Robinson Gray attorney appointed to SC Supreme Court commission
The Supreme Court of South Carolina has appointed Lisle Traywick, an attorney at Robinson Gray law firm, to serve on the Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization, according to a news release from the firm.
The Commission is the Court’s regulatory agency that administers the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education program adopted by the Court in 1982.
Charleston School of Law celebrates benchmark

The Charleston School of Law scored historic results in the latest South Carolina Bar exam.

The Office of Bar Admissions of the Supreme Court of South Carolina released its July 2022 bar exam results, and Charleston School of Law recorded a 77% first-time bar pass rate for South Carolina. This is Charleston Law’s highest first-time rate since 2013 and the school’s best since South Carolina first administered the Uniform Bar Exam in February 2017, a Charleston School of Law news release stated.
“I am incredibly proud of the hard work that all of our graduates put into preparing for this difficult exam,“ said Larry Cunningham, Provost and Dean of Charleston School of Law, in the release. “These latest results are an incredible accomplishment for our graduates and our young school.”
Cunningham stated that bar passage is a school-wide commitment.
“Student success is our number one priority. It is part of our DNA. We are all relentlessly focused on
the bar exam and other student outcomes.”
The Law School’s Office of Academic and Bar Success provides supplemental support and programming throughout law school and the Summer bar preparation period, and the cost of a bar review course is included in students’ tuition and fees. For graduates who are not successful on the first attempt, the Law School provides additional assistance and support.
“There are a lot of great lawyers
The program establishes requirements for continuing legal education for South Carolina’s attorneys and judges. In the modern legal environment, the law is complex and changes frequently. The Court maintains CLE requirements to ensure that all active South Carolina Bar members remain competent and current with the law throughout their careers.
The Court appoints 12 members to the Commission: representatives from the state judiciary – including a member of the Supreme Court or the Court of Appeals, a circuit court judge, and a family court judge – and practicing attorneys from the four judicial regions.
Robinson Gray has a history of service on this body. Member Becky Laffitte is the immediate past chair of the Commission.
INSIDE: Paralegal News and Unsung Heroes
We have lots of special content for you inside today’s South Carolina Lawyers Weekly.
In the November edition of Carolina Paralegal News, you’ll meet Khovaja Samir Seddiqi, who knows what hope and resilience feel like when your life is suddenly defined by grief and uncertainty.
He lost everything when the Taliban overthrew the Afghan government amidst the United States military withdrawal in August of 2021. Today, he is a paralegal in the Greensboro office of Church World Service, a global organization that helps meet the immediate needs of refugees from dangerous zones seeking asylum in the United States.
Teri Saylor has this inspiring story.
You’ll also meet Jasmine Williams, senior parale-
gal at Jeffries Law Firm in Orangeburg, and Traci B. Wolfe, a paralegal at Burnette Shutt and McDaniel, and is in her second year as president of the Legal Staff Professionals of the Midlands.
Also inside this edition of South Carolina Lawyers Weekly is the return of Unsung Heroes, a celebration of champions who do the behind-the-scenes work that makes law firms thrive.
As always, thanks for reading.
Got a story idea for South Carolina Lawyers Weekly? Know an attorney doing innovative things? Send along an email. Contact info is below.
Jason Thomas is the interim editor of South Carolina Lawyers Weekly. Email him at jthomas@scbiznews.com.

Family of girl injured in apartment shooting settles for $2.5M
■ BY HEATH HAMACHERThe family of a child who was shot in her North Charleston apartment as she colored on a sketch pad has settled its claims for $2.5 million, the plain tiffs’ attorneys report.
The plaintiff, the mother of the minor victim, was represented by Perry Buckner of Yarborough Ap plegate and John Henderson and Wesley Hender son of Henderson & Henderson, both of Charleston. Plaintiff’s attorneys wrote in an emailed statement to South Carolina Lawyers Weekly that the family moved into the Appian Way apartments in 2018 and were led to believe that the safety of the prem ises was a top priority for property management and that security measures were in place to deter and prevent crime. However, plaintiffs soon noticed a “disturbing trend of potential criminal behavior.”
Buckner wrote that approximately six months after moving in, the plaintiff reported a “gang tag” outside of her apartment to the defendants. She be lieved the “tag,” which read, “KD,” was a potential threat to her family’s safety. Buckner wrote that the plaintiff followed up with property management re garding removal of the tag, but “tragically, her con cerns were not properly or timely addressed.”
On July 26, 2019, four armed men in body armor showed up to the complex looking for “KD,” who had previously assaulted one of them. The men couldn’t locate the apartment they were told “KD” lived in, Buckner wrote, but fired approximately 31 shots— most of them into the plaintiff’s apartment—from multiple handguns after seeing the tag outside the residence.
Two bullets struck the plaintiff’s 9-year-old daughter in the upper body as she sat with her grandmother, coloring on her pad. The plaintiff was also inside and “witnessed the horrific event,” Buck ner wrote. While no one was killed in the incident, Buckner wrote, “the event upended and reshaped their lives, requiring a long road of emotional and physical recovery.”
Buckner wrote that the shooting might not have been an isolated incident and that other tenants were concerned about their safety prior to the shoot ing. While the defendants retained off-duty patrol for the premises, it does not appear as though secu rity officers had investigated the presence of “tags” prior to the shooting, despite requests from the
Perry Bucknerplaintiff.
“In this case, the Plaintiff’s lawyers established credible evidence of a known link between tags and violent crime,” Buckner wrote. “In his deposition, Defendant’s own off-duty law enforcement officer admitted that he knew that certain graffiti should be removed as soon as is practicable because it can foster and promote criminal activity and pose safety threats.”
A significant turning point in the case, Buckner wrote, is the fact that the defendant established new rules about removing graffiti or tags on the property after the shooting occurred. Despite the defendant’s contention that this was merely a ran dom act of violence, Buckner wrote, law enforce ment officers investigating the case believe that the shooting occurred solely because of the “tag” outside
SETTLEMENT
REPORT — PREMISES LIABIL ITY
Amount: $2.5 million
Injuries alleged: Physical/mental injuries (Bro ken leg, liver laceration, post-traumatic stress disorder, etc.)
Case name: Lydia Major , individually and as Parent and Next Friend of K.M. v. 8465 Patriot Boulevard L.P. d/b/a Meridian at Appian Way and Asset Management & Consulting Services, Inc., & Lydia Major, Individual and as Personal Representative of the Estate of Cleona Major v. 8465 Patriot Boulevard L.P. d/b/a Meridian at Ap pian Way and Asset Management & Consulting Services, Inc.
Court: Charleston County Circuit Court Case No.: 2020-cp-10-01922 and 2020-cp-1002386
Mediator: Kurt Rozelski of Spencer Fane in Greenville

Date of settlement: September 2022

Most helpful experts: Roy Taylor (security expert)
Insurance carrier: AMCO Insurance Co.

Attorneys for plaintiff: Perry Buckner of Yar borough Applegate and John Henderson and Wesley Henderson of Henderson & Hender son, both of Charleston

Attorney for defendant: Jeffrey Wiseman of Clement Rivers in Charleston


of the plaintiff’s apartment.
“Plaintiff’s counsel believes this case demon strates that while an apartment complex owner or property manager might not be an insurer of any tenant’s safety, they shouldn’t be considered a by stander, either,” Buckner wrote. “When there is notice of potential crime and an opportunity to fix a known problem, these cases can be litigated with success.”
The defendants were represented by Jeffrey Wiseman of Clement Rivers in Charleston. Wise man declined to comment on the matter.
Family awarded $19M settlement related to auto crash
■ BY HAVILAND STEWART hstewart@nclawyersweekly.comThe family of a man who was killed in an auto accident was awarded a $19 million settlement. In 2020 two commercial motor vehicles engaged in a near head on collision. They were travelling in dif ferent directions in a small county in South Carolina.
Each driver was alone in their ve hicle. The plaintiff, who was represent ed by attorneys Ran dall Hood and Dono van Malloy, suffered many injuries and ultimately died soon after the crash. The plaintiff was survived by a spouse and chil dren. The defendant survived the
crash with extensive injuries.
According to Hood, obtaining in formation from United States De partment of Transportation was important to the case, and there was a day in the life video that helped il lustrate the loss that the plaintiff’s family experienced.
This case settled for $19 million in September 2022.
Many details of this case have been withheld due to a confidential ity agreement.
Is this a verdict or a settlement? Settlement
Type of case: Commercial Motor Vehicle
Amount: 19,000,000.00
Injuries alleged: Injuries and Death Case name: Confidential Court: Circuit Court – Venue Confidential Case No.: Confidential
Date of settlement: September 2022
Most helpful experts: Accident reconstruction expert
Attorney(s) for plaintiff and their firm(s): S. Randall Hood and Donovan Malloy of McGowan, Hood, Felder, and Phillips, LLC and Gerald Malloy of Malloy Law Firm
Attorney(s) for defendant and their firm(s): Confidential
Was the opposing represented by counsel? Yes
Were liability and/or damages contested? Yes Has the judgment been successfully collected? Settlement has been court approved
Official Christmas tree arrives at South Carolina Statehouse
■ BY CHRISTINA KNAUSS knauss@scbiznews.comSouth Carolina’s official Christ mas tree arrived at the Statehouse on Monday, Nov. 7.
This year’s tree is a 35-foot-tall Norway spruce from Henderson Tree Farms in Morganton, N.C.,
and is taller and fuller than usual because it was grown in the Caro linas, according to a press release from Experience Columbia SC.
The tree was acquired by the Co lumbia Garden Club with support from the Garden Club of South Carolina.
Bruce Vollnogle, owner of Tim
berTech in Greer, transported the tree to Columbia, an annual ritual that has become a tradition for him over the past 18 years. R.J. Shirley donated the crate to move the tree to its spot.
Over the coming days, Domin ion Energy will string more than 13,000 LED lights on the tree and
the garden clubs will hang 900 or naments, said Melissa Prickett of the Garden Club of South Carolina.
The tree stayed dark until the annual Governor’s Carolighting on Sunday, Nov. 20. The festivities were held at 6 p.m. on the State house’s north lawn and were tele vised live on SCETV.
Plaintiff’s counsel believes this case demonstrates that while an apartment complex owner or property manager might not be an insurer of any tenant’s safety, they shouldn’t be considered a bystander, either
CLASS / ‘We are here to help every graduate pass the bar’


students during the Summer.
and judges who were not necessarily great test takers and needed an additional chance to pass this difficult standardized exam,” Cunningham added. “We are here to help every graduate pass the bar.”
Dean Cunningham also described how faculty go the extra mile to help



“Professors email and text students with answers to their questions, sometimes late into the night,” he said. “Faculty also put on supplemental lec-




tures. Students appreciate seeing familiar and friendly faces throughout the Summer.”
According to the bar results, of the 117 Charleston School of Law graduates who sat for the exam (including both repeat and first-time takers), 64.1% passed. 67 of the 87 first-time takers passed.
Since 2017, the Law School has
embarked on a strategic plan to enhance its student outcomes. The academic credentials of incoming students have risen for five years in a row.
The Office of Bar Admission of the Supreme Court of South Carolina were officially released Oct. 21. You can view the full list at bit. ly/3WT92kd.
ATTORNEY / Robinson Gray attorney appointed to SC Supreme Court commission



Lisle primarily focuses his practice at Robinson Gray on appellate advocacy and civil litigation. He represents governmental entities and public officials, litigates constitutional and election-related issues, advises public utilities and represents them in regulatory matters, and defends professional negligence claims. He also enjoys teaching Election Law at the University of South Carolina School of Law.








