
James M. Wilson (Principal) born Charleston, South Carolina, 1971; admitted to bar, 1999, South Carolina; 2000, District of Columbia. Education: Washington & Lee University (B.A., 1993); University of Virginia (J.D., 1999). Practice Areas: Commercial Real Estate; Banking; Business Transactions.Email: James M. Wilson
Daniel Q. Orvin (Principal) born Charleston, South Carolina, 1967; admitted to bar, 1997, South Carolina; 1998, Georgia; 2001, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit and U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina; 2002, U.S. Supreme Court. Education: University of South Carolina (B.S., 1990); University of South Carolina School of Law (J.D., 1997). Agent for: Lawyers Title Insurance Corporation; Chicago Title Insurance Company. Member, Real Estate Practice Section, South Carolina Bar. Vice-Chair, Common Interest Ownership Development Committee, Section of Real Property, Probate and Trust Law, Real Property Division, September 1, 2005 - August, 2006, American Bar Association. Member: State Bar of Georgia; South Carolina Trial Lawyers Association. Practice Areas: Real Estate; Business Law; Banking Law; Business Litigation.Email: Daniel Q. Orvin
Thomas L. Harper, Jr. (Principal) born Columbia, South Carolina, October 15, 1970; admitted to bar, 1996, South Carolina. Education: Duke University (B.A., cum laude, 1992); Duke University School of Law (J.D., 1996). Member, Moot Court Board. Winner, Dean's Cup Moot Court Competition. Member: Charleston County and American Bar Associations; South Carolina Bar. Practice Areas: Commercial Real Estate; Business Transactions; Banking Law.
ASSOCIATES
John C. Hawk (Associate) born 1976; admitted to bar, 2006, South Carolina, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit and U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina. Education: Davidson College (B.A., 1998); University of South Carolina (J.D., cum laude, 2006). Practice Areas: Business Litigation; Construction Law; Products Liability; Employment Law.Email: John C. Hawk
Harrison M. Trammell (Associate) admitted to bar, 2009, South Carolina. Education: Clemson University (B.S., Civil Engineering, Cum Laude, 2006); University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law (J.D., 2009). LEED AP. Member: South Carolina Bar.Email: Harrison M. Trammell
Melissa K. Hazell (Associate) admitted to bar, 2009, South Carolina. Education: Yale University (B.A., 2005); Columbia University School of Law (J.D., 2009). Member: American Bar Association; South Carolina Bar. Practice Areas: Admiralty and Maritime Law; Business Litigation; Civil Practice; Labor and Employment; Products Liability.Email: Melissa K. Hazell
Matthew E. Tillman (Associate) born Atlanta, Georgia, May 5, 1975; admitted to bar, 2002, South Carolina. Education: Charleston Southern University (B.S., Environmental Mgmt., 1997); University of South Carolina School of Law (J.D., 2002). Practice Areas: Products Liability; Business Litigation; Construction Litigation.Email: Matthew E. Tillman
F. Cordes Ford, IV (Associate) born Charleston, South Carolina, January 27, 1976; admitted to bar, 2003, South Carolina. Education: Furman University (B.A., History, 1998); University of South Carolina (J.D., 2003). Dean's List. Phi Delta Phi. Recipient, CALI Award, Civil Procedure. Articles Editor, South Carolina Law Review, 2002-2003. Author: "Federal Election Commission v. Colorado Republican Federal Campaign Committee and Implications for the Future of Campaign Finance Reform," 54 S.C. L. Rev. 181 (2002). Practice Areas: Commercial Litigation; Business Litigation; Products Liability; Construction Law.Email: F. Cordes Ford, IV
B. Shawan Gillians (Associate) admitted to bar, 2007, South Carolina and U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina. Education: Wofford College (B.A., magna cum laude, 2004); College of William & Mary School of Law (J.D., 2007). Member: American Intellectual Property Law Association; National Association of Women (Member, Construction Law Section); South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys' Association. Practice Areas: Bankruptcy; Business Litigation; Construction Law; Construction Products Liability; Intellectual Property; Products Liability.Email: B. Shawan Gillians
Ryan D. Gilsenan (Associate) born 1973; admitted to bar, 2006, South Carolina and U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina. Education: United States Merchant Marine Academy (B.S., 1997); University of North Carolina (M.A., 2000); University of South Carolina (J.D., 2006). Member: Charleston County Bar Association; South Carolina Bar; Maritime Association of the Port of Charleston; Maritime Law Association of the United States; Propeller Club of the United States; Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute. Practice Areas: Admiralty and Maritime Law; Civil Litigation.Email: Ryan D. Gilsenan
