Katon E. Dawson Jr.

A native of Columbia, Ben graduated from Woodberry Forest School in Virginia and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He earned his J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law, where he was awarded the Robert McCormick Figg, Jr. Trial Advocacy Award and the Claud Sapp Award for scholarship, industry, and leadership. Ben also served as president of the USC School of Law Pro Bono Board while in law school and is currently a member of the Pro Bono Advisory Council. After...

Rachel Atkin Hedley is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation. Rachel Atkin, who practices law in Columbia, South Carolina, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Rachel Atkin is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Jonathan M. Robinson is the managing partner of Smith Robinson. Jon has represented clients in South Carolina state and federal courts and has successfully tried numerous cases to jury verdicts. He also serves as the Assistant County Attorney for Kershaw County. Prior to the merger of Smith Robinson, Jon was a partner at his previous law firm, DuBose Robinson in Camden where he practiced for 18 years. Prior to that, Jon clerked for The Honorable L. Henry McKellar, South Carolina Circuit Court...

Donny Dial is a tax attorney in Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd's Columbia office, where he works with many businesses in all areas of tax planning. He helps families with sophisticated techniques, such as leveraged gifts and family-limited partnerships that reduce estate taxes and the costs of probate.

Thad H. Westbrook is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation and Litigation - Banking and Finance. Thad H., who practices law in Columbia, South Carolina, has been recognized since 2015. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Thad H. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Stephen Suggs is an attorney with Stewart Law Offices in Columbia, South Carolina, where he represents individuals and families in complex civil litigation. For more than 20 years, Stephen has focused his legal career on advocating for people rather than corporations, with an emphasis on holding wrongdoers accountable through the civil justice system. Stephen began his career representing victims of medical malpractice, gaining valuable experience in cases involving serious injuries and wrong...

Shelley Montague

Jon Pearson is a partner in the firm's Columbia office. His practice emphasizes employment litigation of all types before state and federal courts, as well as traditional labor law. He has handled lawsuits and administrative charges involving wrongful discharge, Title VII, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), as well as many other types of employment-based claims. Jon has al...

James F. Rogers is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants and Product Liability Litigation - Defendants. James F., who practices law in Columbia, South Carolina, has been recognized since 2013. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which James F. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Biff is an experienced litigator in both trial and appellate venues and has argued approximately twenty cases in the United States Court of Appeals. He is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and a Life Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. An honoree for the 2016 South Carolina Leadership in Law Awards, Biff has been consistently recognized by Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers and Chambers USA. He is a certified Circuit Court Mediator and in the last 30 years has mediated approximate...