Turner Padget News and Events

David Marshall penned an article for the Young Lawyers edition of For the Defense, April 2013 issue. 

Turner Padget Graham & Laney, P.A. is pleased to announce that 12 of the firm’s attorneys have been named by Super Lawyers magazine as top attorneys in South Carolina for 2013.  In addition, 11 attorneys are named as South Carolina Rising Stars.

Turner Padget Graham & Laney, P.A. is pleased to announce that Vernon F. Dunbar and Sarah Day Hurley have been approved by the South Carolina Board of Arbitrator and Mediator Certification as Circuit Court Mediators and Arbitrators.  Mr. Dunbar is a shareholder and Managing Partner of Turner Padget’s Greenville office.  He practices in the areas of business litigation and workers’ compensation.    Ms. Hurley, Of Counsel in the firm’s Greenville office, has an active commercial litigation practice with a concentration in contract and business disputes and intellectual property litigation. 

Turner Padget Graham & Laney, P.A. is pleased to announce that it will be recognized as a leading litigation firm in South Carolina in the 2013 edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.  Five Turner Padget attorneys have been recognized as leading attorneys in their field:

Columbia Office

• Franklin G. Shuler, Labor & Employment
• Reginald W. Belcher, Labor & Employment
• J. Kenneth Carter,  General Commercial Litigation 

Charleston Office

• John S. Wilkerson, General Commercial Litigation 

Myrtle Beach

• O. Allen Jeffcoat, Real Estate

Turner Padget Graham & Laney, P.A. is pleased to announce that John E. Cuttino has been inducted into membership of the American Board of Trial Advocates (“ABOTA”) and was sworn in as a new member on January 31, 2013.  Mr. Cuttino is a shareholder in the Columbia office and has practiced law in South Carolina since 1982.  His practice includes the defense of major personal injury, construction defect, products liability, and pharmacy liability cases.  He earned his undergraduate degree from Wofford College and his law degree from the University of South Carolina.

Turner Padget Graham & Laney, P.A. is pleased to announce its recognition by Benchmark Litigation as one of four highly recommended Firms of the Year for the state of South Carolina.  The awards event was held at the Essex House Hotel in New York on January 31, 2013.  The winners were chosen upon peer review and research conducted for the 2013 edition of Benchmark Litigation, as well as from supplementary questionnaires submitted during autumn 2012.

Turner Padget has elected Brad B. Easterling, Mark B. Goddard, and J. Jakob Kennedy as shareholders of the firm.  Easterling practices in the area of workers’ compensation law, Goddard concentrates his practice in the area of business litigation, and Kennedy practices in business litigation, employment law and professional liability.

Shawn Willis has been elected to the Board of Directors for the Florence Crittenton Programs of South Carolina and appointed Co-Chairman of its Public Relations Committee. 

Turner Padget Graham & Laney, P.A. is pleased to announce that J. Kenneth Carter, Jr. has been chosen to serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors for Business Counsel, Inc.  Mr. Carter, a partner in the Columbia office, is the practice leader for the Product Liability and Trucking Litigation teams. 

Jennie M. Smith has joined the law firm of Turner Padget Graham & Laney, P.A. and is based in the Charleston office.  Ms. Smith will concentrate her practice in the area of insurance litigation. 

A new regional wastewater treatment plant serving the City of Cayce, Town of Lexington and other areas of Lexington County opened its doors on November 14, 2012. The project is a major economic development for the area, expected to create jobs and better serve the residents for years to come. 

Ashley Rudisill Forbes has joined the law firm of Turner Padget Graham & Laney, P.A.  and is based in the Greenville office.  Ms. Forbes will concentrate her practice in the area of workers’ compensation.   

John Wilkerson has been inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal associations in America.  The induction ceremony took place on October 20 before an audience of approximately 1,070 persons during the 2012 Annual Meeting of the College at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. 

John E Cuttino, a shareholder in the firm’s Columbia office of Turner Padget Graham & Laney, P.A., has been elected to the position of Secretary-Treasurer of DRI-The Voice of the Defense Bar.   

Turner Padget Graham & Laney has been named one of five “highly recommended” local litigation firms in South Carolina.  Nine of our shareholders have been named “Local Litigation Stars.”  They are Wayne Byrd, Kenny Carter, Eddie Laney, Steve Ouzts, Thom Salane, Duvall Spruill, Tim St. Clair, John Wilkerson and Drew Williams.  Benchmark’s glowing write-up about the firm follows. 

