Leslie M. Whitten

A. Hoyt Rowell III is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Health Care Law and Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs. A. Hoyt, who practices law in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, has been recognized since 2009. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which A. Hoyt is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Following in the footsteps of his father, firm founder Reese Joye, Mark Joye is now head of the litigation department and represents those who have been injured by defective products, in car crashes, and in tractor-trailer collisions. In 1997, Mark represented the parents of Sergio Jimenez, who was ejected from the back of a Chrysler minivan in an accident and killed. The case resulted in a $262.5 million verdict for the family and is one of the largest personal injury verdicts in South Carol...

Attorney Benjamin W. Akery is a partner at the Steinberg Law Firm. Based out of the Goose Creek office, Ben primarily handles personal injury and workers' compensation cases. Ben earned his undergraduate degree from the College of Charleston and obtained his Juris Doctorate degree from Emory University's School of Law. He is an active member of the South Carolina Bar Association, Charleston County Bar, and Berkeley County Bar, where he served on the board of directors and as president of the ...

G. Mark Phillips is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Product Liability Litigation - Defendants. G. Mark, who practices law in Charleston, South Carolina, has been recognized since 2010. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which G. Mark is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Motley Rice co-founder Joe Rice is recognized as a skillful and innovative negotiator of complex litigation settlements, having served as the lead negotiator in some of the largest civil actions our courts have seen in the last 35 years. In 2023, his law school alma mater renamed the school the USC Joseph F. Rice School of Law. Corporate Legal Times reported that defense counsel and legal scholars described Joe as one of the nation's “five most feared and respected plaintiffs’ law...

Melissa is a member of Butler Snow’s Labor and Employment group, with experience in a wide range of industries. Melissa regularly counsels clients on compliance issues and represents employers before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the South Carolina Human Affairs Commission, and in both state and federal court against lawsuits arising under Title VII, ADA, ADEA, FMLA, and the FLSA.

T. David Hoyle is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs. T. David, who practices law in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which T. David is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Professional Experience Nathan Crystal is a scholar and a practicing attorney. He has advised individuals and entities, including major law firms, on matters of contract law and professional ethics and has lectured throughout the world on these subjects. He frequently serves as expert witness or consultant in multimillion dollar cases. Nathan Crystal is a Class of 1969 Professor Emeritus of Professional Responsibility and Contract Law, University of South Carolina. He taught for 34 years at t...

John Herrick has spent more than 30 years representing victims of asbestos exposure suffering from mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. As a leader of the firm’s occupational disease practice, John continues to fight for the rights of those harmed by asbestos and other occupational diseases and assists in managing the firm’s asbestos litigation teams. A senior trial lawyer with years of courtroom experience, John represents individuals and families against defendants ...

Trenholm is a versatile litigation attorney who handles a wide variety of cases at the trial and appellate levels. As a result of his trial skills and accomplishments, he has received the distinction of membership in the American College of Trial Lawyers, the American Board of Trial Advocates, and Litigation Counsel of America. He has also been ranked at the top among his peers by Super Lawyers®, Chambers USA® Legal Guide, and “Best Lawyers in America.” In addition to case...