Joe Cabaniss and William Grimball started in earnest as young attorneys after serving in the Marines and Navy during World War II. Without fax machines, cellular telephones, and computers, the practice of law was a different world from that of today. The pace was infinitely slower, and Mr. Grimball had time during each workday to walk home for a leisurely lunch with his mother. Back then, pleadings were prepared on a manual typewriter, and copies were made by inserting carbon paper behind the original document. It was customary in the South to take a mid-week break on Wednesdays, and without air conditioning, the courts would shut down in the summers due to the hot South Carolina weather.

The first firm set up shop in limited quarters on Broad Street in 1964, and both Joe Cabaniss and William Grimball became heavily involved in outside activities. Joe Cabaniss taught economics at the College of Charleston, served as President of the Charleston Bar Association and also the Exchange Club, and was elected to the American College of Trial Lawyers. In 1996, he received the Compleat Lawyer Platinum Award from the University of South Carolina School of Law for his contributions to the legal field. William Grimball served in the South Carolina General Assembly and as a member of the American Law Institute, he participated in the drafting the Restatement (Second) of Torts. He too was a member of the American College of Trial Lawyers, among his many other achievements.

The present firm has continued to build upon their tradition. Its present members participate in state and national bar committees, speak before lay and legal groups, and publish books and articles on legal topics.