A 2020 graduate of Leadership Columbia, Lisle serves in leadership roles in numerous professional organizations, and he has repeatedly been recognized by the Court for his commitment to pro bono service.
Lisle graduated cum laude from Wofford College and earned his Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law, where he served as Editor in Chief of the South Carolina Law Review. Before joining Robinson Gray, he
clerked for the Honorable H. Bruce Williams at the South Carolina Court of Appeals and the Honorable David C. Norton at the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina.
“We’re very proud to have Lisle continuing our representation on this important public body, which keeps members of our profession up to high standards of current knowledge and understanding of the law,” said Cal Watson, the firm’s managing member.
Located in the BullStreet district, Robinson Gray Stepp & Laffitte LLC, is a South Carolina law firm that offers a tailored, handson approach. It provides business transactional and litigation representation in all state and federal trial and appellate courts in South Carolina. The firm’s 35 attorneys serve clients ranging from multinational corporations to small businesses and individuals. For more, visit robinsongray.com.
Staff report
CSU aeronautics program achieves FAA designation
■ BY ROSS NORTON rnorton@scbiznews.comThe aeronautics program at Charleston Southern University, launched a year ago, has achieved designation as a Part 141 pilot school this fall.
Federal Aviation Administration-certificated pilot schools are regulated in accordance with Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations part 141, according to the FAA. “Part 141 pilot schools are required to use a structured training program and syllabus,” the agency’s website says. “Part 141 pilot schools may be able to provide a greater variety of training aids and require dedicated training facilities, flight instructor oversight, and FAA-approved course curricula. Colleges and universities, which may offer aviation degrees, often provide pilot training under part 141.”
Charleston Southern University is the only institution in the state to offer a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics, according to a university news release. Prior to CSU establishing the program, South Carolina was one of only two states without a collegiate aeronautics program.
“God is doing such marvelous work here at CSU that I am humbled and grateful for the opportunity to cross the threshold of my office every morning,” Lloyd S. Richardson, interim chair of the
program, said in the news release. “Outside observers can see that the students are greatly blessed and fulfilled by the flight training and comradery.”

Richardson, who is the chief instructor for the program, said the designation means the provisional pilot school must graduate 10 students from an approved course with a pass rate of 80% or higher. CSU’s written pass rate is 94.74%, the release said. Next, current and accurate records on each student and instructor are maintained and then shared with the FAA for inspection. CSU’s recordkeeping was graded at 100%. Finally, the school must employ a chief instructor who has a minimum of one year of experience teaching at a certificated pilot school.
CSU President Dondi Costin said in the release, “We launched the aeronautics program so we could do our part to remedy a growing problem the world faces, namely, the global shortage of qualified pilots. Charleston Southern exists to equip our graduates to serve at the intersection of God’s plan for their lives, their personal passions and the world’s unmet needs.”
The Charleston Southern University aeronautics program is a part of the College of Science and Mathematics. The program offers three degree options, including aeronautics-professional pilot,
aeronautics-aerospace management, and aeronautics-aviation maintenance management. Students in the professional pilot program can choose between three types of aviation tracks: commercial, military or missionary.
Students who graduate from the FAA-approved degree program at CSU will be eligible to receive an R-ATP (airline transport pilot) at 1,000 or 1,250 hours as opposed to an unrestricted ATP at 1,500 hours.

After serving as a federal judge for the U.S. District of South Carolina for over 20 years, I am pleased to share that I am now available to serve as a neutral for mediations and arbitrations.
I will also practice well as for counsel for investigations and equal opportunity or labor disputes.
To learn more, contact me at: (843) 724-7753 or mseymour@saxtonstump.com
Attorney appointed to AmCham Italy post

Adams and Reese Senior Policy Ad visor David King has been appointed as “Local Representative for the State of South Carolina” by the American Chamber (AmCham) of Commerce in Italy Board of Directors.
King’s candidacy was approved at a meeting held in Milan on Oct. 5. King will serve a three-year term. The rep resentative brings awareness of Am Cham’s activities to South Carolina and informs AmCham of opportuni ties through membership, business prospects, and meetings.
“I am deeply honored to have been nominated and approved by Am Cham’s Italy Board of Directors for this position,” King said. “In my ca pacity working on FDI at Adams and Reese LLP I am excited to return to Italy frequently and work on bilateral economic opportunities. Our indus
try-focused practice groups of attorneys and advisors are strategically orga nized across offices in South Carolina and throughout the southern United States and Washing ton, DC. Thank you to everyone in Italy for your support and collaboration over the past three de cades.”
At Adams and Reese, King works in the law firm’s Intersection of Busi ness and Government Practice, pos sessing a breadth of knowledge of corporate site selection, FDI, federal and state legislative policies to advise clients on economic development and government relations matters.
An accomplished professional eco nomic developer with over three de cades of experience, King was previ ously a founding member of South Carolina’s oldest regional economic development. Throughout his eco nomic development career King as sisted capital investment of nearly $20 billion, creation of over 80,000 new jobs, and led 100+ purpose-driv en global business recruitment mis sions. King formerly worked for the Greater Columbia Chamber of Com merce, serving as the Director of Mar keting in the Economic Development Division.
Adams and Reese, founded in 1951, is a multidisciplinary law firm with nearly 300 attorneys and advisors strategically located throughout the United States and Washington, D.C. Staff report
HIGH-TECH BEER BUYING
Local brewery crafting NFT purchasing platform
■ BY CHRISTINA LEE KNAUSS cknauss@scbiznews.comSomething as simple as buying a beer at one Columbia-area brewery could soon help folks get acquainted with the new digital economy.
By the end of the year, Columbia Craft Brewing Co. aims to announce its first release of a non-fungible token (NFT) collection, a launch that will al low beer lovers and consumers in gen eral to own digital assets that will also give them access to special customer experiences at the downtown brew ery, according to Andrew Strauss, the brewery’s co-owner and business de velopment officer.
Strauss and those working with him on the project realize there is a steep learning curve for many people with this new project, but they’re will ing to brave the challenge.
In simple terms, NFTs are unique digital assets based on blockchain technology that can’t be replaced or exchanged because of their distinctive properties. They’re called non-fungible tokens because unlike fungible, or in terchangeable, items such as physical or cryptocurrency, NFTs can’t be ex changed. Once purchased, they belong exclusively to the owner.
Ownership of the NFT can be veri fied through the blockchain, which is a decentralized and secure log on the internet.
Up until now, most NFTs have in volved digital art, music or games, but the medium is increasingly being used in the business world.
Columbia recently made news in the NFT world in October when a three-bedroom house sold to a real es tate investor for $175,000 as an NFT, according to an article in Newsweek. This was the second real estate trans action in the U.S. using the technolo gy, with the first being a Florida home sold earlier in the year.
Many realtors and others online were confused or outraged by the Columbia NFT house sale, claiming that it wasn’t valid because no physi cal deed was signed. Others, however, said the sale represents a new future for real-world assets, and could even tually eliminate much of the paper work and time involved in the sale of property like real estate and cars.
Strauss hopes the brewery’s new
venture into NFTs will help to take away the “great unknown” factor many people experience when talking about the new technology.
“We know that NFTs have a bad rap because of some of the experiences people have had with them, but our idea is to put some real utility behind the NFT so that you get something along with your ownership,” Strauss said.
Strauss realizes that many people might not know what an NFT or the blockchain is, so he plans to create ma terial available online and at the brew ery to help customers learn about the program.
“We want to create a road map, a diagram that will show them exactly how to get involved,” he said.
Strauss has been involved in the metaverse, the world of the digital economy, since about 2007, and ad mits he has had both good and bad experiences with cryptocurrency and other parts of the platform.
His interest in it peaked when he met Columbia resident Chris Thibault, of Merkle Root, a Columbia-based Columbia Craft’s NFT collection will initially include about 150-175 unique NFTs that represent most of the beers the company has produced since opening in November 2016. All of the NFTs won’t be available at the same time but will be sold in groups of five or 10 in an auction format.
The NFT designs will relate directly to the “magnet” system already pres ent in the main Columbia taproom at 520 Greene St., Strauss said. Each beer on tap is represented by a mag net with the beer name, alcohol con tent and creative color and artwork. The magnets are placed on a magnetic
chalkboard to illustrate for custom ers what is being poured at the time. When a beer comes off tap, that mag net is replaced with that of another beer coming on tap.
The design of the NFTs will reflect the design or logo used for each beer on its taproom magnet.
Strauss said the individual NFTs will be available to consumers of le gal drinking age who will be able to purchase a limited number of them through the company’s website, with a credit card or through a cryptocurren cy account using Ethereum or Bitcoin.
Each NFT a customer purchases will come with a specific set of special discounts and privileges through Co lumbia Craft, Strauss said. The spe cific perks attached to each NFT are still being developed.
Columbia Craft is not the only brewery currently using NFTs to am plify their brand, and Strauss said the larger goal through his company’s launch is to eventually create an over all platform and application that any brewery can use to release their own specific NFTs related to their brands.
“Products like NFTs and the block chain need to be looked at right now as a new tool, something like the indus trial revolution for not just breweries but other businesses as well,” Strauss said. “It’s going to take time for this kind of thing to be adopted. What NFTs can do is to help breweries like Columbia Craft create more aware ness for their brand and another rev enue stream as well.
“This is also going to allow our cus tomers to dip their toes into this new tech space, participate in a new ven ture and get some added value back as well.”
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CORRECTION: In a story that ran on Page 1 of the Nov. 7, 2022, edition of South Carolina Law yers Weekly titled “Court in Session,” the nature of the event was misrepresented. The cases heard were actual deliberations of the South Carolina Supreme Court, not mock trials.
Morgan & Morgan opens Charleston office

