Alcolu Lawyers

Ralitsa François was born in Livingston, New Jersey but spent most of her life in Buford, Georgia. She is the daughter and descendant of Haitian immigrants and is very proud of her Haitian heritage. Ralitsa graduated from Queens University of Charlotte, cum laude, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with minors in Pre-Law and Psychology. There, she balanced being a student-athlete where she served as an executive member of the National Political Science Honor Society, Pi Sigma Alpha, and was a co-captain and member of the Queens University of Charlotte Cheerleading Team. After college, Ralitsa worked in...

Jessica L. Cleary received her B.A. from Westfield State College in 1997 and received her J.D. from Roger Williams University School of Law in 2000. She went before the court, for 8 years, representing disabled Veterans and their dependents in pursuit of VA compensation. Jessica is admitted to practice before the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the United States Supreme Court and is a member of the Rhode Island Bar. She has been accredited by the VA since May 2009. In 2014 Jessica was recognized in...

J.D., High Honors, George Washington University Law School.
Ph.D., Chemistry, The Johns Hopkins University.
B.S., Chemistry, Juniata College (Huntingdon, PA) and Leeds University (England)

Thrive IP, Managing Member, since 2005.
Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, L.L.P., 1997-2005.

Dr. Stipkala serves clients in all aspects of intellectual property law, from evaluating freedom to operate to securing patents, trademarks, and copyrights, to providing strategic advice regarding trade secrets and managing intellectual property for strategic business advantage.

Andrew Copenhaver devotes his practice to the representation of individuals and families harmed by defective products, motor vehicle accidents, nursing home abuse and neglect, premises injuries and other incidents involving negligence in products liability, personal injury and wrongful death cases. Mr. Copenhaver currently serves as counsel in several catastrophic and fatal injury cases throughout Georgia and South Carolina and is responsible for all aspects of litigation from initial pleadings to trial. He is also involved in several class actions in Georgia and states throughout the country. Prior to joining Bell & Brigham, Mr. Copenhaver clerked for the Honorable Dudley H. Bowen,...

Cole Lawrimore was born and raised on his family’s tobacco farm in the rural, Pleasant Hill community of Georgetown County. As the son of a school administrator, Cole’s family moved frequently throughout the State of South Carolina with stops in Georgetown, Mt. Pleasant, Walhalla, and Newberry. Cole graduated from Newberry High School and attended Wofford College on an academic scholarship. In between attending social events, Cole was a Dean’s List student and the Vice Chairman of the Honor Council. After graduating from Wofford with a degree in accounting, Cole attended the Charleston School of Law. During his time there, Cole was...

Recognized by The Best Lawyers in America for his handling of insurance law matters, Barnwell Whaley member attorney K. Michael Barfield concentrates his law practice in the areas of professional negligence, construction litigation, commercial litigation, property related litigation, personal injury and fractional ownership transactions .

A full bio for K. Michael Barfield may be viewed at the firm website:
https://barnwell-whaley.com/attorneys/k-michael-barfield/

Trucking defense; professional liability defense; complex litigation

Attorney Gary Heisterkamp received his both his A.A. and B.S. degrees in Criminal Justice from Clayton State University in 1994 and 2010, respectively. Originally from Atlanta, GA, Gary relocated to South Carolina to complete his Juris Doctorate from the Charleston School of Law, where he graduated in 2014 with honors. While in law school, Attorney Heisterkamp was an active member of the Student Bar Association, where he served as senator and President Pro Tempore, and also maintained membership in international legal society Phi Delta Phi. Additionally, Gary has worked as an Academic Success Fellow and a Teaching Fellow. He has...

Jeff Bogdan has been selected by South Carolina Super Lawyers to the Rising Stars list every year since 2015 and in 2016 was listed as a Top Rated Business Litigation Attorney. Charleston Business Magazine named him to the lowcountry Legal Elite list in the area of tax and estate law in 2018 and 2019. He holds a Martindale-Hubbell Preeminent rating (the highest, formerly called AV).

A full bio for Jeff Bogdan may be viewed at the firm website at
https://barnwell-whaley.com/attorneys/jeffrey-bogdan/

D. Summers Clarke has been recognized as a South Carolina Super Lawyers Rising Star, listed as a Top Rated Civil Litigation Attorney. She holds an AV preeminent Martindale-Hubbell rating, representing the highest level of professional excellence.

Summers Clarke concentrates her law practice in construction law, insurance defense and civil litigation.

Her full bio may be viewed on the firm website:
https://barnwell-whaley.com/attorneys/d-summers-clarke-ii/

Charleston business attorney Guy Dabbs concentrates his law practice in the areas of general business, corporate and transactional law, including matters related to commercial transactions, corporate management, commercial real estate, intellectual property and real property.

A full bio for Guy Dabbs may be viewed on the firm website:
https://barnwell-whaley.com/attorneys/guy-dabbs/

As a third-generation attorney with enthusiasm for representing victims in personal injury claims, Gedney M. Howe IV looks forward to carrying out his Father and Grandfather’s philosophy of “doing justice and healing the minds of his clients.” Gedney was admitted to practice law in South Carolina in 2020. Since becoming a member of the Bar he has obtained significant recoveries in many complex cases through both verdicts and settlements in a variety of cases. Participating in intense litigation against defendants such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Justice, and Dominion Energy. In his first year of practice Gedney has...

