Vance Lawyers

* Note: Voluntary inactive status in KS - can be reactivated any time.

R. Lawton Harper concentrates his practice solely in workers’ compensation. He was born and raised in Beaufort, South Carolina. He left home to attend Elon University in North Carolina, where he graduated in 2017 with a degree in History and Education. After college, he returned to the Lowcountry and served South Carolina as a social studies teacher and basketball coach at Summerville High School. He then enrolled at the University of South Carolina School of Law, where he graduated with honors in 2022. He is excited to once again be helping the people of South Carolina. In his free time, Lawton...

I have represented clients in every type of court in South Carolina, from municipal courts to the South Carolina Supreme Court. My clients receive focused, intelligent, and personal representation.

Ryan focuses his practice in business transactions, commercial real estate development, commercial leasing and commercial lending. Ryan is capable of handling all aspects of commercial real estate transactions representing clients in their capacities as lenders, purchasers, sellers, developers, landlords and tenants. His familiarity with the aspects of a complex real estate transaction allows him to focus on the details necessary to complete the transaction efficiently and confidently. Ryan began his career at a large firm headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina before joining Graybill, Lansche & Vinzani, LLC at the end of 2010.

Haley graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law and concentrated her studies in real estate and taxation. Haley is a licensed real estate broker and began her career managing and selling real estate. Her practice involves advising lenders, developers, investors, buyers and sellers with regard to all aspects of commercial real estate transactions.

Lexington Criminal Defense and Personal Injury Attorney

Charles "Charlie" Terreni has practiced law in Columbia, South Carolina, since 1990. He is a 1990 graduate of the University of South Carolina School Of Law. He earned his B.A. degree in International Studies with a minor in French from the University of South Carolina in 1985. After graduating from law school, Terreni practiced with Cooper, Beard & Dibble (1990-91) and with the Dibble Law Offices from 1991 to 1995. He served as Executive Assistant to the Lieutenant Governor from 1995 to 1996. In 1996, he returned to private practice, opening the Terreni Law Firm, LLC. In 2004, Terreni joined the Public...

Maggie Chappell practices in the areas of personal injury and mass torts. She has handled truck and auto accidents and catastrophic injury cases. She also works on the mass torts team which handles 3M combat earplug cases and talcum powder ovarian cancer cases, among many more. Maggie was born and raised in Inman, South Carolina. She moved just down the road to attend Wofford College and graduated in 2012 with a degree in English. After college, she worked as a legal assistant for Mark Arden before attending the University of South Carolina School of Law in 2015. Maggie was lucky to...

Born and raised in Columbia, South Carolina, Mr. Stanley attended the University of South Carolina where he received his B.S. in Business Administration. While attending the University of South Carolina, Mr. Stanley was the captain of the South Carolina baseball team that went to 3 straight College World Series.

Upon completing his Bachelor’s degree, Mr. Stanley earned a Master’s in Business Administration and a Master’s in Information Science from North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina. Following the completion of his Master’s degrees in 2010, Mr. Stanley attended law school at Florida A&M University College of Law in Orlando, Florida,...

Mario joined Strom Law Firm in February 2000. He is a member of the South Carolina, Georgia and New York State Bars. He is admitted to practice in the United States Supreme Court, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, United States District Court for the District of South Carolina, United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia, United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, United States District for the District of Colorado, The Supreme Court...

Holly Saleeby Atkins is the founding member of the Atkins Law Firm and one of the most well-respected workers’ compensation attorneys in the state. Holly brings a unique perspective to the practice of Workers’ Compensation as she is one of a handful of lawyers in SC that has worked in every aspect of the Workers’ Compensation system—as a defense attorney, a Commissioner, and representing injured workers. Prior to being appointed to the South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission, Holly worked as a defense attorney for ten years representing insurance companies and employers in workers’ compensation matters. She was then...