On Monday, November 7, Mor ga n & Morgan officially opened an office in Charleston, marking its third location in South Caro lina.
This office follows the opening of the firm’s Myr tle Beach office earlier this year and Hilton Head in October 2021, according to a news release from the firm. Morgan & Morgan ex panded into South Carolina with one attorney, and since then has quickly expanded to five, adding accomplished trial lawyers to better meet the needs of our clients in the state.
The attorneys handle various types of cases including automo bile accidents, boat accidents, premises liability, medical mal
practice, worker’s compensation and insurance claims. The firm has represented victims in sever al notable cases including the $10 million Windsor Green fire set tlement in September 2021, the Hardeeville gas station shooting in October 2021, and the Nacho Hippo shooting in Myrtle Beach in August 2022.
“With our expansion into Charleston, South Carolina, we’ll now have the ability to serve all communities in coastal South Carolina,” said Jason Miller, managing partner at Morgan & Morgan, said in the release. “Our attorneys and staff are ready to help and fight for the people of South Carolina and provide them with the legal representation they deserve in their time of need.”
The new office is located at 4401 Belle Oaks Drive, Suite 300, North Charleston, S.C. Staff report
Holliday Ingram promotes 2 on leadership team

Holliday Ingram, a Greenville, South Carolina-based real estate law firm, announced promotions within its leadership team for two Summerville attorneys. Bo Rob erts, formerly a closing attorney, has been promoted to managing attorney of the firm’s Summerville office. The office’s prior manag ing attorney, Summer Reyes, was promoted to a firmwide position as the director of closings, serving the firm’s managing attorneys across Holliday Ingram’s five office loca tions.
“When we established Holliday Ingram in 2016, we set out to cre ate a firm that was non-traditional
and that offered a unique approach to real estate law. Their commit ments to our mission of being a values-based and client-focused firm are very deserving of recogni tion,” said President Trey Ingram in a news release. “Bo and Summer
are invaluable team members, and their promotions are well-deserved and reflective of their talent and contributions.”
Reyes graduated with a degree in business administration from Charleston Southern Universi ty, followed by a law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law (2007). After serving as director of student accounts at CSU, Reyes was a supervising at torney prior to joining Holliday In gram in 2019.
Roberts, a Charleston native, received his undergraduate degree from The Citadel (2005) and his law degree from Stetson College of Law
in St. Petersburg, Florida (2008). After graduating from law school, he spent a year working as a judi cial clerk for the Honorable Wayne Timmerman. From there, Roberts returned to Charleston and oper ated a solo practice focused on fore closure defense, consumer rights, and bankruptcy. He began work ing in real estate law in 2014 and joined Holliday Ingram in 2020.

Founded in 2016, Holliday Ingram LLC, is a South Caro lina-based real estate law firm comprised of over 60 relationshipdriven professionals. For more in formation visit www.hollidayin gram.com.
Partner in firm elected president of SCDTAA
Giles M. Schanen Jr., a partner in Nelson Mullins Riley & Scar borough LLP’s Greenville office, was elected president of the South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys’ Association (SCDTAA) at the asso ciation’s 55th Annual Meeting that took place on Nov. 4 in Amelia Is land, Florida, according to a news release from the firm.
Schanen has been on the SCD TAA Board of Directors since 2012
and joins eight previous Nelson Mullins partners who have held the position. Ed Mullins, Bill Da vies, Bruce Shaw, Carl Epps, Wade Logan, Mark Phillips, Sam Outten, and William Brown all previously held the post with the SCDTAA.
Schanen’s practice focuses on counseling management on vari ous employment law issues and litigating trade secret, non-com pete, discrimination, and benefits

claims under state and federal law. He also represents a broad array of clients in the areas of products li ability and commercial litigation. Schanen is a graduate of the Uni versity of Georgia School of Law and Furman University, where he was a member of the baseball team.

The SCDTAA was originally organized on Nov. 14, 1968. It be gan with 75 attorneys and now
has grown to approximately 1,000 members in the more than 50 years since its founding.
Established in 1897, Nelson Mullins is an Am Law 100 firm that has more than 930 attorneys and government relations profes sionals with offices in 15 states and Washington, DC. For more in formation on the Firm, go to www. nelsonmullins.com
Staff reportKD Trial Lawyers in Spartanburg, SC is looking for a Family Law Associate to join our team. The candidate will be responsible for new client consults, managing a caseload, research, writing, drafting legal documents, attending court, mediations, depositions, and all other requirements to navigate cases from start to finish. Must be a licensed member of the South Carolina Bar, in good standing.
Please send resumes to mboone@spartanlaw.com
CRBJ announces Health Care Heroes honorees
■ BY JASON THOMAS jthomas@scbiznews.com
The Charleston Regional Busi ness Journal has announced the honorees for its Health Care He roes program.
Winners in each category will be announced at an event on Nov. 30 at the Francis Marion Hotel in downtown Charleston. To register for the event visit bit.ly/3E8rHje.
This annual event honors in dividuals and organizations that have a passion for health care and compassion for patients. Heroes, indeed.

The event is presented by CRBJ and Trident Construction. Spon sors for the event are MUSC Health and Roper St. Francis Healthcare.
Here are the honorees:
COMMUNITY OUTREACH



• Maria Dzierzko-Trojanowska, Internal medicine physician, Rop er St. Francis Healthcare
• Brooke Kahn, PA, Roper St. Francis Healthcare
• Drs. Michelle Cooke and Kath leen Domm, Select Health of SC
FIRST RESPONDER
• Naomi Buytas, EMT, Roper St. Francis Healthcare
• Ryan Roberts, Captain, Charleston County EMS










HEALTH CARE ENGINEER












Tom Franzone, Multi-skilled technician III, Roper St. Francis Healthcare




• Van Hauser, Director of Facili ties Management, HCA Health care/Summerville Medical Center
• Robert McNeil, Engineering Teck III, Roper St. Francis Health care
HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL
Hannah Pendergrass, Physi cal therapist, Roper St. Francis Healthcare
• Kyle Prothro, Sports Medi cine Manager, Roper St. Francis Healthcare
• Summerville Medical Center’s Emergency Department, Summer ville Medical Center
NURSE
• Anna Blake, Registered Nurse, MUSC Charleston
• Jennifer Boolen, Registered Nurse, MUSC Charleston

• Carrie Moore, Nurse ManagerRN, Medical University of South Car olina - Charleston Division
PHYSICIAN
• Matt Blue, Emergency medicine physician, Roper St. Francis Health care


• Steven Kahn, Chief of Burn Sur gery, Medical University of South Carolina


• Stephen Stripling, Doctor, Coastal Pediatric Associates
SERVICE/THERAPY ANIMAL
Braelynn and Viper, (Braelynn) Gunn & (Viper) Mansson, Facility Dog, Dee Norton Child Advocacy Cen ter
• Sara Sezginalp, Pet Therapy Han dler Volunteer, Medical University of South Carolina

Mulligan Sullivan, Pet Therapy Handler Volunteer, Roper St. Francis Healthcare
VOLUNTEER

Tom Russo, Summerville Medical Center
• Warren Richey, Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System
• Bonny Luthy, Volunteer, Roper St. Francis Healthcare Reach Jason at 864-568-7570.
UNSUNG HEROES
INSIDE: Celebrating the behind-the-scenes champions at South Carolina law firms

Cavanaugh & Thickens Congratulates TraVena Archer







TraVena Archer is often called the “heart and soul” of Cavanaugh & Thickens of Columbia, where she has been a pre-litigation paralegal for five years. She was the firm’s first employee, hired just six months after it launched in 2017.


Archer started her career as a receptionist but has grown with the firm and is now the lawyers’ go-to paralegal, devoted to excellence, and always with a smile on her face. She is also a favorite with clients and goes the extra mile – coming to work early and leaving late almost every day.
Attorneys at the firm rely on her to schedule appointments and court appearances, draft necessary documents and keep the client files organized. She also serves as the main liaison between clients and attorneys, a role she says she enjoys.
“I love the feeling I get when clients tell me they appreciate how I help them get through the frustration that comes from being involved in any type of personal injury case,” she says. “I wake up every morning excited to go to work and help both existing and new clients, and I genuinely enjoy what I do.”
Originally from Albany, Ga., Archer earned an associate degree in paralegal studies from Midlands Technical College in Columbia.
She believes her greatest accomplishment is her tenure with Cavanaugh & Thickens.
“I look back and remember when I first finished school and trying to start my career,” she said. “It took me some time to find a job in my field, and I am proud of how far I have come and how much I have grown in my field since then.”
When Archer is not at work, she enjoys spending time with her family and indulging in her favorite pastime – shopping.
STEPHANIE AYERS
PARALEGAL
A paralegal with Gallivan, White & Boyd of Green ville for 40 years, Stephanie Ayers quite possibly knows more about how to navigate her clients’ needs than anyone else at the firm.

She’s known for her willingness to do whatever it takes to help the firm and the clients she serves, and she says that is her favorite part of her job.
“I enjoy investigating claims made by claimants and plaintiffs, including digging into their background, obtaining medical records and preparing medical chronologies to help my attorney with depositions, trial and ultimately winning the case,” she says.
Originally from Lavonia, Ga., Stephanie is a 1981 graduate of Queens College (now Queens University) in Charlotte. Following graduation, she graduated from The National Institute for Paralegal Training in Atlanta. She is a past board member and officer of the Speech Hearing and Learning Center and Camp Opportunity, and a sustaining member of Junior League of Greenville. She currently serves on the board of governors for Com merce Club of Greenville.
Ayers says she takes pride in helping her firm win cases for clients. One case stands out: The Avondale vs. Norfolk Southern, et al trial in U.S. District Court in South Carolina. The case involved a lawsuit Avondale Mills brought against Norfolk South ern Corp. in connection with a deadly train wreck and toxic spill in 2005. Avondale claimed the wreck caused damages at its Graniteville facilities. The case ended with a settlement in Avondale’s favor.
When Ayers isn’t at work, she enjoys watching sports and rooting for the Atlanta Braves, University of Georgia football, and Clemson University basketball. She also loves to travel and has visited over 20 countries, including recent cruises to the British Isles and Greece.

