Kershaw Lawyers

Ron Tate focuses his practice on business and commercial law, including design and construction matters. He also has significant appellate experience before the South Carolina Court of Appeals. Ron has volunteered extensively in the Greenville community and is a graduate of Leadership Greenville and Leadership South Carolina. He is currently serving on the board of the Alliance for Quality Education in Greenville. Ron is a member of the Greenville County Bar Association, the South Carolina Bar, the Defense Research Institute, and the South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys' Association. He serves as ethics counsel to the firm.

John M. (“Jack”) Read IV was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. He graduated from The Citadel in 1991 and from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1994. He is admitted to practice law in both South Carolina and Georgia in both the federal and state courts. Jack has successfully litigated a wide variety of cases including contract disputes, personal injury, criminal defense, mortgage fraud, consumer fraud, insurance bad faith, foreclosure defense, real estate contract disputes, partnership dissolution, construction defects and zoning issues, civil RICO, criminal prosecution, evictions, mold damage, and others. In addition to...

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...

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.

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...

Drew Brown founded this law firm in 2006. He believes strongly that his first and foremost role as an attorney is to advocate for his clients. At age 42, he is already an experienced trial lawyer who has appeared on behalf of clients in contested hearings in over 50 different courthouses throughout the Carolinas. In an era where cases often settle before litigation or at mediation, Drew Brown has repeatedly taken personal injury and business disputes to trial. Brown distastes wasted legal time in hourly matters as he believes reducing the attorney fee burden on the client can be as...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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/

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/

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

Graeham C. Gillin is a dedicated personal injury attorney at Roden Law’s Charleston, South Carolina office. Graeham is licensed to practice law in multiple jurisdictions throughout the United States and brings a multifaceted expertise to his role as both an attorney and the Chief Operating Officer at Roden Law. With a background spanning business management and commercial construction, Graeham’s diverse experience uniquely positions him to spearhead the management, growth, and success of Roden Law and its team members.

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...

Mr. Mills practices personal injury law at the Trammell Law Firm, P.A. in Anderson, South Carolina. He graduated from Clemson University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and then went on to work several years with the American Red Cross, National MS Society, and Vancouver Language Centre in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Mr. Mills decided to return to the states and pursue graduate work in an effort to assist people who were less fortunate, misinformed, and injured as a result of someone else’s negligence. He graduated in 2005 from the Walter F. George School of Law...

Derek E. Brown graduated from Toccoa Falls College (B.A. History) where he was a starting pitcher and outfielder for the baseball team and interned for Congressman Paul Broun’s district office in Toccoa, Georgia. Derek went on to complete his legal education at Appalachian School of Law. There, he was elected Vice President of the Student Bar Association and served as the law school representative to the American Bar Association. Derek is passionate about the area of Personal Injury Law because it gives him the chance to be an advocate for those in critical times of need.

Zach is an associate at the Firm’s Charleston office, where he handles various personal injury cases on behalf of clients. Prior to joining Roden Law, he worked as a defense attorney, representing insurance companies for a number of years. This experience has given him valuable insight into the strategies and tactics used by insurance companies, which he now uses to help his clients succeed.

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

Stephen Yacobi graduated from Wofford College with honors and received his juris doctor from the University of South Carolina, School of Law. He was admitted as a member of the South Carolina Bar in 1980. He is a fellow of the Academy of Adoption & Assisted Reproduction Attorneys and has been since 1993. He has assisted in the adoptive placement of more than eight hundred children.
In more recent years he has enjoyed an expanding practice in the areas of estate planning and estate administration often serving as personal representative for estates or conservator for legally incapacitated persons.
He...

Robb is an experienced litigator, having successfully handled more than 50 jury trials across South Carolina. He represents trucking and logistics companies, their drivers, and insurers, with a background that includes defending personal injury, property damage, and commercial coverage claims for major national insurance carriers. Robb is a certified mediator available to mediate in South Carolina state and federal courts. His unique background of having represented many of the largest insurance companies as well as his experience as a plaintiffs' personal injury lawyer give him unique insight into the motivations of resolution. He is a member of the American Board of...