Stephen P. Groves, Sr. practices in the Litigation and Insurance Groups. Mr. Groves practice includes Commercial Litigation, Appellate Practice and International Law. Mr. Groves has served on the editorial board of the South Carolina Lawyer and as a contributor to South Carolina Jurisprudence. In addition, Mr. Groves has served as a contributor or contributing editor to a number of publications. Among them, South Carolina Civil Procedure and The Law of Domestic Relations in South Carolina, the ABA TIPS' Property Insurance Law Committee's Annotations to the Standard Fire and Homeowners Insurance Policy and Property Insurance Issues in Catastrophe losses. Additionally, Mr. Groves...

Brian attended the College of Charleston on a full athletic scholarship and graduated in 1994 with his Bachelor of Arts degree. In 2000, he earned his Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law. After law school, Brian was appointed the Assistant Attorney General by the South Carolina Attorney General Charlie Condon. Brian prosecuted numerous criminal charges, including some of the most severe. As a former prosecutor, he has a unique insight into how criminal charges are handled, and how to effectively litigate in court. Brian focuses his caseload on criminal defense, personal injury, and family law.

Ryan Bluestein was born in Charleston, South Carolina in 1973. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin in Madison in 1995, and went on to earn his Juris Doctor from the University of Southern Carolina in 1999. Mr. Bluestein started out working for a large plaintiff's law firm in Charleston, but in 2003, he decided to leave to start his own private practice. He is focused on providing knowledgeable and experienced counsel to a variety of practice areas, including personal injury, real estate, construction litigation, and DUI defense.

Mr. Jowers represents patients harmed by medical malpractice, pharmaceuticals and medical devices. He is admitted to practice before all courts in the state of South Carolina, the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina (2002), and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals (2003). Additionally, he has been admitted to practice pro hac vice in numerous states throughout the country. Mr. Jowers graduated with honors from The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina in 1998. Afterwards, he entered the University of South Carolina School of Law and graduated in 2001. During law...

Attorney J. Brooks Davis has the experience you need to succeed in your criminal, DUI, traffic or accident case. Prior to being an attorney, Brooks attended the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia and was a police officer for the City of Charleston. As a police officer, Brooks served in patrol, traffic and was chief pilot of the aviation division. Brooks is trained in the use of radar, DUI field sobriety testing, breathalyzer operation and accident investigation. Brooks will work with you directly and involve you in the process so that you may make informed decisions and achieve the best possible...

Michael A. Timbes, founding partner, leads the firm’s business litigation and general civil litigation practices and handles the firm’s appeals. He is also a certified civil court mediator and is appointed by the South Carolina Supreme Court to the Board of Bar Examiners. Prior to joining Thurmond, Kirchner, Timbes & Yelverton, P.A., he worked as an associate attorney on the business litigation team with Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC, in Atlanta, Georgia. Before that, he served as a law clerk for the Honorable Kaye G. Hearn, then Chief Judge of the South Carolina Court of Appeals. He also has...

Paul R. Thurmond, founding partner, leads the firm’s criminal defense practice. Before starting the firm in 2005, he served as an assistant solicitor with the Ninth Judicial Circuit in Charleston, S.C. During that time, he handled over one thousand criminal indictments, from minor infractions to murder, leaving the Solicitor’s Office with a 92 percent trial conviction rate. Since then, Thurmond has served as an adjunct professor at the College of Charleston and more recently as a part-time prosecutor for the City of North Charleston. In this role, he predominately handled the City’s DUI cases along with other offenses. He also...

20 years experience in criminal law. State and Federal. Handled over 2500 DUI and DUAC cases. Handled over 3000 other types of traffic tickets. Handled over 25 felony DUI cases. Successfully handled over 50 Drug Trafficking cases. State legal representative for N.O.R.M.L.

After graduating from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 2016, Taylor took an associate position at a well-reputed defense firm in his hometown of Augusta, Georgia, where he cut his teeth defending insurance companies and their insureds in car accident and medical malpractice cases. His having begun his career learning from some highly gifted defense lawyers causes Taylor to bring a bit of a different perspective to the table. However, his goal was to return to practice law in South Carolina, and when The Derrick Law Firm presented him with the chance to represent individuals hurt...