Adriane Malanos Belton (Associate) born Charleston, South Carolina, May 30, 1977; admitted to bar, 2003, South Carolina; U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina; U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit. Education: Wake Forest University (B.A., Psychology, cum laude, 1999); Boston University (J.D., cum laude, 2003). Psi Chi (National Honor Society in Psychology). Joseph Touro Scholar; Paul J. Liacos Scholar; Edward F. Hennessey Scholar. Member: Charleston County and American Bar Associations; South Carolina Bar; American Immigration Lawyers Association; Propeller Club of the United States; Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute; South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys' Association; Maritime Association of the Port of Charleston (MAPCHA); Maritime Law Association of the United States. Practice Areas: Admiralty and Maritime Law; Labor and Employment Law; Immigration and Naturalization; Civil Practice; Business Litigation; Insurance Defense.Email: Adriane Malanos Belton
Timothy Dargan (Associate) born Florence, South Carolina, January 18, 1975; admitted to bar, 2003, South Carolina; 2005, U.S. Disctrict Court, District of South Carolina. Education: University of the South (B.S., Forestry, 1997); University of Denver (J.D., 2003). Phi Delta Theta (Secretary, 1994; Treasurer, 1995). President, 1996-1997, Sewanee Forestry Club. Vice President, 2001- 2002, International Law Society at Denver Law. Recipient, Society of American Foresters Student Forestry Award, Kentucky-Tennessee Chapter, 1997. Order of Gownsmen, Academic Honor Society. Wilkin's Scholar; Chancellor's Scholar. Hartje Objective Writing Award Finalist, 2000. Member: South Carolina Bar; American Bar Association. Practice Areas: Employment; Products Liability; Litigation; Environmental Law.Email: Timothy Dargan
William T. Dawson, III (Associate) born Birmingham, Alabama, 1977; admitted to bar, 2006, South Carolina. Education: Davidson College (B.A., 1999); University of South Carolina (J.D., 2006). Member: Charleston County Bar Association; South Carolina Bar (Member, Young Lawyers Division); American Bar Association. Practice Areas: Bankruptcy; Business Law; Banks and Banking; Business Litigation; Real Estate.Email: William T. Dawson, III
Jana Baker (Associate) born Charleston, South Carolina, February 22, 1979; admitted to bar, 2004, South Carolina. Education: Washington University (B.A., 2001); University of South Carolina School of Law (J.D., 2004). Golden Key National Honor Society. Phi Alpha Theta History Honorary. Articles Editor, University of South Carolina Law Review. Order of the Coif; Order of the Wig and Robe. Phi Delta Phi. Palmetto Law Society. Member: Charleston County and American Bar Associations; South Carolina Bar. Practice Areas: Products Liability; General Practice; Litigation; Business Litigation.Email: Jana Baker
Kristen M. Woodrum (Associate) born Huntington, West Virginia, 1974; admitted to bar, 2005, South Carolina. Education: Clemson University (B.A., 1996); A.B. Freeman School of Business, Tulane University (M.B.A., 2005); Tulane Law School (J.D., 2005). Golden Key; Psi Chi; Sigma Tau Epsilon. Clemson University Presidential Alumni Scholar; Citizen's Foundation of America Scholar. Recipient, Tulane Law Academic Scholarship. Notes and Comments Editor, Tulane Maritime Lawyer Journal. Member, Freeman Consulting Group. Legal Extern, the Honorable Stanwood R. Duval, Jr., U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana. Legal Intern, Medical University of South Carolina Hospital Authority. Previous Employment: South Carolina Department of Mental Health; Prestera Center for Mental Health Services, Inc. Member: South Carolina Bar; American Bar Association; American Health Lawyers Association. Practice Areas: Health Care; Business Litigation; Business Law.Email: Kristen M. Woodrum
William R. Warnock, Jr. (Associate) born Memphis, Tennessee, 1975; admitted to bar, 2003, California; 2005, Alaska; 2007, South Carolina. Education: Washington & Lee University (B.A., English, 1998); Lewis and Clark Law School (J.D., 2003). Judicial Clerk, Judge David C. Stewart, Alaska Court of Appeals, 2003-2005. Member: American Bar Association; South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys Association. Practice Areas: Litigation; Business Litigation; Civil Litigation; Construction Law; Construction Products Liability.
