G-Bar News A Publication of the Greenville County Bar

Transcription

1 G-Bar News A Publication of the Greenville County Bar Jack D. Griffeth V. Clark Price William T. Clarke Courtney C. Atkinson Travis V. Olmert President President-Elect Secretary Treasurer Editor G-Bar President Jack Griffeth has generously offered this space, usually reserved for the President s Article, to update you on news from the Upstate Mediation Center ( UMC ). We made tremendous strides forward in 2010 and are on track to continue that momentum in the coming year. In order to do so, however, we need a great deal of help from volunteer mediators, committee members, and donors. The UMC is a grantee of the South Carolina Bar Foundation and exists primarily to provide affordable mediations to low-income litigants and community groups as well as to generally promote the peaceful resolution of conflict. Now in its twelfth year, the UMC depends completely on volunteer mediators and receives no government or taxpayer support. The UMC is unique in the upstate; in fact, the only other similar organization in the state of South Carolina is located in Columbia. Among other things, the UMC handles hundreds of cases annually for the 13 th Circuit Family Court. This has been a core component of UMC since the organization s founding and continues to be the primary service provided. Recent economic conditions have resulted in a tremendous increase in the demand. In 2010 the UMC served over 620 people in the Family Court program, including almost 150 indigent clients and 350 children. In order to meet this growing demand we have an urgent need for more volunteer mediators. GUEST ARTICLE By C. Diane Smock Upstate Mediation Center: An Update The UMC is therefore pleased to announce an opportunity to earn FREE CLE hours at a half-day seminar, Family Court Mediation For Civil Mediators, on Friday, February 25, Registrants who commit to volunteer at the UMC for as few as six mediations attend at no charge. For those who wish to take the class but cannot volunteer at this time, the registration fee is $175. Another upcoming opportunity for mediation training is the South Carolina Bar CLE 40 hour Family Court Mediator Certification Training on March 3 through March 7. For the first time, this course will be offered in the upstate at the University Center in Greenville. Contact the SC Bar CLE division for registration information. The UMC played a key role in the launching of the Greenville County Magistrate Court mediation program. This pilot program began operating in July 2010 as ordered by the South Carolina Supreme Court. Pursuant to the Court s order, mediation is now mandatory for all Greenville County magistrate civil cases in which a jury trial is requested. The office of Judge Michael Don Stokes coordinates the mediations for all of the magistrates in Greenville County in a centralized location. Supported by a grant from the Hollingsworth Funds, the UMC provides all mediators at no charge to the court or to the litigants. To date, almost 100 cases have been medi- (Continued on page 2) 234th edition February 2011 UPCOMING EVENTS February 11, 2011: Annual CLE February 15: Court of Appeals Judges Reception February 16: Court of Appeals at Furman Inside this issue: CLE Announcement 2 Court of Appeals Reception 2 CLE Agenda 3 Announcements 5 Upstate Mediation Center CLE Young Lawyers Letter Available Office Space 5 6 7

2 234th edition Page 2 (Continued from page 1) ated with an amazing 80% success rate. In other words, there is no longer a need for trials and jurors will not have to be summoned for jury duty for those cases. The mediation program has already saved taxpayers thousands of dollars and has significantly reduced the backlog of cases countywide. The UMC Board and staff are incredibly grateful to the many Greenville Bar members who generously support our work through their volunteer service and their financial contributions. If every member of our local bar volunteers for one mediation a year or donates $115 (the average cost of a mediation), the UMC could help all those who need our services, reduce the caseload on the courts, and most importantly, help our fellow citizens peacefully resolve their disputes. We welcome your suggestions, comments, and participation. For more information on the February CLE or on how to get involved, p l e a s e v i s i t t h e w e b s i t e a t w w w. u p s tatemedia t ion.com o r c a ll On February 16, 2011 The South Carolina Court of Appeals will hold court at Furman University You and a Guest are invited to a Reception in Their Honor February 15, :30-9:00 pm President Smolla's House (White Oaks) $10 per person with reservation on or before February 8 $20 per person after February 8 Heavy hors d'oeuvres and open bar. Please make reservations to gbarnews@charter.net or *Parking will be at the Younts Center on Furman's campus. Shuttles will begin at 6:20 and run continuously throughout the event. "YEAR-END" CLE Carolina First Center Friday, February 11, 2011 APPROVED for 7.0 hours of credit with 2.0 of that in ethics Civil, Corporate and Criminal Tracks Early Registration Fee (On or Before February 7): $75 members, $95 nonmembers Late Registration (After February 8): $110 Breakfast, lunch and snacks included! To register, please gbarnews@charter.net with your name and SC Bar # or call and send payment to PO Box 10145, Greenville, SC *Please note that in an effort to keep the cost of this event low and to save natural resources, handouts for this CLE will be available on our website during the month of February ( Printed materials will not be handed out at the CLE but internet will be available.