C. Austin Elliott is a native of Texas and a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He attended Charleston School of Law and has practiced in the Charleston area since 2011, successfully representing hundreds of individuals and businesses throughout the Lowcountry.

Mr. Elliott represents clients in a variety of matters including:

Civil & Business Litigation
Criminal Defense
Personal Injury
State & Federal Regulatory/Administrative Matters
Business Transactions and Formations
Firearms Issues

Since 2010, I have dedicated my practice to securing favorable outcomes for both individuals and businesses grappling with challenging tax issues. Resolving IRS tax problems is my sole focus. Certified as a Tax Resolution Specialist by the American Society of Tax Problem Solvers, I possess the necessary experience to tackle your tax concerns effectively. Don't put off resolving your tax problem; it only gets worse.

Stacy Jo Townsend was born and raised in the small town of Williamstown, West Virginia. She attended Coastal Carolina University where she was a member of the National Honor Society for Leadership and Success, Triota Honor Society, Order of Omega Honor Society, and Phi Sigma Tau Honor Society. Stacy earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, Criminology, and a minor in Pre-Law prior to attending law school. While in law school, Stacy worked for a real estate firm in Rock Hill, South Carolina as a real estate paralegal, client coordinator, and closing administrator. Working in multiple capacities while being studious provided...

Greetings. David Stone, Esq. is an attorney with 23 years of practice experience as a bankruptcy attorney, civil and criminal litigator and corporate lawyer who also has extensive experience in many other areas of the law. David Stone is licensed to practice in the State and Federal courts of South Carolina, New York and Georgia. A free consultation is offered to those seeking information regarding bankruptcy by calling 843-422-9414.

Julian practices in his hometown of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and can help both South Carolina and North Carolina individuals and businesses. This year he joined up with his father, Frank DuRant, to open the DuRant & DuRant, P.A. law firm.

Julian graduated from the University of South Carolina Honors College before attending Wake Forest's School of Law. After graduating from law school, Julian clerked for the Honorable Richard Voorhees, Western District of North Carolina. There, he experienced almost everything federal court has to offer—from civil and criminal trials to appellate designations in the Fourth and Eleventh Circuit Courts of Appeal....

I am Ron Cox, a tenacious advocate for injury victims with a history of significant recoveries in cases involving trucking accidents, automobile collisions, medical malpractice, nursing home abuse, and other injuries. I pride myself on offering personal service to my clients. From our office in North East Columbia, we represent victims throughout the Midlands and all of South Carolina.

Kevin Hardy is an estate planning, probate, and business law attorney in Lexington, South Carolina. He serves clients in Lexington, West Columbia, Irmo, Columbia, Gilbert, and beyond. He worked for several years as a staff accountant in the semiconductor industry before pursuing his law career at the University of South Carolina. Upon graduating from USC, he clerked for Judge Ralph King Anderson, Jr. at the South Carolina Court of Appeals in Florence.

Kevin’s practice focuses on helping clients with the preparation of wills, living wills, trusts, health care powers of attorney, and durable powers of attorney. This enables...

A Charleston native, Stephen Jenkins Bell joined Duffy & Young in 2015 after working as an associate with a large regional firm in Raleigh, North Carolina. Stephen has litigation experience in state and federal courts and administrative bodies in South Carolina and North Carolina. His work includes commercial litigation, class action cases, securities litigation, real property disputes, estate litigation, legislative advice, administrative permitting and regulation, and financial industry litigation.

Stephen was admitted to the South Carolina bar in 2014, having first entered the North Carolina bar in 2012. He is admitted to practice before all U.S. District Courts in South Carolina...

John Kassel is a managing partner at Kassel McVey, a personal injury law firm based in Columbia, SC. Mr. Kassel represents injured victims and their loved ones in personal injury cases such as auto accidents, product liability, premises liability, construction accidents, and medical malpractice. Throughout his career, John has committed to fight on behalf of injury victims and not corporations, manufacturers or insurance companies.

