Williston Lawyers

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...

It is my goal to give each case the attention to detail it needs. I will not take on new cases at the expense of existing clients. The reality is there are only so many hours in a week. If I take on hundreds cases, I have less time to spend on each case than if I take on 25. If you want an attorney that will give you the attention you deserve, that can speak to you without a lot of legal jargon, that’s down-to-earth, and enjoys helping people, then please call 843-970-2929.

Mr. McDougall entered the University of South Carolina School of Law in Fall 1991. While at the USC School of Law, Mr. McDougall made the Dean's List and engaged in a number of independent legal studies in his particular areas of interest. Mr. McDougall remained involved in a number of Legal Societies. As a member of the Student Chapter of the SC Trial Lawyers Association, Mr. McDougall was the Legal Research Coordinator for the Association. During Law School, Mr. McDougall clerked for Furr & Henshaw, a firm specializing in Medical Malpractice. In addition to Medical Malpractice issues, Mr. McDougall gained exposure...

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.

Matthew was born and raised in a suburb of Detroit, Michigan. Growing up in "Hockeytown," Matthew developed a passion for the game of hockey, which he played at an elite level as a youth goaltender. After spending a time playing junior hockey in Chicago, Illinois, Matthew was recruited to play at the Division-I collegiate level with Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. During his time at Yale, Matthew earned a Bachelors of Arts in Economics and became a four-year, Varsity lettermen.

Following a brief professional hockey career, Matthew accepted a position with one of the...

Admitted in South Carolina and Georgia

Board Certified by the American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys in Legal Malpractice

Practice concentrated in lawyer professional responsibility matters (plaintiff lawyer-malpractice claims, ethics consultations, law-firm dissolutions, and lawyer moves between firms).

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...

Mr. Horton has been practicing civil litigation in Beaufort County since 2006. Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Horton was judicial clerk to the Hon. Paul M. Burch of the 4th Judicial Circuit of South Carolina. Feel free to visit us at www.hortonlawllc.com or at (843) 757-6190.

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,...

Trucking defense; professional liability defense; complex litigation

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...

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,...

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...

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...

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/

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/

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/

Patrick T. Napolski attended Clemson University where he was on the Dean’s List. Patrick then went to Charleston School of Law. While at Law school, he was a member of Student Trial Lawyers Association and American Bar Association Committee, among other activities. Outside of work, Patrick is a judge for various moot court and mock trial competitions, a member of the South Carolina Bar Association’s Professional Development Committee, and a mentor in Charleston School of Law’s Mentoring Program. Patrick is licensed to practice law in Illinois, South Carolina, and the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina.

Amy has worked with Strom Law Firm since 2006 and practices primarily from the firm’s Spartanburg, SC office. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from the University of South Carolina in Spartanburg in 1995 and a Juris Doctor degree from University of South Carolina School of Law in 2001. While at USC Law, Amy served as vice president of the Student Bar Association and wrote for the South Carolina Environmental Law Journal. As a member of the Moot Court Bar, she was captain of the ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition Team, trained against Assistant United States Attorneys at...

John Paul is an associate in the Lovely Law Firm’s Goose Creek, South Carolina office. He received two separate B.S. degrees in Marketing and Finance from Clemson University in 2011. After graduating from Clemson University, Mr. Simkovich attended the University of South Carolina School of Law where he completed his Juris Doctor in 2014.

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...

Marissa Fish received her J.D. from the University of Massachusetts School of Law-Dartmouth, where she graduated magma cum laude. Before Law school, Marissa received her M.S in Criminal Justice from Charleston Southern University. Having grown up in a military family and marrying into the military, Marissa has lived in many places. She was born in Maryland, but now calls South Carolina home, residing in the Aiken area with her husband.