3 234th edition Page 3 GREENVILLE COUNTY BAR YEAR END CLE FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2011 CAROLINA FIRST CENTER General Session Ballroom 8:00 to 8:20 Registration and Continental Breakfast 8:20 to 8:30 Welcome/Opening Remarks Jack Griffeth, Greenville County Bar President, Collins & Lacy Jennifer Breaux Howe, CLE Chair, Devlin and Parkinson 8:30 to 9:30 You Can t Say That on the Internet Ethics and Social Media Kirsten Small, Nexsen Pruet, LLC 1 hour Ethics 9:30 to 10:30 Probate Court The Honorable Deborah Faulkner, Probate Court The Honorable Edward (Ted) Sauvain, Probate Court 10:30 to 10:45 Break 10:45 to 11:45 Panel on Judicial Merit Selection Process Moderator - The Honorable John W. Kittredge, South Carolina Supreme Court The Honorable Letitia Verdin, Family Court Judge Don Sellers, Judicial Merit Selection Commission, Haynsworth, Sinkler & Boyd Jane O. Shuler, Chief Counsel, Judicial Merit Selection Commission and Attorney, Senate Judiciary Committee 11:45 to 1:00 Ethics and Luncheon The Courage of a Lawyer The Honorable John Few, Chief Judge, South Carolina Court of Appeals 1 hour Ethics CLE Afternoon Sessions: Choice of Corporate Law, Criminal Law or Civil Law Corporate Room 102 ABC 1:15 to 2:15 The Electronic Recording Act Tim Nanney, Register of Deeds Greenville County 2:15 to 3:15 Rollback taxes and personal property taxes; how they accrue; tax exemptions and when you have to apply Debbie Adkins, Greenville County Tax Assessor 3:15 to 3:30 Break 3:30 to 4:30 Creative White Knight Transactions with brief update on Assessable Transfers and the new Estate Tax David A. Merline, Jr., Merline & Meacham, P.A. Robert E. August, Merline & Meacham, P.A. (Continued on page 4)

4 234th edition Page 4 (Continued from page 3) W. Verne McGough, Jr., Merline & Meacham, P.A. Criminal Ballroom 1:15 to 1:45 Effective Presentation at Trial and Pleas The Honorable Edward Miller, 13 th Judicial Circuit 0.5 hour CLE 1:45 to 2:45 Legal, Political and Social implications of the Death Penalty The Honorable William Wilkins, Nexsen Pruet, LLC 2:45 to 3:00 Break 3:00 to 3:30 Drug Court The Honorable Charles Simmons, Master in Equity 0.5 hour CLE 3:30 to 4:30 Panel on Criminal Law Moderator - Bob Ariail, Former Solicitor John Mauldin, Public Defender Walt Wilkins, Solicitor The Honorable G. Edward Welmaker, Criminal Administrative Judge, 13 th Judicial Circuit James H. Chip Price, Private Defense Lawyer Civil Room 104 AB 1:15 to 2:00 Perfecting the Appellate Record: At Trial and After The Honorable Aphrodite Konduros, South Carolina Court of Appeals 2:00 to 2:45 Is it an Alimony Case or Not? And if so what kind? The Honorable Alex Kinlaw, Jr., Family Court 2:45 to 3:00 Break 3:00 to 3:45 Introduction to Bankruptcy Jim Sarratt, Sarratt & Clarke Jim Cassidy, Roe Cassidy Coates & Price 3:45 to 4:30 Mediation Jack Griffeth, Collins & Lacy Diane Smock, Upstate Mediation Fleming Smith LLC Fiduciary Acounting Services Specializing in Estates & Conservatorships Inventory Interim/Annual Accounting Final Accounting Prepared in accordance with SC Probate Code Kathy Fleming Degreed Accountant with Proven Probate Court Experience flsmithllc@gmail.com *other accounting services available