Dana W. Lang (Associate) born June 24, 1974; admitted to bar, 2008, South Carolina. Education: University of South Carolina (B.A., summa cum laude, 1995); Charleston School of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, 2008). Articles Editor and Executive Board Member, Charleston Law Review, 2007-2008. Recipient: Charleston School of Law Merit Scholarship; CALI Awards for Business Organizations, Aviation Law, Evidence and Wills, Trusts and Estates. Member: American Bar Association. Practice Areas: Civil Litigation; Construction Law; Construction Products Liability; Products Liability.
Ashley Anne Kutz (Associate) born October 22, 1981; admitted to bar, 2008, South Carolina. Education: Rhodes College (B.A., 2004); Valparaiso University (M.S., 2008); Valparaiso University School of Law (J.D., 2008). Associate Member, Moot Court Honor Society. Recipient, Jurist Scholarship. Executive Managing Editor, Valparaiso University Law Review, 2007-2008. Member: South Carolina Bar; American Bar Association; South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys' Association. Practice Areas: Business Litigation; Admiralty and Maritime Law; Civil Litigation; Employment Law.
OF COUNSEL
John J. Kerr (Of Counsel) born Dillon, South Carolina, June 4, 1946; admitted to bar, 1973, South Carolina. Education: The Citadel (B.S., Business Administration, 1968); University of South Carolina (J.D., 1973). Phi Delta Phi. Listed in Best Lawyers in America, First Amendment Law. Member: South Carolina Bar (President, Young Lawyers Division, 1978-1979; Member, Board of Governors, 1979-1980); Charleston Lawyers Club (President, 1978-1979). [1st. Lt., U.S. Army, active duty, 1968-1970]. Practice Areas: Media Law; Business Law; Real Estate; Litigation.Email: John J. Kerr
David M. Collins (Of Counsel) born Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, May 24, 1960; admitted to bar, 1985, Louisiana; 1986, South Carolina. Education: College of Charleston (B.A., magna cum laude, 1982); Tulane University of Louisiana (J.D., summa cum laude, 1985; LL.M., with distinction, 1986). Order of the Coif. Associate Editor, Tulane Law Review, 1986. Author: "Beverly v. Actron Marine: Twilight or Total Eclipse," 58 Tulane Law Review 1237, 1984; "International Uniformity and the Carriage of Goods By Sea," 60 Tulane Law Review, 1985; "Comments on the American Rule of In Rem Liability," 10 Maritime Law 71, 1985; "The Tanker's Rights of Harmless Discharge and the Protection of the Marine Environment," 18 J. Mar. & Comm. 275, 1987. Certified Mediator, South Carolina. Member: Maritime Law Association of the U.S. Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute (Treasurer, 1999-2000; Secretary, 2000; Vice Chairman, 2001; Chairman, 2002); Defense Research Institute; Boating Industry Risk Management Council; American Boat & Yacht Council. Practice Areas: Admiralty Law; Recreational Boating Law; Civil Litigation.Email: David M. Collins
All Attorneys in the Firm are Members of the Charleston County, South Carolina and American Bar Associations. All litigators in the firm are members of the South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys Association.