Wallace K. Lightsey
Recognized since 1997
Greenville, South Carolina
Appellate Practice
Bet-the-Company Litigation
Commercial Litigation
Ethics and Professional Responsibility Law
Litigation - First Amendment
Litigation - Intellectual Property
Wallace is an experienced trial and appellate attorney, with over 60 jury trials in state and federal courts throughout the Southeast, and approximately 100 bench trials, jury trials, and arbitration trials, as well as numerous appeals in the South Carolina appellate courts and the United States Courts of Appeals for the First, Fourth, Sixth, and Eleventh Circuits. His practice involves complex securities, corporate, and intellectual property cases, as well as news media and First Amendment disputes. In the area of First Amendment litigation, he has represented Facebook Inc., Time Inc., The New York Times Company, The Associated Press, and Pulitzer Broadcasting, as well as many local and state newspapers and broadcasters. He also has deep experience litigating disputes over intellectual property — such as trademark, copyright, and trade secrets — and in recent years has been lead counsel in copyright lawsuits involving close to a billion dollars at issue.
In 2004, he was inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers, an organization composed of a small percentage of the best trial attorneys in the U.S. and Canada. And in 2019, he was inducted into the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, the most prestigious group of appellate practitioners in the country.
Wallace is actively involved in matters of professional ethics, and served as the Chair of the South Carolina Commission on Lawyer Conduct from 1997 through 2004.
Building on his substantial trial and courtroom experience, Wallace has been certified by the American Arbitration Association to its Roster of Neutrals for commercial arbitration, and has served as panel chair, panel member, and sole arbitrator in a number of arbitrations involving large, complex disputes as well as relatively simple ones. Unlike many judges, Wallace likes helping to resolve discovery disputes and is available for appointment as a special discovery master in lawsuits where the parties anticipate having to deal with difficult discovery matters.
Contact & Links
Location
- 200 East Broad Street, Suite 400
Greenville, SC 29601
Education
- Harvard University , J.D., graduated 1983
- Duke University , A.B., graduated 1979
Bar Admissions
- South Carolina, South Carolina Bar
Affiliations
- American Arbitration Association Roster of Neutrals - Certified Member
- South Carolina Bar Foundation - President, 2011-2012
- American Bar Association Foundation - Fellow
- The Warehouse Theatre - Director, 2011-2015
- Greenville United Way Palmetto Society Board - Member, 2010-2013
- Greenville Chamber of Commerce Board of Governors - Member, 2009-2012
- Litigation Counsel of America - Fellow
- South Carolina Commission on Lawyer Conduct - Chairman, 1997-2004
Court Admissions
- United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh District
- United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
- United States Supreme Court
- United States District, District of South Carolina
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fourt Circuit
Federal Clerkships
- United States Court of Appeals
- United States Supreme Court
19 The Best Lawyers in America® awards
3 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America awards
Named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers® for:
- Litigation - Intellectual Property, Greenville (2016)
- Appellate Practice, Greenville (2014)
- Bet-the-Company Litigation, Greenville (2012)
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2022 for work in:
- Appellate Practice
- Litigation - First Amendment
- Litigation - Intellectual Property
- Bet-the-Company Litigation
- Commercial Litigation
- Ethics and Professional Responsibility Law
Special Focus
- First Amendment
Awards:
- Recognized on Pro Bono Honor Roll by the Supreme Court of South Carolina, 2019
- Ranked Number One by South Carolina Super Lawyers, 2019
- Ranked Second by South Carolina Super Lawyers, 2016
- Named Greenville Litigation - Intellectual Property "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers, 2016
- SC Lawyers Weekly "Leadership in Law," 2015
- Greenville Business Magazine "50 Most Influential 2015"
- Named Best Lawyers Greenville Appellate Practice "Lawyer of the Year," 2014
- Named One of the Top 10 Lawyers in SC by South Carolina Super Lawyers, 2013-Present
- Recognized as "Legal Elite" by Greenville Business Magazine, 2013-Present
- Recognized by The National Trial Lawyers as a Top 100 Trial Lawyer, 2013
- Named One of the Top 25 Lawyers in SC by South Carolina Super Lawyers, 2012-Present
- Named Greenville's "Bet-the-Company Litigation Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers, 2012
- Listed in South Carolina Super Lawyers, 2008-Present
- American College of Trial Lawyers, Fellow, 2004
- Listed in Chambers USA, 2004-Present
- Listed in Best Lawyers in America, 1997-Present
News & Links
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