5 234th edition Announcements The partners of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP have elected Greenville attorney Marci Tuten Greci to partnership. She was formerly an associate. Dr. Greci practices in the areas of intellectual property and technology law. Licensed to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, she counsels clients in all manner of technology development. She holds a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of Southern California where she conducted research under the guidance of Dr. Surya Prakash and Dr. George A. Olah, 1994 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry. Dr. Greci studied law at Cleveland State University in Cleveland, Ohio. John I. Mauldin, 13 th Circuit Public Defender, announces the appointment of Teal A. Johnson, as Assistant Public Defender, with an office located at the Pickens County Courthouse, Pickens, South Carolina, (864) Wyche Burgess Freeman & Parham is pleased to announce that Hannah Rogers Metcalfe has been appointed to serve on the Advisory Committee on Rules and Procedures for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Appointed by Chief Judge William B. Traxler, Jr., Ms. Metcalfe will serve a three-year term. The Advisory Committee makes recommendations to the Court concerning local rules and operating procedures and provides insight concerning proposals to their amendment. Ms. Metcalfe will serve as the Committee s representative from South Carolina, and joins four other attorneys who represent the other states which comprise the Fourth Circuit: Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and North Carolina. Ms. Metcalfe is a litigator focusing on civil litigation, appellate, complex and class action litigation, First Amendment and media law, personal injury, and matrimonial law. She is president-elect of the South Carolina Chapter of the Federal Bar Association and former clerk of the Honorable William B. Traxler, Jr., Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and the Honorable Anita B. Brody, Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Ms. Metcalfe earned her J.D. from Columbia Law School. Page 5 Elmore & Wall, P.A., is pleased to announce that Morgan S. Templeton has been invited to join the prestigious Council on Litigation Management. The Council is a nonpartisan alliance comprised of thousands of insurance company, corporations, Corporate Counsel, Litigation and Risk Managers, claims professionals, and attorneys. Through education and collaboration the organization s goals are to create a common interest in the representation by firms of companies, and to promote and further the highest standards of litigation management in pursuit of client defense. Selected attorneys and law firms are extended membership by invitation only based on nominations from CLM Fellows. Verdicts Caption: Donnie McCray vs. SCDC Case No CP Cause of Action: Tort Attorney for Plaintiff: pro se Attorney for Defendant: Rusty Harter Verdict for the defendant

6 234th edition Page 6 Dear Lawyers- As we start the New Year, I would like to thank everyone for making 2010 a great year for our organization and remind you that now is the time to renew your annual membership in the Young Lawyers' Club of the Greenville County Bar Association. If you have not participated in the past, we encourage you to join. Likewise, please encourage others who have not joined in the past to do so before our first event in late February. In 2010 we hosted nine successful events which were fun, well attended and free of cost to our members. As always, we plan on hosting a number of events throughout In addition to several happy hours and our annual Christmas party, we again plan to co-host the New Admittee reception that Judge Hill has been kind enough to host over the last several years and Pub Olympics with the SC Bar Young Lawyers Division. Further, we plan on hosting two joint events with the Greenville Bar. Depending on our membership numbers, we would love to add an event, such as a bowling night. For lawyers, as in many aspects of life, it can be very easy to surround ourselves with colleagues in our own firms or in our own practice group. I believe our organization provides members with the opportunity to meet and have fellowship with young attorneys throughout the County. Our membership ranges from sole practioners, public sector attorneys, law clerks, and seasoned associates to lawyers that are just beginning to learn the day to day trials, tribulations, and rewards of practicing law. Jennifer Breaux Howe currently serves as the President of the Young Lawyers Club. I am serving as the Vice President. Lynsey Kmetz is our acting Social Director/Secretary, and Adam Breaux recently joined our committee as its Treasurer. At each event, we choose five lawyers that will be profiled in that month's publication of the Greenville Bar News. This provides an excellent opportunity for our lawyers to get their name out in the local legal community. While your membership to the South Carolina Bar Young Lawyers Division is included in your annual South Carolina Bar dues, the Greenville Young Lawyers Club is a separate local organization. The cost to join is $60 for private sector attorneys and $40 for public sector attorneys and judicial law clerks. Please send a check to Greenville Young Lawyers at P.O. Box 6584, Greenville, SC You can Adam Breaux at adam.breaux@mcdonnellawfirm.com for more information. On behalf of the Greenville Young Lawyers Club, I would like to thank our Greenville Lawyers for their continued support of our organization. We look forward to seeing you at our events throughout the year. With kind regards, Cory Ezzell From the Young Lawyers... CARING COMMITTEE If you know of an attorney who is ill, has surgery, has a death in the family, has a baby or has some other event in their life, please notify the Caring Committee at gbarnews@charter.net Estate Administration Services 607 Abbey Road Easley, SC Phone: Cell: Fax: ammestates@bellsouth.net Ann Marie Minerva Paralegal LEGAL SUPPORT SERVICES PROBATE PROCEEDINGS ANCILLARY PROCEEDINGS SMALL ESTATE PROCEEDINGS