Lauren Thorne Maxwell, former law clerk to the Honorable Helen Elizabeth Burris, United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of South Carolina, has joined the Greenville office of Turner Padget.   

Best Lawyers, a legal peer-review publication, has named four Turner Padget attorneys as the 2013 Best Lawyers of the Year - Danny Crowe, Eric Englebardt, Catherine Kennedy and Tim St. Clair.

Turner Padget is pleased to announce that Shawn R. Willis has been selected as the Chairman for the Tri-Counties Regional Advisory Council of the South Carolina Chapter of the Community Associations Institute.   

Turner Padget Graham & Laney, P.A.  is pleased to announce that Carlyle R. Cromer has joined the firm’s Myrtle Beach office.   

Lanneau W. Lambert, Jr. has been elected secretary of the National Conference of Bar Presidents (NCBP).  Holding the office of secretary is the first step toward serving as president of the NCBP. 

Sam Sammataro has been sworn in as the President of the South Carolina Chapter of the Federal Bar Association.

Walt Barefoot has been elected Chair of the Workers’ Compensation Section Council of the South Carolina Bar. 

Turner Padget is pleased to announce that Elaine H. Fowler has been elected to serve as Secretary-Treasurer of the S. C. Bar Foundation.  In addition, Ms. Fowler has been elected to serve another term as Chair of the Leadership Development Committee of the Charleston Regional Development Alliance.

Ashley Kirkham and Myada El-Sawi recently authored an article entitled, "The 411 on Medicare Set Aside Arrangements."

Franklin G. Shuler, John S. Wilkerson and O. Allen Jeffcoat are recognized in the 2012 Chambers USA, America's Leading Lawyers for Business.

Turner Padget Graham & Laney, P.A. is pleased to announce that Reginald W. Belcher has been named one of the top corporate employment attorneys in the nation for 2012 by Human Resource Executive® Magazine and Lawdragon.com. Belcher is recognized as one of the top “40 Up-and-Comers” for his exemplary work in the labor and employment law field. 

Andrew Kunz was recognized as a Star of the Quarter in the June 2012 South Carolina Bar Young Lawyers Division publication for his work with Special Olympics.

At its annual conference in Washington, DC, JDRF's inaugural JDRF Spirit Award was bestowed upon Tim St. Clair.

Eric Englebardt and Vernon Dunbar speak at SCDTAA Workers' Compensation Boot Camp.

On May 24, 2012, Turner Padget hosted a seminar for the South Carolina chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel in our Columbia office. 

On Tuesday, May 8, Turner Padget sponsored a table at the Transformation Breakfast in Greenville.

Turner Padget Graham & Laney, P.A. is pleased to announce Arthur E. Justice, Jr. received the United Way of Florence County's 2012 Ashpy P. Lowrimore Annual Award during the organization's annual meeting held on April 3, 2012, at the SiMT Building in Florence.

Myrtle Beach, S.C.,  (April 2, 2012)  —    Turner Padget Graham & Laney, P.A. is pleased to announce that Jonathan P. Kresken has joined the firm’s Myrtle Beach office.

Turner Padget Graham & Laney, P.A. is pleased to announce that 12 of the firm’s shareholders have been named by Super Lawyers magazine as top attorneys in South Carolina for 2012. In addition, six attorneys are named as South Carolina Rising Stars.

Turner Padget Graham & Laney, P.A. is pleased to announce its recognition by Benchmark Litigation as South Carolina Firm of the Year.  The honor was presented at Benchmark's inaugural awards ceremony on March 8, 2012 in Atlanta.

Mike Roberts, shareholder and managing partner of the Charleston office, recently joined Charleston Southern University's Board of Visitors. 

 Turner Padget Graham & Laney, P.A. is pleased to announce the addition of Allen Jeffcoat to its Myrtle Beach office. Mr. Jeffcoat joins Turner Padget after practicing with his own firm in Myrtle Beach since 1985.  Mr. Jeffcoat was profiled in Law360 on March 1, 2012, regarding his arrival to Turner Padget.

On February 28, 2012, Turner Padget was well represented at the South Carolina Bar-CLE Division’s seminar, “Civil Litigation: From Depositions to Trial and Beyond.”

Benchmark Litigation has recognized Turner Padget as a highly recommended litigation firm and selected nine shareholders as "local litigation stars."

Tim St. Clair, shareholder in the Greenville, South Carolina office, was quoted recently in the National Law Journal on the merits and drawbacks of the sweeping new law. 

 Tim St. Clair provides advice on how to avoid employee theft of intellectual property.  Read the entire article.

