David A. Merline, Jr.

David A. Merline, Jr.


Merline & Meacham, PA

Recognized since 2011

Greenville, South Carolina

Practice Areas

Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)

Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law

Corporate Law

Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law

Litigation - ERISA

Litigation - Trusts and Estates

Litigation and Controversy - Tax

Mergers and Acquisitions Law

Nonprofit / Charities Law

Tax Law

Trusts and Estates

Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2025 - Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2025 - Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2024 - Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2024 - Tax Law Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2023 - Litigation and Controversy - Tax Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2022 - Litigation - ERISA Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2021 - Corporate Law Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2020 - Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2019 - Litigation - ERISA Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2018 - Trusts and Estates Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2017 - Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2016 - Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2014 - Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2013 - Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2010 - Tax Law
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Mr. Merline is a shareholder in the firm. Mr. Merline has been with the firm since 1983. He is a certified specialist in the fields of both Taxation Law, and Estate Plan­ning and Probate Law by The Supreme Court of South Caroli­na. He is listed in the book The Best Lawyers in America in the following fields: Business Organizations, Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Corporate Law, Employee Benefits Law, Litigation - ERISA, Litigation - Trusts and Estates, Litigation and Controversy - Tax, Mergers & Acquisitions Law, non-Profit/Charities Law, Tax Law, and Trusts and Estates Law. Mr. Merline received his Bachelor of Arts Degree, magna cum laude, from Furman Univer­sity, his Juris Doctor Degree from the Univer­sity of South Carolina School of Law, and his Master of Laws in Taxation Degree from the Universi­ty of Miami School of Law. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. He is a past Chairman of the South Carolina Estate Planning and Probate Law Specialization Advisory Board. He is a past member of the Board of Directors of the University of South Carolina Law School Association. He is a past President of the Greenville County Taxation, Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Law Section, and the Greenville Young Lawyers Association. Mr. Merline is co-author of the books: South Carolina Corporate Practice Manual, South Carolina Bar CLE Division (2d Ed. 2005) and South Carolina Limited Liability Companies & Limited Liability Partnerships, South Carolina Bar CLE Division (4th Ed. 2012).

www.merlineandmeacham.com

Location
  • 812 East North Street
    Greenville, SC 29601
Languages
  • English
Education
  • University of Miami School of Law, LL. M Taxation, graduated 1985
  • The University of South Carolina, J.D., graduated 1983
  • Furman University, Economics and Business, graduated 1980
Affiliations
  • American Bar Association - Member
  • South Carolina Bar - Corporate Section - Member
  • South Carolina Bar - Probate Trust and Estate Section - Member
  • South Carolina Bar - Tax Section - Member
  • Greenville County Bar Association - Member
  • American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) - Fellow
State Clerkships
  • South Carolina - Court of Appeals
  • South Carolina - Supreme Court
  • South Carolina - Trial Courts

Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2025 - Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2024 - Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2024 - Tax Law Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2023 - Litigation and Controversy - Tax Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2022 - Litigation - ERISA Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2021 - Corporate Law Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2020 - Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2019 - Litigation - ERISA Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2018 - Trusts and Estates Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2017 - Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2016 - Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2014 - Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2013 - Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2010 - Tax Law
Named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers® for:
  • Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Greenville (2025)
  • Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Greenville (2024)
  • Tax Law, Greenville (2024)
  • Litigation and Controversy - Tax, Greenville (2023)
  • Litigation - ERISA, Greenville (2022)
  • Corporate Law, Greenville (2021)
  • Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Greenville (2020)
  • Litigation - ERISA, Greenville (2019)
  • Trusts and Estates, Greenville (2018)
  • Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Greenville (2017)
  • Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Greenville (2016)
  • Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Greenville (2014)
  • Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Greenville (2013)
  • Tax Law, Greenville (2010)
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2025 for work in:
  • Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
  • Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law
  • Corporate Law
  • Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
  • Litigation - ERISA
  • Litigation - Trusts and Estates
  • Litigation and Controversy - Tax
  • Mergers and Acquisitions Law
  • Nonprofit / Charities Law
  • Tax Law
  • Trusts and Estates
Special Focus:
  • Audits
  • Business and Succession Planning
  • Business Planning
  • Closely-Held Businesses
  • Corporate and Partnership Transactions
  • Corporate Finance
  • Criminal
  • Emerging Business
  • Employee Benefits
  • ERISA
  • ESOPS
  • Estate Planning
  • Executive Compensation
  • Exempt Organizations
  • Family Businesses
  • Fiduciary Responsibility
  • Financial Institutions
  • Gift Planning
  • Insurance Planning
  • Intra-Company Disputes
  • Investment Management
  • Joint Ventures
  • Leveraged Buyouts
  • Limited Liability Companies
  • Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Partnerships
  • Pension, Health and Welfare
  • Private
  • Probate
  • Qualified Plans
  • Real Estate
  • Strategic Alliances
  • Succession Planning
  • Tax
  • Tax Disputes
  • Tax-Exempt Organization
  • Transactions
  • Wealth Management
  • Wills
Awards:
  • Co-Author SC Limited Liability Companies
  • Co-Author SC Corporate Practice
  • Certified Specialist Taxation Law
  • Certified Specialist Estate Planning & Probate Law
Additional Areas of Practice:
  • Litigation - Mergers and Acquisitions

Publications

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