Find Lawyers in Columbia, South Carolina for Commercial Litigation
Practice Area Overview
Litigation increasingly occurs in various venues, from state and federal courts to private arbitrations and administrative hearings. Proceedings can involve business-to-business disputes or any number of government agencies. Understanding the motivations and outlook of each of the litigation participants is important for determining weak points to exploit and strong points that will persuade the audience in question. During the past decade, commercial litigators have seen a dramatic uptick in multidistrict and inter-disciplinary litigation, making the stakes higher, the cases more complex, the parties more numerous and the discovery more complicated and unwieldy. Firms that are able to develop and implement a creative legal approach to each individual problem, efficiently focus on the key legal and factual issues, and master and manage the various aspects of these complex matters will be the busiest in the years to come.
In the current challenging economic climate, commercial litigators are under increasing client pressure to keep costs in check, which has both sides testing the efficacy of alternative fee arrangements and the scope of reasonable discovery. Whether the “death of the billable hour” is ultimately realized, the keys to a commercial litigator’s success will continue to be strong client relationships, thought leadership, practical management skills, deep experience, and personal commitment.
Parker Barnes is an experienced litigator and shareholder in Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd's Columbia office, where he focuses his practice on real property and business litigation, primarily on matters involving tax sales, real estate-related disputes, consumer financial services and commercial lending disputes.
Kevin's litigation practice involves class action defense and insurance disputes and his general litigation practice has included a wide variety of trial and appellate matters for the firm's clients from collapsed structures to medical malpractice and unfair trade practices. His insurance practice centers on life insurance and commercial liability/property insurance and has involved virtually every aspect of the business, with insurance products ranging from home service policies to complex a...
Elizabeth Black, an experienced litigator and shareholder in Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd's Columbia office, focuses her practice on commercial litigation matters. She represents plaintiffs and defendants involved in breach of contract disputes, corporate governance actions, antitrust and competition-based issues, government licensing and public procurement disputes, and business tort matters.
C. Mitchell Brown is a partner of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP practicing in Columbia, principally in the areas of appellate law, business litigation, bad faith insurance defense, regulatory practice, and premises liability. He has also represented attorneys in disciplinary proceedings. He is the leader of the Firm's Appellate Practice Group.
Beth is tenacious and a rigorous thinker. Her practice focuses on business disputes of all kinds, in courtroom and arbitration settings, including FINRA. Beth’s clients include publicly traded and private companies and their officers and employees operating in a wide array of industries such as real estate development, insurance, energy and utility, restaurant and retail, financial investing, and health care. Beth’s litigation experience also includes trust and estate work, and ap...
Gray T. Culbreath Gray Culbreath represents corporations, individuals and insurers in trials and appeals. For almost 30 years he has handled complex trials and appeals in federal and state courts across South Carolina. His career has taken Gray from Army courtrooms to every federal and state courthouse in South Carolina. His principal areas of practice include all types of complex commercial and class action litigation, including antitrust, product liability and mass tort as well as claims of...
Rick has more than 30 years' experience as a trial lawyer in a diverse practice that includes workers' compensation, personal injury, medical malpractice, securities fraud, probate disputes and more. He represents clients in commercial disputes, including judicial dissolution of businesses, minority shareholder oppression and accounting actions involving corporations, partnerships and family businesses. Additionally, he is a South Carolina Supreme Court Certified Circuit Court Mediator. Born ...
Ian T. Duggan is a determined trial attorney and problem solver who works to help both plaintiffs and defendants resolve challenging legal matters. Whether a client faces general commercial litigation issues, a personal injury case, or criminal charges, Ian’s goal with every case is to maximize positive results.
David Dukes is a partner in Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough's Columbia office, where he practices in the areas of business litigation, technology litigation, pharmaceutical and medical device litigation, patent litigation, securities litigation, and coordination of national litigation. He has served as President of two national lawyer organizations. David also served as Managing Partner of the Firm for over ten years and currently serves on the Executive Committee.