Firm ranks top in South Carolina in six practice areas and as top firm in Florence

Turner Padget Graham & Laney, P.A. is pleased to announce that four of its attorneys,  Wayne Byrd, Art Justice, Drew Williams and Pierce Campbell, have been appointed to leadership positions in the American Bar Association. 

Tim St. Clair has written an article, "Minding the Store:  Addressing IP Theft in the Workplace," which was published online for Bloomberg Law Reports on August 2nd and in the August 8th issues of the Intellectual Property and Labor & Employment Law Reports.

Reggie Belcher recently published a timely article in Law 360 entitled, "Policing Employee Texting at the Wheel." 

Tim St. Clair was quoted in a recent article by Karen Bolipata published in Managing Intellectual Property entitled, "Sketchers Sues Sears Over Shape-Ups."  Tim offers an opinion as to the burden Sketchers will carry in asserting that Sears has copied its product design. 

Turner Padget Graham & Laney, P.A. is pleased to announce that 11 of the firm’s attorneys have been named by Super Lawyers magazine as top attorneys in South Carolina for 2011.

Turner Padget Graham & Laney P.A. was recognized in the 2011 edition of Benchmark Litigation:  A Definitive Guide to America's Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys as a recommended litigation firm in South Carolina.  This marks the second consecutive year in which the firm has earned Benchmark's recommendation.  Read more for a list of "Local Litigation Stars" and "Future Litigation Stars."

Effective January 1, 2011, Frank Shuler has been appointed the Chair of the Employment and Labor Law Specialization Advisory Board for the South Carolina Supreme Court Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization. 

Turner Padget has elected Shannon F. Bobertz, Matthew R. Cook and J. Brandon Hylton as shareholders of the firm.  Bobertz practices in the areas of  torts and insurance and municipal law.  Cook and Hylton concentrate their practices in the area of workers’ compensation.

Mark your calendar and plan to attend the third Turner Padget Employment Law Seminar on January 28th.

Troy Thames honored after six-month tour of duty in Iraq.

Julie Jeffords Moose has been highlighted in the Doer Profile of the October 2010 edition of the Greater Pee Dee Business Journal.   Click on the below link to read the full article.   Please note that Julie points out that she does not maintain her CPA license.

Firm earns top recognition in sixteen practice areas throughout South Carolina.

Sam Sammataro and David Johnson have become shareholders with the firm effective January 1, 2010.

Mr. Sammataro is based in the firm's Columbia office where his practice focuses primarily on the defense of product liability lawsuits.  His practice also includes defense of professional negligence claims and workers' compensation appeals Mr. Johnson is based in the firm's Florence office.  He has a business transactions practice where he takes an active role in handling various types of complex tax and transactional issues for businesses and individual in South Carolina.

Chambers USA, a highly regarded directory of America's leading lawyers for business, recognized the firm as a leading firm in South Carolina. The firm's litigation practice earned high marks, ranking in Band 3.

Joshua Shaw recently authored an article in the Business & Economic Review on the subject of Civil Liability and Economic Development. 

Sam Sammataro and David Johnson have become shareholders with the firm effective January 1, 2010. Mr. Sammataro is based in the firm's Columbia office where his practice focuses primarily on the defense of product liability lawsuits. His practice also includes defense of professional negligence claims and workers' compensation appeals Mr. Johnson is based in the firm's Florence office. He has a business transactions practice where he takes an active role in handling various types of complex tax and transactional issues for businesses and individual in South Carolina.

J. Kenneth Carter has been elected to the Board of Directors of Business Counsel, Inc.   Business Counsel, Inc. is a network of law firms based in the United States and abroad focused on providing high quality legal services to the corporate business community.

Turner Padget is pleased to announce that Catherine H. Kennedy was recently elected as a Fellow of the prestigious American College of Trust and Estate Counsel.  The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel is a professional association consisting of approximately 2,700 lawyers and professors throughout the United States.  Ms. Kennedy is Of Counsel in the Columbia office where she practices in the areas of estate planning, probate administration and litigation.

Turner Padget announces that it has been recognized in the 2010 edition of Benchmark: A Definitive Guide to America's Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys as a recommended litigation firm in South Carolina.  Benchmark also named Turner Padget "Future Stars."

Turner Padget is pleased to announce that Eric K. Englebardt was recently elected to the Board of Directors for The Wings of Hope Foundation in Greenville, S.C.  Mr. Englebardt, a shareholder in the Greenville office, is a member of the Litigation Practice Group and is a certified court mediator.  The Wings of Hope Foundation works to transform families and children struggling with alcohol or drugs.