LISA CARROUTH
She learned lessons in teamwork at age 7, helping her grandfather in a concession stand at the YMCA. “He is the one who taught me to show up and work hard, and I credit him for the work ethics I now have,” she says.
A graduate of Lander University in her hometown of Greenwood, S.C. with a degree in political science and minor in sociology, Carrouth intended to become a lawyer. But she wanted a break from schoolwork, so she set her sights a career with good job benefits in state government. She was working at a grocery store when she was offered a part time job in an unemployment office.
“At the time, grocery store job paid $12 an hour, the unemployment office paid $7 an hour and my hopes were dashed, so I continued working at the store,” she says.

In 1999, she heard an advertisement on the radio for the paralegal program at Greenville Technical College. Despite her full-time job and an hour-long commute each way, she enrolled, persevered, and earned an associate degree in paralegal studies.
She began working for a sole practitioner, focusing on civil, probate, estate plan ning and family law. She later transitioned into real estate law, which she loves.
“The best part of my job is watching folks’ reactions when they purchase their dream home,” she says. “The stress on their faces at the first meeting completely melts into exuberance at closing.”
Carrouth takes pride in the fact that she never let go of her own dreams.
“It was very hard to accomplish my career,” she says. “I am proud that I never gave up and continued toward the prize of working in the legal field.”
SARAH WETMORE BUTLER
When Sarah Butler looks back on her recent term as president of the South Carolina Defense Trial Attor neys’ Association, she takes pride in her contributions to the legal profession.
“That was a true honor and a role in which I was able to have a significant impact in our legal commu nity,” she says. “Being elected by my peers felt like a testament to my character, my leadership abilities and years of hard work.”
Butler earned both her bachelor’s degree and law degree from Wake Forest University and has practiced law in South Carolina for 20 years.
An equity partner at Copeland Stair, she focuses on construction litigation, professional liability, premises liability, personal injury defense, and general insurance defense and coverage.
She is a member of the Claims & Litigation Management Alliance, the Defense Re search Institute, the South Carolina Women Lawyers Association and is a fellow with the Litigation Counsel of America.
If you ask Butler about her favorite aspect of practicing law, she will say, “in one word – people,” and adds that she most enjoys working with colleagues in her firm and across the legal profession.
“It is important to me to maintain a high level of professional courtesy and integrity in our practice,” she says. Everyone you come into contact with - from clients to staff to court personnel - deserves respect and kindness.”
She enjoys live music, travel, reading, and just about anything her kids are doing. Her favorite way to relax outside the office is to go boating on the Folly River with her family. “That’s heaven to me,” she says.
KIOSHA DICKEY OF COUNSEL
At work, Dickey focuses her practice on Employ ment Law, Affirmative Action and OFCCP Compliance and considers her colleagues as family.
A year ago, Dickey and her husband suffered heartache when they lost their youngest daughter at birth.
“Sometimes, things don’t go as planned, and sometimes, our prayers aren’t answered in the way that we’d hoped,” she says. “No family is prepared to lose their child, and our family never thought we’d endure three miscarriages and one stillbirth.”
Through immeasurable pain, she and her husband found hope by channeling their grief into action. They founded Autumn’s Way, an organization to help other families provide support to pediatric palliative care programs across South Carolina.
“Losing our daughter was the most difficult moment our family has ever endured,” she says. “But we have been so blessed to see Autumn’s Way thrive this past year.”
Dickey graduated from Columbia College with a bachelor’s degree in English and a minor in political science. She earned her law degree from the University of South Carolina. After law school, she clerked for U.S. District Court Judge J. Michelle Childs.

She serves on the Janie R. Jackson Women’s Center board of directors and is a human resources committee member for the Children’s Trust of South Carolina.
Away from the office, she enjoys relaxing at home with her husband and daughter. She also loves baking, decorating, and is always ready to work on a good DIY project.
As a bankruptcy attorney and partner at Moore Bradley Myers Law Firm in Columbia, Jane Downey appreciates the opportunity to make a positive difference in her clients’ lives.
“It is important to me to be able to show my dedication to protecting and advocating for my clients’ rights,” she says. “Showing up and doing the day-today for them is what excites me.”
Downey is certified by the South Carolina Supreme Court as a specialist in bankruptcy and debtor/creditor law and as a certified as a mediator and arbitrator. She is also certified as a specialist in business bankruptcy by the American Board of Certification.

She is a member of the board of directors for Credit Abuse Resistance Education (CARE), and recently shared National Credit Awareness Month tips about financial awareness and career planning for new graduates.

Downey also volunteers with the South Carolina Bar’s Ask-a Lawyer Program. She is on the board of directors of the International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation and served as past chair of that organization’s Carolinas Network.


Active in her community, Downey co-founded Open Streets Columbia, an initiative to temporarily close streets to vehicle traffic to give people the opportunity to use the streets for walking, bicycling, playing, and meeting neighbors.

She has been awarded the Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating, which she considers her top professional accomplishment.
“This rating is awarded to only lawyers with the highest ethical standards and professional ability,” Downey says. “To know that only 10% of attorneys have achieved this prestigious honor, was incredible and humbling.”
She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Furman University and earned her law degree from Emory University School of Law.



Over the course of her career, Janet Brooks Holmes has received numerous accolades and recognitions, including being named Miss South Carolina
United States in 1995. But of all her awards, she treasures her recognition as the 2020 G. Dewey Oxner, Jr., Mentor of the Year Award the most.
The South Carolina Bar established the annual Mentor of the Year award in 2013 to recognize individuals who have performed exemplary service and demonstrated professional excellence as a mentor to a new lawyer participating in the Supreme Court’s Lawyer Mentoring Program.

“Encouraging my mentee as she boldly faced the challenges that we’ve all encountered during our early years has been a rewarding experience,” Holmes says. “I am fortunate to have had this experience as a mentor and am excited to see what my mentee’s future holds.”
With over 20 years of litigation experience, Holmes has tried cases in state and federal court and has argued before state and federal appellate courts. She practices in all areas of civil litigation, primarily defense. She is a partner at The McKay Firm in Columbia, S.C.
A native of Greenville County, S.C. Holmes received her bachelor’s degree from Clemson University and went on to earn her law degree from the University of South Carolina. She is immediate past president of the Federal Bar Association’s South Carolina Chapter Holmes says her favorite aspect of her job is the variety of clients she represents.
“I am passionate about building trust and advocating for the truth with my clients,” she says. “Knowing they feel safe and trust me is an honor.”
When Holmes is not working, she enjoys spending time with her family.
“I love sitting down and watching Clemson Football as a family or watching the kids play sports,” she says. “Having quality time with family is such a blessing to me.”
AMY JOHNSON
CATIE MEEHAN
PARTNER THE STEINBERG LAW FIRM CHARLESTON, S.C.
Amy Johnson has parlayed over 20 years of experi ence as a litigation paralegal into her own legal consult ing company, The Angle Solutions.

With offices across the US and abroad, Johnson’s firm strategizes with law firms to refine their law prac tices and improve their case results.
Johnson says she is proud of the way her company has grown over the past two-and-a-half years and enjoys having a front-row seat in its dynamic future.
“What started as a raw idea has been transformed into a successful program where we provide high-qual ity career training to underserved populations and then leverage a diverse talent pool to create affordable legal support solutions for law firms,” she says. “I am grateful for the support from within the legal community and especially for our earliest law firm clients who pioneered alongside us to develop this new way of filling gaps in law firms.”
Johnson has a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and secondary education from Wake Forest University and a Master of Science degree in organizational leadership from Colorado State University Global. She also holds a variety of leadership and management certifications.
In her role as owner of The Angle Solutions, she enjoys helping her clients learn new skills to be successful.
“It makes me happy to empower others and equip them to do the best they can,” she says. “I work with law firms all over the country and with aspiring legal professionals around the globe, and it is exciting to witness the value grow as they complete projects in the law firms where they work.”
Away from the office, Johnson’s favorite activities include having fun with her family.
“We are competitive, so our activities usually involve games, go-kart racing, hoops challenges, cornhole, mini-golf, or escape rooms,” she says. “I also enjoy cooking, read ing, and traveling to sunny places.”

As leader of market research and competitive intel ligence efforts across all 19 of Burr & Forman’s offices, David Morgan is called “an invaluable part of the team.”
Morgan is responsible for providing insight and analy sis of clients’ and potential clients’ business activities, leadership profiles, strategic objectives, and industry out looks. This information and the perspectives he provides are essential to the firm’s client relationships, business development efforts, and quality of representation.
For example, a prospective client dossier he recently authored helped a partner secure a $300 million real estate transaction.
It’s a role he loves.
“I enjoy researching to the point where I can often be so absorbed in what I am doing that I lose track of time,” he says. “I find what I do particularly rewarding because it varies so much from day to day, and I work with smart people who inspire me and push me to do my best.”
A former teacher with a background in library science, Morgan also helps conduct case research for the firm’s attorneys, ensuring that all relevant court decisions and legal precedents are known and presented to counsel.
“I feel proud whenever I’m told my research had a meaningful impact such as when an attorney informs me that something I uncovered helped craft a winning argument, or when the business development team tells me research I did helped win new business,” he says.
Morgan earned a Bachelor of Education degree from McGill University in Montreal, Que bec and a Master of Library & Information Sciences from the University of South Carolina He also holds a variety of competitive intelligence certifications.
When Morgan’s not at work, he enjoys an active lifestyle.
“I like to stay healthy by biking, running and playing hockey, and I like to spend time with my family,” he says.
“Every lawyer will tell you achieving work-life balance in the legal profession is hard,” she says.
“Becoming the first female partner not only validated the years of hard work and sacrifice I have devoted to my career, but also on a personal level, validated that I am able to achieve milestones in my career all while raising two young children and being just as present in their lives as in my work life.”
A graduate of the University of Notre Dame with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, Meehan also holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing and worked as a registered nurse at the Medical Univer sity of South Carolina before going to law school at Charleston School of Law.
She was a nurse prior to becoming a personal injury lawyer.
Among her many contributions to community and professional organizations, Meehan serves on the board of directors of Kids’ Chance of South Carolina, which provides scholarships and support for college and vocational education to dependents of South Carolina workers catastrophically or fatally injured in work-related accidents.