Bess DuRant is a litigator engaged in complex business disputes on both the trial and appellate level. Her practice includes corporate governance issues, bet-the-company litigation, shareholder disputes, derivative actions, along with other business torts and contractual disputes. Bess' practice also includes trust and estate litigation. Additionally, Bess focuses on Constitutional issues, Freedom of Information Act matters, and election disputes. Bess’ practice includes appellate work ...
A native of Turbeville, South Carolina, Joey attended The Citadel, where he received a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering in 1997. After graduation, Joey moved to Augusta, Georgia, to work as a Consulting Engineer with the engineering firm of Cranston Robertson & Whitehurst. In this position, Joey had the opportunity to observe and participate in designing various public and private construction projects while also earning his Engineer in Training Certification. After gaining invaluable exp...
Betsy is an accomplished litigator, concentrating her practice on commercial litigation, probate and estate litigation, professional liability and ethics, and securities and FINRA. The second woman president of the South Carolina Bar, Betsy was awarded the 2016 Fellows Award presented by the National Conference of Bar Presidents (NCBP), an award recognizing the accomplishments of a past president of a bar association who has demonstrated a continuing commitment to leadership, service, the wor...
A highly skilled litigator with more than two decades of practice, Amy L.B. Hill assists South Carolina businesses and individuals involved in a variety of issues. She routinely represents clients in state and federal courts as well as before arbitration panels. With a bachelor's degree from Clemson University in accounting and extensive litigation experience, Amy approaches all cases with a keen understanding of the financial impact. She is prepared to represent clients in a wide variety of ...
Bob Knowlton leads Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd's Corporate Litigation practice group and is a certified mediator. Bob has successfully represented businesses and individuals in a wide variety of complex, high-stakes litigation in state and federal courts and arbitrations. His experience includes litigation and representation involving claims under securities laws, shareholder disputes, corporate governance matters, claims against officers and directors, business torts, intellectual property, inve...
D. Larry Kristinik is a partner of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP who practices in the Columbia office in the areas of business litigation, class action defense, insurance coverage and bad faith claims, defense of investor securities claims, and FINRA broker-dealer arbitrations. Mr. Kristinik is the Chair of the firm's Insurance Industry Practice Group and also serves as the assistant group leader of the firm's Litigation Group. Mr. Kristinik has been admitted pro hac vice in stat...
John Kuppens is a partner in Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP’s Columbia office. He is a member of the firm's Consumer Product Safety, Risk Prevention and Regulatory Practice Group, and its Consumer & Mechanical Products Litigation Group. He has experience in consumer product risk prevention and regulatory counseling, product liability litigation, commercial litigation, and state procurement matters.
Jim Lehman is the Managing Partner of the Firm. In addition to his management responsibilities, he practices in the areas of business and securities litigation, white collar investigations, and professional liability. Mr. Lehman has also served in senior executive management positions. In 2001, he joined Safety-Kleen as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, which at the time was one of the largest bankruptcies in US history. In addition to his Firm responsibilities, ...
Born and raised in central Iowa, Cory E. Manning is well acquainted with hard work and grit, character traits that led him to a state wrestling championship in high school and a full athletic scholarship in college. As a partner of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, who practices in the areas of corporate investigations, securities litigation, business litigation, and class action defense, he continues to summon these qualities when providing legal advice to his clients. He has been ...
John represents both plaintiffs and defendants in state and federal court and has frequently argued before the South Carolina Supreme Court. He has a diverse litigation and appellate practice, handling matters related to the False Claims Act, health care, personal injury, and business litigation. He also represents governmental clients, such as county and state governments, and private clients before governmental bodies. John has been certified as a mediator since 2005 and serves by appointme...
Tally is the Chair of Wyche’s Executive Committee and a litigator with nearly two decades of experience. A former F-16 fighter pilot, Tally serves her clients with a special blend of tenacity, shrewdness, and creativity. She focuses on complex matters in the areas of aviation law, commercial and securities litigation, health care litigation, qui tam and whistleblower lawsuits, civil and voting rights litigation, and products liability. Admitted to practice in D.C. and Maryland as well a...