Turner Padget is pleased to announce that John E. Cuttino, shareholder in the Columbia office, has been elected to the national Board of Directors of DRI.  Mr. Cuttino's three-year term commenced at the organization's annual meeting and 50th anniversary celebration in October.

Turner Padget is pleased to announce that Lanneau W. Lambert, Jr. has received the 2009 Leadership in the Law award given by the South Carolina Lawyers Weekly. The award recognizes those individuals whose leadership, both in the legal profession and in the community, has made a positive impact on our state.
 

Tim St. Clair, shareholder in the Greenville office, recently penned an article, "Patent litigation: Not for the Faint-of-Heart."  The article appeared in the September 7th issue of the  South Carolina Lawyers Weekly.  The article centers on the recent decision by The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, which found the word processing software, Microsoft Word, infringes a patent and has issued a permanent injunction that takes effect in October.  Click here for the full article.

Reginald W. Belcher was recently named Board Chair of the American Red Cross, South Carolina Blood Services Division. He will serve a one-year term. Mr. Belcher, a shareholder in the Columbia office, is a member of the Business Practice Group and represents businesses and employers throughout the Southeast in all aspects of employment and labor law.
 

Turner Padget is pleased to announce that 26 of its shareholders have been listed in the 2010 edition of Best Lawyers in America. In addition, the firm is ranked as the top law firm in South Carolina in the areas of Alternative Dispute Resolution and Municipal Law, is highly ranked in 14 other practice areas, and is recognized as the top law firm in Florence, SC.

Lanneau W. Lambert, Jr., a shareholder in the Columbia office, will serve a three-year term on the Columbia Chamber of Commerce Good to Great Foundation Board. Mr. Lambert, past president of the S.C. Bar, serves on Turner Padget's Executive Committee and is a member of the firm's business transaction group.

Charles E. Hill and R. Hawthorne Barrett receive Reversed Opinion from Court of Appeals:  Justice Kittredge:  In this chiropractic malpractice action, the Court of Appeals reversed a defense jury verdict based on an erroneous jury instruction.  Ardis v. Sessions, 370 S.C. 299, 633 S.E.2d 905 (Ct. App. 2006).  We granted a writ of certiorari to review the decision of the Court of Appeals.  We reverse and reinstate the defense verdict, for we hold Respondents were not prejudiced by the jury charge.  Click here to read the entire Reversed Opinion.

Turner Padget is pleased to announce that Elaine H. Fowler, shareholder in the Charleston office, has been elected to serve a three-year term on the S.C. Bar Foundation Board of Directors.

Turner Padget is proud to announce that Donnell G. Jennings, shareholder in the Columbia office, has been named to the newly formed General Liability Council (GLC) of United Educators. He will serve a three-year term. The Council will provide expertise on general liability legal issues unique to education

Bernie Klosowski, attorney in our Greenville office, recently talked with Mike Switzer of ETV Radio, South Carolina Business Review regarding how to capitalize on Intellectual Property rights and use of trademark.  To listen to the interview in full, click here.

Turner Padget Graham & Laney, P.A. is pleased to announce that the firm has once again been selected as a “recommended insurance defense firm” by Best’s Directory of Recommended Insurance Attorneys and Adjusters.

John Wilkerson, Charleston-based shareholder in our Business Group, is quoted in InsideCounsel magazine's June 2009 issue in an article titled, "Closing Statement's Imaginary Letter Torpedos $2.4 Million Verdict." The story follows a 10th Circuit judgment in Whittenburg v. Werner Enterprises, Inc. that forcefully warns plaintiffs' counsel against abusive verbal attacks on defendants and defense counsel in the presence of a jury.

Upon learning of Turner Padget's recent recognition by  The National Law Journal to its "Midsize Hot List," Rep. Garry R. Smith introduced a Resolution to the South Carolina House of Representatives commending the achievement.  Rep. Smith has been a member of the Greenville County legislative delegation since 2007.  At the Greenville office's fifth year anniversary celebration, Rep. Smith presented Greenville Managing Partner Vernon F. Dunbar the original copy of the Resolution.  Click here to read the Resolution.

Turner Padget is pleased to announce that it has been selected by The National Law Journal as one of 20 law firms included in “The Midsize Hot List.” Turner Padget is the only South Carolina-based firm to be honored, and one of only a handful of firms from the Southeast included on the list, which was published in The National Law Journal’s print and online editions on June 29.