Many different areas of experience including but not limited to personal injury, insurance, employment, homeowners associations, real estate litigation, construction/mechanic's liens, unfair trade practices, wrongful death, auto/motorcycle/truck accidents, slip and fall accidents, and criminal.

Family law attorney David Wells makes his home in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, with his wife, Annie.

After attending Camden Military Academy (Camden, SC), and Lyman Ward Military Academy (Camp Hill, AL), David attended Valdosta State University where he studied philosophy, applied ethics, and criminal justice.

David’s life-long dream was to become an attorney. He attended and graduated from the Thomas M. Cooley School of Law (Michigan). During this time, David interned for the 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office in Horry County, South Carolina.

Upon being admitted to the South Carolina bar, David worked with Coastal Law Firm, LLC, before launching Wells Law Firm....

For over 30 years, I've been helping South Carolinians that have been accused of criminal and traffic offenses get their day in court. I graduated from Valparaiso University School of Law, then clerked for Pike County (Kentucky) Circuit Judges Baird Colleton and Charles Lowe in Kentucky. I was a public defender in Orangeburg, SC. - fighting for clients that otherwise would have been worked through the system and jailed due to plea bargaining. My reputation for getting my clients in front of a jury of their peers rather than letting the prosecutors pressure them into a plea helped me build my...

Located at 702 Sea Mountain Highway, No. 4, North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582; Phone (843) 455-9069; Fax (843) 249-6446; Email: MarjorieSimerman@aol.com

Nick is a native Carolinian, having spent his youth in Charleston, South Carolina. His professional career began in ColumbIa, South Carolina, at Allstate as a Claims Adjuster after earning his Bachelor of Science from Winthrop University. During his ten years at Allstate, Nick received claims training in Chicago, worked catastrophe claims and achieved multiple promotions, including working in the Charlotte Regional Office. Additionally, Nick gained licensure in all lines of casualty, property, surety, and marine in both South Carolina and North Carolina. Nick resigned from Allstate after having achieved a 10 year vested status. During the period following...

Micah Gunn, MS, JD, is a patent and trademark attorney with extensive experience handling domestic and international patent and trademark matters. Micah’s interdisciplinary background and command of both patents and trademarks at the highest level helps him to develop broad strategies for his clients that are aligned with their business objectives. Micah’s patent practice is primarily concentrated on the innovation that occurs in the intersection between chemistry and other fields. Micah has worked on genetically modified organisms, pharmaceutical products, nutraceuticals, therapeutic methods, chemical dyes, 3D printed and chemical signature anti-counterfeit technology, biochemistry, chemistry and material science, as well as machines with...

Dane is a native of North Augusta, South Carolina and attended Aquinas High School in Augusta, Georgia. He received his undergraduate degree from The Citadel where he was actively engaged in cadet leadership roles and a member of the football team. His pursuit of a legal career led him to the University of South Carolina School of Law. It was during Dane’s second year of law school that he began clerking for NMJ. Upon graduating and passing the bar exam, Dane joined the firm as an associate attorney. When not at work, he enjoys spending time with family and friends, playing...

Prior to running her own firm, Beth Santilli practiced with Fleet Freeman for several years, eventually becoming his partner. She is an experienced advocate that has helped many clients facing legal challenges in the Lowcountry. She works diligently to draft corporate and estate documents that keep her clients out of court. When litigation is unavoidable, you can rely on her experience and knowledge in the courtroom. She has litigated several civil cases including business disputes, estate disputes and employer/employee matters. She regularly creates business entities and acts as outside corporate counsel. Beth has drafted numerous corporate documents and corporate processes,...

Based out of Charleston, Carl E. Pierce II offers compassionate and caring representation to clients. Carl takes on a wide range of cases, including product liability claims, professional negligence cases, legal malpractice defense, toxic torts, construction claims, and personal injury cases. With nearly 30 years of experience, he knows how to craft strong and compelling cases on behalf of his clients. Carl has been recognized for his legal skill with an AV Preeminent® rating from Martindale-Hubbell®, inclusion in the Super Lawyers® list, and selection to Best Lawyers in America in the Defense of Mass Torts since 2010. If you are...

Former prosecutor A. Randolph "Randy" Hough has a strong background in criminal law. Before entering private practice, he served as a prosecutor for the Fifth Judicial Circuit of South Carolina, handling numerous crimes ranging from drug trafficking to white-collar crimes to murder.

He also handled complex federal drug charges as a Special Assistant United States Attorney. Few other local defense lawyers can claim this extensive background in prosecuting crimes at both the state and federal level. Mr. Hough has defended cases in South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, and is a member of the South Carolina Bar, United States District Court for...

In 2018, Matthew graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law, ranking fourth in his law school class. During his time in law school, Matthew served as an Associate Editor-in-Chief for the South Carolina Law Review, where he authored a published article entitled State of Fear: Domestic Violence in South Carolina. Matthew was also inducted into the Order of the Coif and received the 2018 John O. MacDougall Family Law Award. After graduating law school, Matthew spent two years serving as a law clerk to the Honorable John D. Geathers at the South Carolina Court of Appeals. Matthew joined Strom...

I am a veteran of the U.S. Army, retiring with about 30 years of service in both the active Army and the Texas National Guard as a Combat Engineer and Judge Advocate. My military experience makes me uniquely qualified to provide legal services to military members, veterans, and retirees in all areas of law.