A native of Hartsville, South Carolina, Wesley graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1990 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. He received his Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1995. Wesley devotes his practice to commercial litigation, with an emphasis on construction. He represents owners, contractors, subcontractors and suppliers in all areas of construction litigation, including mechanics’ liens, bond claims, co...
Matthew’s practice focuses mostly on complex civil litigation, and he has participated in some of the largest and most complicated litigation in South Carolina in the past 20 years, including minority owner oppression litigation, the largest public utility rate case, the largest public corruption investigation and prosecution, the statewide redistricting challenges, statewide consumer protection litigation, and a federal constitutional challenge to temporary rate relief after constructi...
Jonathan M. Robinson is the managing partner of Smith Robinson. Jon has represented clients in South Carolina state and federal courts and has successfully tried numerous cases to jury verdicts. He also serves as the Assistant County Attorney for Kershaw County. Prior to the merger of Smith Robinson, Jon was a partner at his previous law firm, DuBose Robinson in Camden where he practiced for 18 years. Prior to that, Jon clerked for The Honorable L. Henry McKellar, South Carolina Circuit Court...
A certified specialist in labor and employment law, Nekki Shutt has been involved in the employment / human resources field for more than 20 years, beginning with her work in the personnel department of a publicly-traded property and casualty insurance company. While working for the company before and during her undergraduate studies at the University of South Carolina, Nekki eventually became the company's corporate recruiter, responsible for hiring approximately 225 employees on an annual b...
Biff is an experienced litigator in both trial and appellate venues and has argued approximately twenty cases in the United States Court of Appeals. He is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and a Life Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. An honoree for the 2016 South Carolina Leadership in Law Awards, Biff has been consistently recognized by Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers and Chambers USA. He is a certified Circuit Court Mediator and in the last 30 years has mediated approximate...
Bobby Stepp is an experienced litigator focusing on complex cases in varied commercial settings at the trial and appellate level. His practice includes professional liability defense, corporate governance disputes, contract matters, product liability defense, voting rights, and constitutional issues. Bobby is a member of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the American Board of Trial Advocates. He received the Trial and Appellate Advocacy Award from the South Carolina Bar in 2014. ADMIS...
Joseph Preston “Pete” Strom, Jr., the managing partner at Strom Law Firm, LLC , has been fighting for justice since 1984. Born in Columbia, South Carolina in 1959, Pete attended the University of South Carolina and graduated in 1981 with a Bachelor of Arts. While attending the University of South Carolina, Pete served as President of Kappa Sigma Fraternity. After graduating from the University of South Carolina, Pete attended the University of South Carolina School of Law where he...
Rob is a member of the firm and practices in the areas of business litigation, administrative and regulatory law, and election law. Rob has represented clients before the South Carolina Supreme Court and other levels of state and federal courts, and has appeared before many local and state government entities. He has litigated complex constitutional issues, election law issues, and numerous business disputes. Rob provides counsel on ethics matters including representation before the South Car...
Cal is a litigator with experience in complex business and insurance disputes, class actions, and professional liability and ethics. During his 30 years of practice, Cal has represented numerous individuals, local and national businesses, partnerships, insurance companies, and financial institutions. Named by South Carolina Lawyers Weekly as 2015 Lawyer of the Year, Cal has been consistently recognized by Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and Chambers USA. Active in the South Carolina Bar, Cal has...
Thad Westbrook is a partner of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP who practices in South Carolina in the areas of business and complex litigation, consumer finance litigation, class action defense, administrative law, and campaign and election law issues. He is the immediate past Chairman of the Firm's Recruiting Committee and a former member of the Firm’s Associates Committee.
A skilled and experienced litigator, Joe’s practice at Lewis Babcock includes eminent domain, business disputes and fiduciary negligence. He also represents clients in appeals. He’s an affiliate member of the Owners’ Counsel of America, an invitation-only national group of eminent domain attorneys who represent landowners.Joe came to Lewis Babcock after serving as a prosecutor in the Fifth Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office. He prosecuted a range of cases, including f...
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