“Unquestionably, my favorite aspect of my job is helping people,” she says. When clients first come to me, it is often at a very low point in their lives, and when I am able to get my clients the benefits they deserve and see the genuine relief and hap piness they experience as a result, it validates my decision to help injured people and brings me great joy.”
When Meehan is not at work, she enjoys exercising, reading, socializing with friends, trying new restaurants, and spending time with my husband and two daugh ters.
JEANEAN PETOSKEY CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER FINKEL LAW FIRM COLUMBIA, S.C.
Initially hired a compliance officer at the Finkel Law Firm’s foreclosure department in Charleston in 2019, Jeanean Petoskey was promoted to chief operating of ficer less than a year later.
She has kept both the firm’s offices in Charleston and Columbia running smoothly across the pandemic and during multiple officer turnovers while serving mul tiple roles. She has continued as compliance officer and has taken on the firm’s human resources duties.
Petoskey is known for her tireless work to improve day-to-day life at the firm and has instituted new and improved procedures to help the offices run smoothly. She also incorporates fun activities and celebrations in both offices to make sure staff and attorneys feel welcome and appreciated.
“I get the pleasure of working with some of the most skilled attorneys and paralegals in the industry,” she says. “Working daily with such talent, learning from their insights and willingness to share their collective experience creates an opportunity for me to grow and feel like I am excelling as I do my part to meet the business mission of the firm.”
While many people used downtime during the COVID-19 pandemic to further personal projects, Petoskey turned her attention to the firm’s case management system manuals.
“I studied the manuals and taught myself configurations and coding,” she says. “This allowed me to make system changes internally saving the firm thousands of dollars each year on support and external management.”

When Petoskey is not at work, she enjoys traveling and teaching yoga. She holds multiple certifications in yoga instruction, and practices the art of asana, meditation, and breathwork.
“I am inspired to travel to destinations where I can fully immerse myself in the culture and seek adventures that take me out of my comfort zone,” she says. “Yoga helps me maintain a healthy work-life balance.”
As a paralegal at McAngus Goudelock & Courie, Christine Strickland is so good at her job, she was recruited to serve as executive secretary for the Horry County Bar Association’s executive board.
At the Horry County Bar Association, Strickland helps plan events and continuing education seminars. She has also led the association in funding public school debates and offering pre-law scholarships and develops strategies for serving the community.


At work, she has been called “smart, hard-working, efficient and reliable.”






































































































































Strickland loves her workplace and colleagues as much as they love her.

“I don’t know how I got so lucky to find an office with such amazing people to work for and with,” she says.













Growing up in Myrtle Beach, Strickland attended Stuart Hall School, an all-girl boarding school in Staunton, Va. from the 8th grade through graduation. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree from Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Va. She received a master’s degree in forensic psychology from American International College in Springfield Mass.















She was in Air Force officer training when she received a marriage proposal and left the training program to start a family. Her husband has a law degree, but instead of practicing, works as a full-time fire fighter for the City of Myrtle Beach. The couple has two sons.





































A founding member of the Junior League of the Grand Strand, Strickland is an active volunteer, most recently helping sponsor a Miracle League baseball game and coordinating a diaper drive for the local family shelter.
When she is not working, she enjoys being outside by the pool in the sun during the summertime, working in her vegetable garden, building things, and doing home improvement projects.






WILLIS








Mary





































On top of a heavy case load, Willis always finds time for significant pro bono work, specifically involving children’s special education, a role that she finds gratifying.
“I am most proud of the favorable outcomes I have obtained in special education cases,” she says.
“There is no better feeling than knowing I have made a difference in a child’s life by ensuring they receive all the educational services they are entitled to under the law.”
Willis holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Saint Michael’s College in Vermont. She earned her law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. During law school, Mary earned multiple awards including the Roberts Senior Class Writing Award and CALI Awards in Insurance, Evidence, Contracts, Civil Procedure, and Legal Research and Writing. Mary was inducted into the Order of the Coif and the Order of the Wig and Robe.
Following law school, Willis was a judicial law clerk for two U.S. District Court judges. Prior to joining the Ethridge Law Group, she worked at a large insurance defense law firm in Charleston.
She most enjoys using her skills to help people solve problems.
As a single mom to a 5-year-old boy and a 6-year-old girl, Willis says she doesn’t get much downtime.
“While I’m not sure there is such a thing as unwinding in my life at the moment, when I get the chance, I enjoy yoga, spending time with friends and family, and traveling,” she says.
DARING TO DREAM
■ BY TERI SAYLORAfghan refugee builds new life as a paralegal in Greensboro
country too. Still living in Afghanistan and in hiding are his father, two brothers, and another sister.
Khovaja Samir Seddiqi knows what hope and resilience feel like when your life is suddenly defined by grief and uncertainty.
He lost everything when the Taliban overthrew the Afghan government amidst the United States military withdrawal in August of 2021. Today, he is a paralegal in the Greensboro office of Church World Service, a global organization that helps meet the immediate needs of refugees from dangerous zones seeking asylum in the United States.
Despite everything Seddiqui has gone through, he considers himself lucky to have a job and an opportunity to help other Afghan refugees even as he labors through his own struggles.
“When someone says they had nothing, I totally came to the United States like that,” he said, while sitting in the CWS offices in downtown Greensboro on a sunny afternoon in October. “I stepped into this country with the clothes I was wearing when I left Afghanistan and $5 in my pocket.”
Just over a year ago, Seddiqi had everything going for him.
A successful entrepreneur in Kabul, he owned Saddiqi Software Services and had started the Afghanistan Progressive Youth Organization, a nonprofit dedicated to teaching English and computer skills to young Afghans, with a focus on helping women.
Fluent in English, as well as Dari and Pashto, two languages spoken in Afghanistan, he also worked for the U.S. Government as an interpreter and with defense contractors in a variety of roles, including supply chain management and office administration.
In the chaotic final days as Afghan people clamored to board planes to leave their country for safer places, Seddiqi worked alongside troops at the airport until the last minute.
“I helped the Marines with the evacuations for 10 days and did my part as an interpreter,” he said. “There was a great need to interpret an as the situation worsened.”
He secured a spot on one of the last planes out. His mother and two of his sisters were able to leave the
“We all saw the really horrible images in the news of what was happening and watched the evacuation of over 80,000 Afghan allies,” said Megan Shepard, CWS office director.
Most came directly to the United States where several military bases hosted them while their cases were being processed. From there, they traveled to resettlement agencies across the country, like CWS.
CWS helps refugees
In addition to its Greensboro office, CWS has a presence in Durham, Charlotte, and Asheville.
in 1980, Congress signed into law the Refugee Act, formalizing the refugee resettlement program as we know it now — a humanitarian lifesaving program that the U.S. government implements and contracts with national agencies to support the arrival of refugees, Shepard said CWS is one of those agencies.
In North Carolina, CWS welcomes refugees who are arriving through the U.S. Refugee Admissions program, helping them with everything, including picking them up at the airport, securing housing, getting kids enrolled in school and English classes, getting them connected to healthcare, helping them find jobs and generally restart and rebuild their lives in the United States.

“Hundreds of Afghans came to the Triad, and even more arrived in other cities across North Carolina,” Shepard said. “Many of them came with little to nothing.”
Seddiqi was in that category.
“I lost everything you can imagine — my money, my house, my company, and part of my family,” he said. “No one wants to be a refugee, but this was a situation where there was no other option. I leave or get killed. I left everything and I don’t know what has happened to it.”
With his mother and two sisters, Seddiqi first landed in the Washington, D.C., area and was soon offered a job. But instead of starting his employment, he and his family were sent to Greensboro.
A year has passed, and the culture shock is palpable.
Adapting to life in Greensboro
The Kabul Seddiqi knew was a bustling city of nearly 5 million people. Greensboro, a medium-sized city of 300,000 was no place he wanted to be. But over the recent months, he has come to love his new home.
“The first few days, it was very hard. I wanted to stay in D.C. but I had no choice,” he said. “Greensboro is a nice place, and I have learned it’s not large cities and buildings that matter. People matter, and it matters for a community to be welcoming to a person who has lost everything.”
To a visitor, Sediqqi, sitting in a private office with a warm smile on his face, appears comfortable and well-established, but his friendly calm demeanor can’t completely erase his stress and concern for his family — those who fled Afghanistan with him, and those who are still there.
His sisters are 18 and 16. One is in high school, and the other is taking English classes with her mother. All are still adjusting to their new lives in the United States. Still in Afghanistan are his father, two brothers and another sister. He constantly worries about them and holds out hope for a future reunion in the United States.
Along with rebuilding his life, Seddiqi has had to rebuild his dreams. He learned about CWS online and joined the team as an interpreter. But the agency quickly noticed his drive and his skills and education — he has a degree in information technology from Behzad Institute of Higher Education.
He also had demonstrated his leadership within the newly established Afghan community in Greensboro, providing interpretation services for those who could not speak English, and helping other refugees settle in, Shepard said.
“We learned he had a lot of interest in the legal services side of things and had significant experience completing his own paperwork and navigating through the immigration process,” she said. “So we moved him into a paralegal position where he works as an integral part of our immigration legal services team.”
Paralegal job allows him to help others
While Seddiqi never imagined he would be a

paralegal, it’s a role he has embraced, and he looks at his job as an open door to new opportunities. He has mastered his role through on-the-job training, working with attorneys and supervisors, and real clients with real cases.
His duties include typical paralegal services, con sulting with clients and preparing applications for their asylum. He points to a stack of files on his desk, and explains they contain client documents for cases he is working on.
“I summarize cases, prepare reports for our attor neys, and schedule appointments,” he said. I also help gather information, draft legal documents, and man age cases.”
Shepard calls him “fantastic.”
She is moved by how much he cares about his com munity, and as a bonus she and her colleagues at CWS have learned much about Afghan culture.
It has been really exciting to have been introduced to a new Afghan community here in the Triad,” she said. “It’s such a beautiful culture and the people have so much to offer.”
She’s also grateful to have Seddiqi on the CWS staff. “He brings so much knowledge and compassion,” she said. “And he’s just so committed to serving the Afghan community here and has been a good advocate for himself and for other Afghans.”
Last October, he was one of six Afghans in Ameri can communities across the nation recognized as 2022 Champions for Change for their efforts to help refugees fleeing the Taliban find safety in the United States.

