South Carolina

Gallivan White & Boyd is a Southeast institution, regarded as one of the prominent law firms within the region. The firm operates out of three offices across South Carolina alone behind the effective leadership of litigation practice group head Ronald Wray III. Wray is recognized for his work on commercial transportation and complex litigation matters with an emphasis on railroad law, as well as in products liability, class actions, insurance coverage and appellate actions. Trial lawyer and managing partner David Rheney represents clients in personal injury defense, transportation disputes, insurance and reinsurance mattes, bad-faith litigation, as well as product liability cases. Rheney is also active as global legal counsel of Insuralex, where he also serves as the South Carolina representative and president. Gray Culbreath is a seasoned trial lawyer who routinely represents corporations, individuals and insurers in trials and appeals in areas such as complex commercial and class-action litigation, including antitrust, product liability and mass tort actions. John Lay’s primary areas of focus include business litigation, professional malpractice, insurance coverage and bad faith, financial services litigation and product liability disputes. He continues to advocate on behalf of a boat manufacturer as national coordinating counsel. 

Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough has grown well beyond its humble Southeastern roots to enjoy nationwide acclaim. While still a regional powerhouse with offices in major markets like Atlanta, the Carolinas and Florida, the firm has secured spots in New York City, Boston, Denver, Baltimore, San Diego and District of Columbia, among many other markets. Expansion has come in all forms, bringing additional talent to the firm’s already strong bench each year. The firm’s product liability practice remains its most notable, with commercial litigation and others close behind.

     Michael Brown is recognized nationally as a Top 100 Trial Lawyer and leading practitioner in product liability. He is known as a “formidable” opponent whose recent dealings have involved defending Johnson & Johnson, as well as its subsidiaries, against a series of personal injury product liability claims. Several of the cases are expected to go to trial in the coming months. One case, Campbell v. Ethicon, part of a national multidistrict litigation, alleged that a sling implanted to treat incontinence was defective and injured the plaintiff. Brown and the team anticipated the plaintiff demanding tens of millions of dollars in punitive and compensatory damages based on the alleged claims of strict liability, negligence and fraud. The matter was settled before trial last summer. David Dukes holds the prestigious Top 100 Trial Lawyer status, also reaching national acclaim for his product liability practice. He is serving as co-lead trial counsel on behalf of a leading pharmaceutical company in multidistrict litigation.

     Baltimore’s Michael Blumenfeld specializes in commercial litigation, representing businesses of all sizes in their disputes related to contracts, torts, employment and product liability. He represents Howard Bank in the company’s lawsuit alleging breach of contract claims against Compu-Link dba Celink. Blumenfeld filed a complaint, which Celink did not respond to or enter its appearance in the Circuit Court of Baltimore, allowing Blumenfeld to file a Request of Entry of Order of Default. However, Celink sought to remove the complaint to federal court and filed a motion to dismiss. Blumenfeld filed a motion to remand the case back to circuit court. Ruling on the dueling motions, the federal court remanded the case, denying the motion to dismiss. Celink’s motion to dismiss filed at circuit court was also denied and the matter successfully settled prior to trial.

     Appellate and product liability partner Marc Williams of the Huntington, West Virginia office serves as lead trial counsel in a series of cases involving underground mine respirators. He represents American Optical in actions filed by the State of West Virginia Attorney General, alleging violations of the state’s Consumer Credit Protection Act. In other cases, handled on behalf of American Optical, the team obtained dismissals which they are currently defending on appeal.