7 234th edition Page 7 Available Office Space 1619 East North Street: Large office space with private bathroom. All other amenities are shared, i.e., furnished conference room, waiting area, kitchen, public bathroom, parking. Other amenities may include shared phone system and high speed internet if lesee so chooses. Rent is negotiable. This space is perfect for a solo practitioner. For more information please contact Tesa at Office Space Available in Fully Renovated House at 114 Whitsett Street. Large Office and Secretarial Office with use of two conference rooms. Also included: Waiting and reception services, Avaya Phone System, Networked High Speed Copier/Fax/Scanner, Networked Encrypted Server, High Speed Internet, Stocked Refrigerator and parking. Please call for more details. For Lease. 119 Manly Street across from Bilo Center, in Pettigru Historic District square feet, 9 rooms, library conference room in carefully historic restorated 1925 residence ideal for a law office. In excellent condition and up to date. Adjoining parking for nine cars. Kitchen area. Contact owner John M. Dillard For Rent: 522 N. Church St., DOWNTOWN GREENVILLE. One story building with ample office space and parking conveniently located behind Bi-Lo Center. $1300 /month. Includes cleaning, utilities, telephone system with receptionist and conference rooms. Contact John Abdalla at or abdallalaw@yahoo.com for additional information. For Rent: New suites $1,000-1,200 monthly or singles $450/225 ft up. Reception, kitchenette, bath, covered and front porch, parking, ground level or main. Location: W. Stone Avenue at Wilton Street near to Downtown Greenville or Second Floor Suite located at 204 Lavina Ave. Space includes 4 rooms and a bathroom. Call for more information. Office Space for Rent at 1425 Augusta Street. First floor. Approximately 2,000-sq. ft. Space includes 5 rooms, 2 bathrooms, kitchen area and use of conference room. Ample parking. Contact Gina at administrative offices (8 x 12) for $300 each and 2 executive offices (13 x 20) for $500 each. Monthly rent includes utilities, use of conference room, kitchen/break room, internet and ample parking. 707 East North Street (between LEC and the Bi-Lo Center) - several size offices available with option to access conference rooms, break room and work room. Contact Manning Culbertson for additional information Office space for rent. $ per month (includes heat and air). Approximately 900 square feet, divided into 4 separate offices. The space for rent is the entire upstairs floor of a law office. If interested call Office space is located on Woodruff Road in the Woodruff Rd. Corporate Center. Downtown Office Space Available at 109 East North Street. Spacious office with its own secretarial work area and use of reception area, two conference rooms, small library and private parking. Has the ability for some sharing of phone system, a networked computer system and copier/scanner/fax services. Ideal for an attorney looking for a change or to start a practice with an opportunity for a possible successor interest in an established practice concentrated in real estate. Call to learn more. Office space for lease: Large office with secretarial work area available on Poinsett Highway, north of Cherrydale Shopping Center. Included are receptionist, waiting area, use of two furnished conference rooms, kitchen, bathrooms, ample parking, and utilities. Potentially included are computer(s), PCLaw software, high speed internet, copiers, and fax machine. Rent is negotiable. Please contact Robbie Childs or Sue at for more information. Office space for rent. Prestigious downtown location. One office, with access to two conference rooms, break room and common area. All utilities, except phone included. Shared reception. $1,000 a month. Please respond to: P.O. Box 10296, Greenville, SC Two Offices for Rent. Utilities included but not telephone. 644 E. Washington Street, Greenville, SC. Contact: Executive Offices for Lease. Three executive offices available with large shared conference, break room and reception area. Additional secretarial space available on 2nd level. Located at the intersection of Williams and Pettigru St diagonally across from the Poinsett Club. Lease all or individually. Sizes range from sq. ft. For information please call N. Church Street: Large office space w/ ample parking adjoining building. - $500 per month. Closed to Courts and perfect for solo practitioner. Shared areas include reception, library/conference, bathrooms, and kitchenette. Additional secretarial and use of high-speed copier/fax/scanner, network encrypted server, high speed Internet, and some office furniture are available and negotiable. Call for more details or to arrange an inspection.