For Seddiqi, it is all about understanding what his fellow refugees are going through.
“I understand how hard it is for other people expe riencing the same thing I did, and I am motivated to work hard for my community and for other refugees,” he said. “I know English and I also speak their lan guage, and now I’m doing what I can to try to make their lives a little easier.”
While enjoying success at work, the ability to sup port his family in Greensboro, and his new friends, Seddiqi can’t hide from the uncertainty he and other
refugees are facing in their new, homes, where they have an immigration status for just two years.
Most Afghans who have relocated to the U.S. were admitted into the country on temporary humanitar ian parole without lasting protections for work or resi dency. Afghans who left behind their homes, jobs, and families are now under a cloud of uncertainty with the prospect of their parole expiring.
The Afghanistan Adjustment Act, a bi-partisan bill introduced in Congress last year would provide a path way to lawful permanent residency for many of them.
“We and other partners have been pushing for Con gress to pass this legislation,” Shepard said. “It is un derstandable that there would be a lot of stress and worry about what happens next because it is not an option for people to return at this point because it’s just too dangerous there.”
She added the uncertainty around their immigra tion status is difficult, and it’s challenging for us as a service provider too because we don’t have the an swers to what’s going to happen either.”
Seddiqi finds solace in helping others. It is in his DNA.
“My work is more than just a job, it is about helping people,” he said.
Even in his home country, he was helping others through his nonprofit, which offered tutoring services and focusing on educating women and girls to learn English and computer skills and make them ready for jobs.
“It was all free for students, and it did not cost them a single penny, because I used my own money to fund it, even without help from the government,” he said. “We were empowering young people of Afghanistan for a better future, better jobs and a better life.”
The organization served over 700 students, and Seddiqi does not know if any of them were able to get out of the country. He’s not sure he will ever go back.
“Afghanistan is not a place to live anymore if you are a democratic person who has a free mind and wants to use your voice,” he said. “There was always the fear of being persecuted or killed.”
A year after arriving in the United States, Samir has dreams. Maybe he’ll form a start-up business like he had in Afghanistan. Maybe he’ll start another non profit or become a lawyer.
“I have my own life here now, and I really worked hard for that,” he said. “I also have my Afghan com munity and lots of friends here and in Greensboro.”
He also applauds other Afghans who have lived in the Triad area for many years and have reached out to the newcomers to share their experiences and provide guidance.
“The United States is the greatest country on Earth,” he said. “There is no fear of being persecuted or killed. Instead, there is joy and I’m happy to have the opportunity to serve the community.”
He holds out hope he and his family will be granted asylum the rest of his family will make their way to Greensboro too.
“I lost everything I had, and I’m sure one day I’ll get it back and be successful in the United States,” he said. “I never stop dreaming.”
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Connecting in a virtual community in a post-pandemic world

In April of 2020, while many of us were reeling at the changes happening in our world due to the pandemic, Gabriel Couture was writing about the importance of virtual communities.
Gabriel says virtual communities can provide “a sense of belonging and community; an experience that empowers participants to turn to their peers for authentic and relevant knowledge-sharing conversations. Our participants need to feel like they’re a part of something relevant and impactful – a community that is worth exploring and getting to know.”
What is the benefit of a virtual community?
Consider the Facebook groups you have joined. Perhaps they refl ect your hobbies or your vacation interests. I’m a member of several photography groups on Facebook though I still can’t take a great sunset picture. I’m also a member of North Carolina day trips because these are some of my favorite adventures – driving across North Carolina and discovering local art and the best diner in the county.
However, another important benefi t of a virtual community is its diversity of ideas, creativity, and differing perspectives.
Legal Communities
Bar associations listservs were forerunners of the online community. Consider the North Carolina Bar Association or the North Carolina Advocates for Justice – many would say the listservs are among the most important member benefi ts. The ability to reach out to hundreds of lawyers who do the same thing you do and ask a question with the understanding that you may have an answer within minutes – now that’s a value add!
As a matter of fact, the North Carolina Bar Association has even begun using the word community to describe their sections, divisions, committees, and interest groups.
Lawyerist is a popular online community. They describe themselves as “a resource hub for starting, running, and growing a healthy small law fi rm.”
Leading Law, virtual community formed by Lawyers Mutual Consulting, is a community of lawyers, paralegals, law fi rm leaders, legal professionals, legal technicians, business partners, law students, and law school innovators who are infl uencing the direction of the modern practice of law.

How to Choose a Virtual Community
What is your purpose in joining? I joined the Facebook photography community not because I am a photographer, but because I aspire to be. I also love art and nature and the group I joined combined those interests.
Another reason to join a community is the members and networking opportunities. The NC / SC Paralegal Facebook group is a great resource for asking career advice and virtual networking for job opportunities. If someone has seen you post high-quality content and you are searching for a job, it’s likely if they have a position open they would be willing to connect you.
Benefi ts of the community are important. You may be interested in the job board, or the skills tips and best practices that are shared. Or you may enjoy the opportunity to gather for virtual
events such as the Leading Law monthly Roundtable where the business of law is the topic and the participants are solo, small, and medium law fi rms inside and outside of North Carolina.
The New “In-Person”
A few years ago, I introduced the Managing Partner Summit, a live event held in Raleigh welcoming Managing Partners and other law fi rm leaders to an all-day, educational program focused on the business of law. Each year, the program highlighted a keynote speaker, followed by panels of local lawyers and legal professionals sharing their best practices to running their law fi rms.
In 2020, we were one week away from the event when the world began shutting down due to the pandemic. The 2020 Managing Partner Summit was rescheduled for fall. And then rescheduled for 2021. Finally, with no end to the pandemic in immediate sight, we created the virtual community, Leading Law. The idea was to replace the live event, and to make the concept of the event more accessible and to create a community of legal professionals any of whom might be available online at any time.
I’ve experienced feedback from attendees at the in-person event that it is hard to replicate that experience in a virtual community where people are not gathered in the same place at the same time. I certainly feel the same way. Live events are still the most fun and benefi cial for me as well. However, having an option of attending some events in person through bar and other professional associations, but having virtual communities to rely on as well seems like the best of both worlds to me.
It’s also easier on the budget to be a part of a virtual community. If I’m participating in the community, I have no travel time, no travel budget, and no lost hours for travel. I love appearing in person at professional events and I have no plans of stopping that, but I can be involved in more collaboration opportunities by participating in a virtual community.
Participation is often not time sensitive. I can open the Mighty Networks app to view Leading Law after dinner and post a question. Over the course of the next few days, I’ll receive responses and have time to analyze solutions.

While multiple video calls a day can be exhausting, I do feel virtual communication is the the new “in-person” form of communication. Take today for example, I chatted with clients about the weather, admired fall foliage out their offi ce window, and my cat paid a visit onscreen for a moment. While not in the same room, we were participating in the same experience.
Leading Law benefi ts include:
• Exclusive content and conversations you can’t fi nd anywhere else

• Monthly Leading Law Roundtables with facilitated discussions led by industry experts
• Connecting with people who share your interests, who do the same things, or who care about the same topics
• Advice for more well-informed decisions about building and managing modern law fi rms and clients
• The ability to swap stories, experiences, and ideas around our shared mission
• Finding a little inspiration, thought-provoking conversations, and expert perspective each and every day.
• Sign up for Leading Law at lawyersmutualconsulting.com.
Find a virtual community that meets your needs. Get involved by posting questions, asking for advice, and engagement with other professionals. Membership in a virtual community can help you to build a modern practice and expand your referral base. I love the encouragement and support I get in the virtual communities where I participate. It’s almost like being at your favorite conference anytime but perhaps a little more manageable.
Camille is the president of Lawyers Mutual Consulting & Services. Continue this conversation by contacting Camille at camille@lawyersmutualconsulting.com or 919.677.8900.
Jasmine Williams finds her calling as a paralegal