John Kassel graduated from Northwestern University in 1979. He then joined Volunteers in Service to America, where he worked for the Brown Lung Association, a group mainly comprised of retired cotton textile mill workers who were suffering...

Experienced attorney handling plaintiff's personal injury cases for over 25 years. Former Judge Advocate in the USMC. Listed as member of Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers, Top 100 Trial lawyers and Best South Carolina Attorneys.

Practicing law since 1985, Bill's practice focuses on commercial real estate transactions, income tax planning for closely held businesses, tax deferred exchanges of real estate, and business transactions, including entity formations and the acquisition and disposition of businesses and assets. He also devotes significant professional time to matters involving legal ethics and lawyer misconduct. He serves as general counsel to a number of closely held businesses. Other areas of Bill's experience include serving as a consultant and expert witness in multiple legal malpractice actions acting as outside general counsel to several law firms and to clients in the convenience...

Attorneys Lee, Eadon, Isgett, Popwell, and Owens is made up of a core group of attorneys that share a core value of excellence that shines through in every aspect of their practice. These attorneys possess a common goal of complete client satisfaction.

The LEIP Law Firm is made up of a team of attorneys with roots embedded in the state of South Carolina. The LEIP name is an acronym for four of its leading attorneys who contribute to promoting high quality values while practicing the law with the utmost integrity. Zachary D. Linowski, Sherod H. Eadon, Christopher G. Isgett, and Gary...

Shannon Polvi’s legal career focuses on advocating for employees. Shannon is an experienced trial attorney in state, federal, and administrative courts. Shannon focuses on client needs throughout the litigation process. Although prepared to successfully present her client's case to a jury, Shannon is very aware of the high cost and risks of employment litigation. Shannon likes to explore the possibility of an early, cost-effective resolution of the dispute on terms favorable to the client. As such, she has earned a reputation as a pro-active litigator who provides high quality, responsive, and conscientious representation for her clients. Shannon's practice focuses on the employee/...

Attorney David P. Traywick is a Charleston personal injury and consumer law attorney. Mr. Traywick has a background in finance and marketing, which affords him a unique perspective on the cases he handles. With a focus on the big picture, he utilizes a strategic approach to his cases in pursuit of optimal results. Mr. Traywick earned his law degree from the University of South Carolina. While in school, he did extensive research and reporting on the South Carolina Coastal Zone Management Act. The paper he wrote on this topic during this time has proven invaluable to instructing and guiding...

Bakari made history in 2006 when, at just 22 years old, he defeated a 26-year incumbent State Representative to become the youngest member of the South Carolina state legislature and the youngest African American elected official in the nation. In 2014 he was the Democratic Nominee for Lt. Governor in the state of South Carolina. Bakari has worked for United States Congressman James Clyburn and former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin. He served on President Barack Obama’s South Carolina steering committee during the 2008 election and is widely considered to be a rising star within the Democratic Party and a leading...

I am easy to get in contact with and always diligent in returning my calls. I make sure my clients are comfortable reaching out to me about any problem they encounter, and I always try to get them the best answer I can. Sometimes my answer may be, “I don’t know, but I will find out!” And I always do. I strive to be a good listener. If my clients have something to say, I listen. Listening is one of the most important aspects of good communication. I have experience in many areas of law. The focus of...

Dawes Cooke: counselor, mediator, arbitrator, litigator, leader.

In the legal community, Dawes Cooke has served as the President of the South Carolina Bar (2018-2019). Among his many accolades, he has been recognized by his peers as the Super Lawyers number one attorney in South Carolina for the years of 2014, 2015 and 2016, and he is frequently named a Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers in the areas of arbitration, mediation and bet-the-company litigation for the Charleston area.

In his community, Cooke has served as president of the East Cooper Breakfast Rotary Club and vice chairman...