She went on to receive an associate degree in para legal studies from Altierus Career College while working fulltime and raising her children.
She is now the senior paralegal at Jeffries Law Firm in Orangeburg, where she has worked since 2012, focusing on personal injury and workers’ com pensation.
“I met attorney Jeffries in my first job, and I
smile.” With this, I am motivated to give every day my all.
Skillset wish list: I’d love to obtain the Profes sional Paralegal certification from NALS. It would build confidence and provide evidence that I have the necessary knowledge and understanding of the pro fession. I believe we should always take advantage of opportunities to further our education, and it is always wise to consider ways of bettering yourself.
My desktop: My desktop is messy and for me, there is organization in chaos. I know where every thing is and what it’s for. I task everything on my PC calendar. However, I am also a firm believer in the use of paper. I must have post it notes and hand written reminders. I have portraits of my family, my degree, and notary public certification, and an over sized picture of the scales of justice on my wall. A hot cup of coffee is also a must-have and always on my desk.
I might have been: If I was not a paralegal, I would pursue a psychology degree and administer therapeutic services to mental health patients. I am a firm believer that we all just need someone to talk to and if we can talk and listen, we might be able to save someone from hurting themselves or someone else.
When Jasmine Williams landed a job as a legal assistant at The Law Office of Carl B. Grant, she ad mits she was so nervous when she started, and had no idea she would fall in love with her profession.
“I guess you could say that once I got my foot in the door, I never walked out, and my life has been moving forward ever since,” she says.
The 39-year-old mother of three grew up in West chester, N.Y. and moved to Orangeburg, S.C. in 2001. She attended Lyndon B. Johnson Job Corps Center in 2005, where she earned her GED along with a trade certificate in business administration.
loved her personality and her strong-willed desire to help people,” Williams says. “I vowed that if I was ever offered the opportunity to work for her, I would do just that.”
Motivation: My daily motivation outside of my family is my desire to help those in need. I believe that when you are injured and your world has been literally turned upside down, you should seek a law practice that will listen to you and express genuine concern about not only the injuries sustained but the mental anguish and emotional instability that comes along with the loss of a job or ability to provide for your family. The people are my motivation. I begin my day with the following statement: “You are here to help your neighbor. You are here to listen. You will make a difference today. You will make someone
Favorite music: I listen to all types of hip-hop, pop, country, gospel, R&B and rock music. Lately, I’ve had a fascination with smooth jazz, especially at the office. The sounds of a saxophone playing in the background when I’m typing a chronology or com pleting discovery responses really makes it easier to focus.
Spare time activities: I am the youth director at my local church, so my spare time consists of work ing with the kids to ensure that they are learning and growing spiritually. We host fundraisers, per form community service, and encourage our young entrepreneurs to push forward with their business ventures. I also have a small business called Night Twinklers, creating custom solar décor and resin de signs.
View Available Dates Calendars & Bios Online for the State’s Premier Mediators
NAME Hon. Sharon Barrett
Sarah V. Corley
Michael W. Drye
Anne Duvoisin
Jennifer S. Brearley
LeAnn Nease Brown
Melinda M. Evans
Steve Dunn
Wayne P. Huckel
Jason B. James
Raymond E. Owens Jr.
Robert A. Beason
Donald H. Beskind
Joseph Chambliss
Dailey J. Derr
Rene Stemple Trehy
Henry W. Gorham
T. Alan Pittman
Richard D. Conner
Thomas C. Duncan
William A. Eagles
Lynn G. Gullick
Jonathan R Harkavy
Robert A. Brinson
Michael A. Swann
Scott C. Hart
Ken McCotter Jr.
M. Ann Anderson
PROFILE ONLINE AT ncmediators.org/sharon-barrett ncmediators.org/sarah-corley ncmediators.org/michael-drye ncmediators.org/anne-duvoisin ncmediators.org/jennifer-brearley ncmediators.org/leann-nease-brown ncmediators.org/melinda-evans ncmediators.org/steve-dunn ncmediators.org/wayne-huckel ncmediators.org/jason-james ncmediators.org/raymond-owens ncmediators.org/robert-beason ncmediators.org/donald-beskind ncmediators.org/joseph-chambliss ncmediators.org/dailey-derr ncmediators.org/rene-ellis ncmediators.org/henry-gorham ncmediators.org/alan-pittman ncmediators.org/richard-conner ncmediators.org/thomas-duncan ncmediators.org/william-eagles ncmediators.org/lynn-gullick ncmediators.org/jonathan-harkavy ncmediators.org/robert-brinson ncmediators.org/michael-swann ncmediators.org/scott-hart ncmediators.org/charles-mccotter ncmediators.org/ann-anderson
PHONE (828) 768-5124 (828) 232-2800 (828) 298-1484 (828) 295-7469 (704) 533-5025 (919) 968-1111 (919) 593-5167 (888) 305-3553 (704) 333-0073 (704) 227-0124 (704) 295-4509 (919) 419-9979 (919) 613-7085 (919) 414-1808 (919) 419-1265 (866) 517-0145 (919) 805-5003 (910) 486-0992 (336) 691-9222 (336) 274-7243 (336) 433-9980 (336) 686-4336 (336) 370-4200 (336) 889-8733 (336) 249-7777 (252) 633-3131 (252) 635-1005 (336) 368-9621
Robert
James
PROFILE ONLINE AT ncmediators.org/virginia-adams ncmediators.org/collins-barwick ncmediators.org/asa-bell ncmediators.org/richard-boyette ncmediators.org/jackie-clare ncmediators.org/thomas-clare ncmediators.org/jim-conner ncmediators.org/kate-deiter ncmediators.org/paul-flick ncmediators.org/patricia-holland ncmediators.org/joseph-howell ncmediators.org/anderson-little ncmediators.org/michael-mcdaniel ncmediators.org/robert-meynardie ncmediators.org/karen-peeler ncmediators.org/james-schenck ncmediators.org/reagan-weaver ncmediators.org/bonnie-weyher ncmediators.org/scott-taylor ncmediators.org/marshall-gallop ncmediators.org/ralph-meekins ncmediators.org/kent-smith ncmediators.org/jessie-conley ncmediators.org/lewis-sauls ncmediators.org/sherman-criner ncmediators.org/william-blancato ncmediators.org/kenneth-carlson ncmediators.org/william-freeman ncmediators.org/ellen-gelbin
PHONE (919) 838-8873 (919) 480-8738 (919) 755-1068 (919) 863-8729 (919) 755-9979 (919) 805 5007 (919) 313-4571 (919) 400-4087 (919) 809-7346 (984) 232-8014 (919) 365-6000 (919) 967-6611 (919) 610-7043 (919) 747-7373 (919) 272-7413 (919) 789-9242 (919) 828-0363 (919) 835-0900 (919) 949-4227 (252) 937-2200 (704) 487-1234 (910) 693-3411 (704) 871-1989 (910) 642-6559 (910) 251-0004 (336) 793-4238 (336) 721-6843 (336) 722-8872 (336) 945-0214
I guess you could say that once I got my foot in the door, I never walked out, and my life has been moving forward ever since.






Traci B. Wolfe finds her passion as a paralegal
shut its doors, leaving Wolfe at a crossroads.
Then she discovered her new passion in the law.
“The home health agency’s owner, who was a friend, put in a good word for me with an at torney with the Cromer and Mabry Law Firm who was looking for a paralegal,” Wolfe says. “He mainly handled employment law matters, and even with no legal experience, I went on the interview and was hired the same day.”
Wolfe continued to work for the firm until Benjamin Mabry’s death in 2014. She followed the associate attorney who worked with her to Callison Tighe and Associates where she stayed for six years.
“Then in 2020, I joined a team that left CTR and started Burnette Shutt and McDaniel, where I currently work,” she says.
When the firm brought in a family law attor ney, she jumped in full force to learn family law.
The year she received her degree in legal studies, she joined the Legal Staff Profession als of the Midlands and is in her second year as president.
“I have also held multiple leadership positions in the paralegal profession on the state and local levels,” she says. “In 2019, I obtained my Profes sional Paralegal certification through the NALS certification program.”
I am an enabler, and proud of it. I cherish the re lationships and bonds I develop with our clients.
Favorite work activity: That’s a tough one, in family law it would be finding out all I can about the opposing party to help assist the at torneys. For employment, it would be discovery. I love to ask questions and convince the other side to give up what they have. I guess you could say I am nosey.
My superpower: That is an easy one. My su perpower is dealing with people and getting them to talk with me. The attorneys in my office say I use my “Traci Magic” to get things done.
On leadership: If you work in the legal field, you already are in leadership. You must manage attorneys and multiple cases each day. Serving the paralegal profession as an association leader will give you the opportunity to develop new skills and sharpen the skills you already have. Limiting yourself to simply serving as a member, you have a reduced impact on how your association moves forward. Leadership gives you a stronger voice in how your association moves to the next level.
In 2018, at the age of 51, Traci B. Wolfe re turned to college and earned an associate degree in legal studies from Purdue University. She had already experienced two full careers and was in the middle of her third when she decided to go to school.

Born in Hickory, N.C. Wolfe worked in a fur niture factory most of her life until she moved to South Carolina in 1992 where she began manag ing a home health agency. In 2008, that agency
Wolfe has been married to her husband, Ken neth for 34 years and has a blended family of two girls, one boy, and a son who is now “an angel the family lost when he was 18 years old,” she says. She also has eight grandchildren, two dogs, Bailey and Gracie, and one “grandpup” named Trevor.
Inspiration: The attorneys I work directly with play a big part of my drive and my success. Also, helping clients through one of the toughest experiences of their life is a driving force for me.
Goals: I am not one to goals. In 2018 we lost our 18-year-old son. From that January day, I live each day the best I can. If I am blessed to wake up in the morning, I will make the best of the day that was given to me. I also strive to ensure that both professionally and personally, people know how much I appreciate them and care about them.
Work/live balance: I don’t have work/life bal ance, and that is okay. I chose to wait until I was over 50 years old to become a workaholic. I love my job. I love my friends and my connections with the Legal Staff Professionals. We share the same passions, and we get each other. Working in the legal profession is tough, it drains you mentally. It is great to have likeminded colleagues that un derstand. We work hard and play hard when we need to.
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Opinions
Insurance
Auto – UIM Stacking – Rental Car –Replacement Vehicle – Policy Ambi guityBecause the petitioner-insur er’s auto policy is ambiguous as to whether or not a rental vehicle – when it temporarily replaces an owned vehicle – is considered an owned vehicle, we construe the policy against the drafter and con clude that the respondent-insured is entitled to stack her underin sured motorist coverages.

We modify and affirm the Court of Appeals’ reversal of the circuit court’s decision in favor of the in surer.
Respondent’s vehicle was dam aged in an accident that was not her fault. The at-fault driver’s insurance company provided her with a rental car to drive while her vehicle was being repaired.
While driving the rental car, re spondent was involved in another accident that was not her fault. At the time, respondent had five sep arate auto insurance policies with petitioner. At issue is whether she can stack those policies’ underin sured motorist (UIM) coverages.
Stacking enables the insured to recover under more than one poli cy. An individual must be a Class I insured in order to stack. A Class I insured is an insured or named insured who has a vehicle in the accident. An insured is a Class II insured if none of his vehicles are involved in the accident.
Here we are asked to determine whether respondent, as the opera tor of a rental car, is a Class I or Class II insured. The General As sembly has set forth this delinea
tion between Class I and Class II: “If none of the insured’s or named insured’s vehicles is involved in the accident, coverage is available only to the extent of coverage on any one of the vehicles with the excess or underinsured coverage.”
The possessive relationship— ”Insured’s…vehicle”—means something less than ownership. However, the relationship between driver and vehicle must be suffi cient to make the possessive lan guage logical.
Accordingly, the parties may contract for the coverage of cer tain, specifically defined vehicles; rental cars could be covered by the policy, but the statute in no way mandates that result. Thus, we must look to the policy itself to determine whether the parties in tended respondent’s relationship to her rental car be sufficient to render her a Class I driver, able to stack.
At issue is precisely where a car that is “not non-owned,” as tem porary substitute cars are reason ably articulated to be, fits within this policy.
The parties’ policy provides, in part, “Temporary Substitute Car means a car that is in the lawful possession of the person operating it and that . . . replaces your car for a short time while your car is out of use due to its: a. breakdown; b. repair; c. servicing, d. damage; or e. theft; and neither you nor the person operating it own or have registered. If a car qualifies as both a non-owned car and a tempo rary substitute car, then it is con sidered a temporary substitute car only. . . .”
“If a car qualifies as both a nonowned car and a temporary sub stitute car, then it is considered a
temporary substitute car only.”
Respondent contends the only apparent purpose of this sentence is to remove temporary substitute cars from the consequences of be ing non-owned cars. While nor mally all temporary cars would be considered non-owned because, as petitioner points out, they are by their definition not owned, the pol icy ostensibly exempts them from this consequence by denominating them temporary substitute cars only.
On one hand, temporary substi tute vehicles are not-owned, but on the other, the policy clearly states they are not to be considered nonowned. Thus, both a finding of cov erage and a finding against cover age could be reasonably supported by a reading of the policy language concerning non-owned and not non-owned.
Because it has diametrically-op posing yet reasonable interpreta tions, the policy is ambiguous and, construing the provision against the drafter, respondent will be per mitted to stack her UIM coverage.
Affirmed as modified.
Dissent
(James, J.) Policy paragraph 3 prohibits stacking if the insured is injured while occupying a vehicle that is not “owned by” the named insured, his or her spouse, or resi dent relative. This paragraph un ambiguously prohibits respondent from stacking and does not violate S.C. Code Ann. § 38-77-160.
State Farm Mutual Automo bile Insurance Co. v. Windham (Lawyers Weekly No. 010-045-22, 16 pp.) (Kaye Hearn, J.) (George James, J., joined by John Few, J., dissenting) Appealed from Lexing ton County Circuit Court (Thomas
Cooper, J.) Alfred Johnston Cox and Jessica Ann Waller for peti tioner; Stephen Cook and John Koon for respondent. S.C. S. Ct.
Workers’ Compensation
Causation – Prior Back Injury – Fraud in the Application Defense
While working for Richtex Brick in 1997, Claimant suffered a back injury which resolved. When he applied to work for respondent Michelin North America in 2017, Claimant did not list Richtex Brick as a previous employer, and on a medical form he answered “no” when asked whether he had ever had medical attention for back injury, backache or back pain. Michelin has not proven that Claimant’s false representation was causally connected to his 2017 back injury.
We reverse the Workers’ Com pensation Commission’s denial of benefits.
The Commission found that Claimant’s neurosurgeon, Dr. Scott Boyd, was not aware of “the extent” of Claimant’s 1997 back injury. However, the record con tains no evidence that the 1997 injury did not resolve, and the record does not indicate the “ex tent” of the injury. In the medical notes from 1997, the Richtex doc tor noted that Claimant had been improving.
The record contains no medi cal evidence that Claimant’s 1997

back injury somehow contributed to his June 24, 2017, injury or that he was predisposed to back injury. Indeed, Claimant worked at West inghouse for 16 years without a back injury.
Because the medical testimony is the only competent evidence in the record relating to a causal con nection, or lack thereof, between Claimant’s false representation of the 1997 back injury and the 2017 injury, the Commission erred in finding Michelin proved its fraud in the application defense.
Capers
Claimant recovered from his 1997 back injury, and there is no indication in the record that he could have expected to have simi lar back problems at Michelin in 2017. Significantly, Claimant worked at Westinghouse for 16 years with no back problems.
Claimant testified his 1997 back injury was in a different area of his back than the 2017 injury. Dr. Boyd’s testimony and opinion, which is the only medical testi mony and opinion relating to the 2017 injury, do not support the theory that Claimant’s 2017 in jury was non-accidental and could have been expected given past ex perience.
The Commission erred in find ing that Claimant’s claim was barred by Capers v. Flautt , 305 S.C. 254, 407 S.E.2d 660 (Ct. App. 1991).
§ 42-9-60
S.C. Code Ann. § 42-9-60 pro vides, in part, “No compensation shall be payable if the injury or
death was occasioned by the intox ication of the employee or by the wilful intention of the employee to injure or kill himself or another.”
The record contains no evidence that Claimant deliberately intend ed to injure himself as described in this section.
Credibility
Claimant’s credibility as to his prior workers’ compensation claim and prior back injury in 1997 is not a reasonable and meaningful basis for the Commission’s deter mination that he did not suffer an accidental injury arising out of his employment at Michelin in 2017. Rather, the medical evidence per taining to his 2017 injury, which consists of an MRI and the expert medical opinion of a neurosurgeon, is not contradicted and constitutes substantial evidence that supports a reversal of the Commission’s or der.
Reversed and remanded.
Brailey v. Michelin North Amer ica, Inc. (Lawyers Weekly No. 011066-22, 11 pp.) (Bruce Williams, C.J.) Appealed from the Workers’ Compensation Commission. Ste phen Benjamin Samuels for ap pellant; Grady Larry Beard and Jasmine Denise Smith for respon dents. S.C. App.
Tort/Negligence
Medical Malpractice – Infant Deliv ery – Shoulder Dystocia – Emergency Situation
Data from the minor plaintiff’s de livery indicated stability, but the par ties’ experts disagreed on whether the situation itself – shoulder dystocia
– was a medically unstable situation. Given the defense experts’ opinions that shoulder dystocia is a medically unstable situation, the circuit court properly submitted the question of medical malpractice to the jury.
We affirm judgment for the defen dant-obstetrician.
Facts
During delivery, the Minor plain tiff’s shoulder became lodged against the plaintiff-Mother’s pubic bone. Within 60 seconds, the defendantdoctor and her team had freed the Mi nor’s shoulder.
However, the Minor suffered a bra chial plexus injury. He has permanent and significant loss of right arm func tion, and his right arm is shorter than his left due to muscle atrophy.
Discussion
S.C. Code Ann. § 15-32-230 re quires a showing of gross negligence in a medical malpractice action (A) “arising out of a care rendered in a genuine emergency situation involv ing an immediate threat of death or serious bodily injury to the patient receiving care . . . in an obstetrical . . . suite” and (B) “arising out of obstet rical care rendered by a physician on an emergency basis when there is no previous doctor/patient relationship . . . or the patient has not received pre natal care. . . .”
As we said in Flowers v. Giep, 436 S.C. 281, 871 S.E.2d 607 (Ct. App. 2021), cert. denied (Sept. 7, 2022), subsection (A) describes a physician that encounters an emergency while providing care whereas subsection (B) describes a physician treating a patient previously unassociated with the physician or his or her practice or lacking prior prenatal care. Because subsections (A) and (B) describe differ
ent factual scenarios in which a physi cian might provide negligent care, we find the legislature intended subsec tion (B) to apply separately from sub section (A) rather than as a limitation to (A).
Here, subsection (B) is inapplicable to Mother’s circumstances because Mother was an established patient of defendant’s practice, Carolina OBGYN, where she received prenatal care. Accordingly, the circuit court properly denied Mother’s motion for a partial directed verdict and properly declined her request to declare the gross negligence standard of § 15-32230(A) inapplicable.
For the emergency statute to ap ply, the physician must prove, among other things, that the patient was not medically stable. Experts on both sides agreed that the data from the fetal heart monitoring strips, Apgar scores and cord blood gases indicated stabil ity. However, defendant’s experts tes tified shoulder dystocia is a medically unstable situation because if the baby is not timely delivered, lack of oxygen can lead to brain injury or even death.
While Mother disagrees, these opinions provided a basis from which the jury could properly determine the necessary elements of § 15-32-230 were met. Thus, the circuit court prop erly considered the evidence at trial in conjunction with the requirements of the statute in submitting the case to the jury.
Affirmed.
Smalling v. Maselli (Lawyers Weekly No. 011-067-22, 7 pp.) (Steph anie McDonald, J.) Appealed from Georgetown County Circuit Court (Larry Human, J.) Edward Graham for appellant; James Bernard Hood, John O’Connor Radeck and Deborah Harrison Sheffield for respondent. S.C. App.
BMW opens Vehicle Accessories Center near Greer plant
■ BY ROSS NORTON rnorton@scbiznews.comBMW of North America opened a new Vehicle Accessories Center in Greer to enable the company to “fac tory install” a range of vehicle acces sories on the BMW Sports Activity Vehicles built nearby at Plant Spar tanburg before to the vehicles are de livered to dealers.
The new 60,000-square-foot facility represents an investment of nearly $25 million and creates about 60 new jobs, the company said at the Nov. 14 ceremony.
The BMW Vehicles Accessories Center will support all 350 BMW dealers nationwide by installing a full range of exterior and interior acces sories including wheels, body parts, decals, M Performance parts, interior trim pieces, floormats, roof accesso ries and more.
“This new vehicle accessories cen ter embodies our commitment to de livering the best premium customer experience in the industry,” Sebas tian Mackensen, president and CEO of BMW of North America, based in Woodcliff Lake, N.J. “By factory in stalling accessories before delivery to the dealer, vehicles arrive already as ordered by customers. This will pro vide for a more efficient process and quicker delivery times for our custom ers.”
The facility specifically supports Plant Spartanburg, which current ly builds approximately 60% of the BMWs sold in the United States, including the best-selling BMW X3,
BMW X5 and BMW X7. Plant Spar tanburg will begin production of the newest BMW X model, the first-ever BMW XM, this December.
Fall has been an active time for BMW announcements.
BMW Manufacturing opened a $100 million logistics center Sept. 29, assembled the 6 millionth vehicle made at Plant Spartanburg the next day and opened a $20 million train ing center Oct. 7. In the middle of it, the company recognized the 30th an niversary of breaking ground for the plant and then announced $1.7 billion plans to grow some more. The first billion will go to expand Plant Spar tanburg and another $700 million will build a new battery production facility in Woodruff.
BMW Group Chairman Oliver Zipse, in Greer to make the an nouncement and in the United States for a tour that including showing off the new BMW XM, stressed that the new batteries that will power BMW vehicles into the future will be BMW
designed and made, not purchased from suppliers.
By 2030 BMW Group will build at least six fully electric models in Spar tanburg County, Zipse said. “You will not believe how big that factory is go ing to be,” he told a crowd that includ ed local, state and national politicians, including Woodruff Mayor Kenneth Gist, who said Woodruff employees were hanging “Welcome BMW” ban ners even as the announcement was still underway in Greer.
The logistics center, called LCX, is on Freeman Farm Road in Greer, billed by BMW as a “more efficient, sustainable and digital operation” in keeping with company efforts to stay ahead of changing technology.
BMW Manufacturing President and CEO Robert Engelhorn said LCX combines two warehouses into one fa cility, “making our processes faster, leaner and more efficient.” He said the center incorporates elements of the BMW iFactory strategy, which defines the future of automotive man
ufacturing for all of BMW production worldwide.
The $20 million training center was built with a goal of promoting creative learning, fostering innova tion and advancing technical skills in a changing automotive industry. It will have an additional economic impact on the Upstate economy by at tracting people from BMW operations across North America for training.
The 68,000-square-foot training center includes classrooms for pro fessional development and technical training, an amphitheater and an outdoor meeting and workspace that includes wireless capabilities.
The center is near the manufac turing plant off S.C. Highway 101 in Greer. It will be the North American training hub for all future technolo gies for BMW associates tasked with mastering state-of-the-art skills to stay ahead of industry standards, ac cording to a news release.

“Our associates are rising to the challenge to make the BMW Group electric, digital and circular,” Ilka Horstmeier, a member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, said in the news release. She also is director for people and real estate, labor relations.
“This new training center will give the entire Plant Spartanburg team the environment to learn and grow their careers and meet the demands of our customers worldwide Through training in digitalization and future technologies, we will ensure that the BMW Group remains the leader in mobility and is an attractive work place for future generations.”